I am still 19 years old . I’m dropping out of college because I don’t want to waste my time knowing that I wanted to be a pilot since I was a kid. There is a lot of obstacles that are facing me concerning this job which I need help with by any of the pilots.
1- If I take a loan, is it going to be hard to payback the loan?
2-Am I going to be able to work while doing this ATP flight school?If yes ( part time or full time)?
3-How long does it take to be an airline pilot.(explain the steps please)
4-Considering I’m still 19 years old, is it too early or wrong to start at this age?
Thanks for any of the pilots that’ll help answering my questions.
First off I think dropping out of college is a mistake at your age. If you really want a successful career in the airlines you’re going to want a degree as the legacy airlines ALL give preference. Further, by making the decision to quit school without having the answers to some very basic questions regarding this career, shows you have some growing up to do.
Thanks for giving me heads up. Can you still answer my questions tho. I still didn’t drop out of college . What i said is that i just wanna get straight to my point and not to waste my time. That’s why i decided to join the aviation school. Still wondering abt the rest of the questions . Thank you.
Sure and I’m happy to. Just know all these questions are answered in detail in our faq section and on the ATP website. That said here goes:
Maybe? We have no idea what your financial situation is, what debt you currently have, your current savings, income, etc etc etc. Most people do find the debt manageable and with the current high pay increases of late, you should be able to pay off your debt in short order.
While no one can stop you, ATP highly discourages ANY work (full or part-time) during your training. The program is extremely challenging and requires a 100% commitment. Failure to follow this recommendation is on you with and if you wash out there will be “I’m sorry, I was wrong. Let me try again”.
The training is 7mos and it will take another 1.5-2yrs to get hired by a Regional. Provided of course you’re successful in your training.
Again we recommend you complete your education first.
I really appreciate your answers that helped me a lot concerning my questions. If im trying to enroll in the ATP school flight, would you be able to tell me why would i want a degree in college if im going straight to what i want to be?
In addition to that, what is the major that i have to do which is required to be a pilot, since you told me it’s a mistake to quit college and take a degree ( what is the degree)?
Answered already. A four year degree is both a fallback and ticking off a checkbox when airlines are looking at applicants. While the requirement has been dropped, airlines are still more likely to hire the pilot with a degree versus the college dropout. You have a ton of time to do flight training and get to a major airline before you are even thirty. So get a degree as a back up…and it looks good on your resume.
As I said above, a 4yr degree is still a preferred requirement for the legacy carriers. Without one you could very well see your peers advancing their careers and making 3-4x what you’re making.
The good news is you can major in anything you like. The airlines want you to have the degree but they don’t care about your field of study. I’d suggest something you interest in as a fallback should flying not work out for some reason.
Please spend some time int he FAQ section of this website as well as ATP’s main website. There is a ton of great information on both that would answer most of your questions.