Hello Pilots. My name is Colton and it’s an honor to be speaking with you.
I am currently a supervisor of a great company named Starbucks but I’m looking to build a new substantial career. I would like to become a pilot. I’m 30 with no undergrad and have a college certificate for personal fitness training. So I would like to ask a series of questions if somebody then could get back to me asap I would appreciate it.
Knowing what you know now is this a foolish idea for someone like me.
Would you recommend the ATP- total immersion program or go to LIBERTY UNIVERSITY’S AVIATION program instead.
I saw that the ATP- Envoy-AA cadet program doesn’t require an undergraduate dgree is that true? It seemed almost to good to be true?
I’m not against doing an undergraduate degree because I realize how valuable they are to any work environment. Does it matter what type of undergrad you get?
Not sure why you think this might be a foolish idea? My only caveat is you don’t mention any fight experience? If that’s the case before you do too much pondering I would schedule an intro flight or lesson. While many people have sat in the back of a Boeing and thought this is cool, sitting upfront in a small trainer is a completely different experience.
Colton if you look up and to the left you’ll clearly see ATPs logo as this is ATPs forum. While we’re not salesman, all the mentors on this forum are ATP grads who are now successful airline pilots. We once where you were and after doing our research we concluded ATP was the best route. I encourage you to do your own research and come to your own conclusion. That said I’m not a fan of degree programs. They’re generally expensive and also take far too much time. ATP was created by airline pilots to train airline pilots and have been doing so for over 30yrs. They’ve also placed thousands of pilots at the airline. Liberty is a relative newcomer in the industry.
While the Envoy Cadet program does not require a degree you’d really be placing all your eggs in one very small basket hoping for the call up to AA. If you’re going to be successful in this industry you’re going to want to get a degree at some point.
No. The Majors want a 4yr degree but really don’t care what field of study its in.
I also would encourage you to visit our FAQ section as it answers many common questions.
Why would it be foolish? There are definitely things that we recommend everyone do before they make their decision like take an intro flight and apply for a first class medical, but other than that if this is something that you’re passionate about go for it.
We’re all graduates of ATP’s program. We recommend ATP, but it’s ultimately up to you to decide. I would look at both programs and decide which one is best for you.
That’s correct. The degree is not a requirement for the Envoy-AA Cadet Program. You do, however, run the risk of pigeon-holing yourself. Sure you could EVENTUALLY make your way up to AA through this program, but how long will that take? Who knows? Or you could get your degree at some point along the way and expand your options.
It doesn’t matter what you’re degree is in.
A lot of helpful info can be found on the FAQ section of this forum.
That was the first time that speaking with me has been described as “an honor”, but I will take it
I do not think a career change is foolish at all. Plenty of people decide to become pilots around your age. Now the reality is that this is a seniority driven profession so your career aspects will be somewhat more limited than somebody starting at the age of 22, but you should have plenty of time to have great career.
All of the mentors on this website went to ATP, did well in their program and are fans of it. ATP is also generous enough to sponsor this website. That being said, I would absolutely recommend ATP over Liberty for several reasons. To begin with, ATP has been doing this for decades and is a proven leader in the field of flight training, ATP produces more professional pilots than any other school in the country. They know what they are doing. Liberty is actually using dozens of small schools around the country to accomplish their flight training and as such your experience can really vary. Also, Liberty has been in the news recently for corruption in their ranks, plus they have a history of racist, homophobic comments by their leadership, something that I cannot support.
Now you will need a degree to make it to the majors, but you can easily work on one while at the regionals. Right now your focus needs to be on the fastest path to getting qualified as a pilot.
That is correct, no degree required. But you are putting all of your eggs in one basket. You might find that you wish to work for Delta instead of AA, or AA is not hiring, or your flow time to AA will be a decade while FedEx is hiring. So yes, it is a real program, but you will be counting solely on AA as a career. I say go to Envoy if you want to go to AA, but get a degree and keep all of your options open at the same time.
Get the degree in any subject that you like and is respectable. Business management, history, piloting, etc, just get a degree from a respected university.
