I am looking to make a career change right now and try to get into the aviation field. I am currently a holder of a PPL, with approximately 55 hours. I know to move on with the ATP program they are looking for at least someone with 80 hours which isn’t that hard to achieve. But my question is how can I afford it with having bills and such. As we all know bills are not cheap along with vehicle payments. I know ATP is a full time commitment and lots of studying outside of training as well. So to have a main focus on this how can i financially afford to attend this program? I currently live in Minnesota and hope they would open a program here but there is not prospective for that. I would like feed back from people who have been in the same shoes in a situation like this.
Flying is expensive and the cost is probably the single biggest obstacle people face. That said, with all due respect, I have no idea of your financial situation. I don’t know your debt, your income, your savings or if your heir to a fortune and therefore have no idea how or if you can afford ATP. What I can tell you is the majority of people take out loans. Many take out loans for a greater amount to cover their living expenses during training and then tighten their belts while they instruct until they get hired by a Regional. Whether or not this would work for you only you know for sure?
It is a very safe bet that ATP will not be opening a Minnesota location anytime soon, the winters are just too harsh.
The vast majority of people finance their flight training. I did and it has paid dividends for me. Contact the admissions department and talk to them about your financial situation, they can give you the best advice on how to proceed.