I’m a 35 year old Registered Nurse looking for a career change. Have said since I was a kid I wanted to be a pilot and have been looking into this more thoroughly, but had several questions. Is this a program that can be accomplished while working full time? I’m getting the feeling that it is not but wasn’t totally sure. Also, I’d like to keep my nursing license and was curious if there are any careers that combine flying with nursing (flying being the primary role and less nursing i.e flight nurse). Taking out student loans again is an option for financing, but wondered about typical average costs for tuition, certifications, etc. I live comfortably now on my current salary and wanted to make sure that I’m not making a mistake by digging myself into some serious debt that is tough to recover from. I live in Richmond, VA, and as there is a school nearby housing would not be an issue, but wondered how much time normally is spent at the school as opposed to airtime or other locations. Any info would be greatly appreciated!
Chris,
It will not be possible to work while in ATP’s program. The program is very accelerated and will require every bit of your time for flying, sim work, class room work or studying. There are other schools that allow people to work, but heir programs take considerably longer.
I am not aware of any jobs that combine nursing and flying. Flight nurses are nurses that are trained on high altitude medicine, they have nothing to do with the operation of the aircraft.
I have no idea what you make now, but check out the FAQ section ss there is a detailed post in there about pilot compensation, that will probably help you with your decision.
I would plan on being at the school 8-5 every weekday, and perhaps later into the evening for some events, plus occasionally weekends. You will have to travel for CFI school, which is approximately two weeks.
There is a wealth of information in the FAQ section, I recommend checking it out.
Chris
Christopher,
As Chris said this program cannot be completed while working part-time let alone full time due to the accelerated nature. You could of course train on your own weekends and evenings but that’s incredibly inefficient and many who try that route get frustrated and either quit or eventually sign up for full time training.
As for the nursing there are air ambulance services where I believe it might be advantageous to have your skills but honestly I’m not certain.
Adam