My name is Fernando. I was born in Ecuador but moved to the US in 2010, and have been a US citizen for 5 years already.
I have an Associates Degree in Medical Assisting and I was wondering if this is something I could use instead of a Bachelors degree. If not, do you have any suggestions?
I know that some of the responses here say that a degree is not required, but at this point in my life I’m going big (not going home,) so I want to do the best I can to reach my goal, and one day become an airline pilot.
I’ve always been interested in the aviation industry but it seemed unreachable in the past due to various reasons, but now I feel that it is the right time even though I feel like I’m already late in the game since I’ll be turning 30 in the next couple of weeks. If any of you could tell me how I can get started, what to expect, what I should be prepared for in terms of commitment, money, etc, I’d appreciate it.
Currently I have a full time job and I’m wondering if I could go part time to dedicate some time to school. I live alone in NYC so it is hard to pay rent and go to school at the same time.
Please be as honest as you can and I’ll be forever grateful.
#following - Great question. I’m about to be in my mid-30’s trying to jump on the ATP train. Curious if age will be an issue though. Following to see what they say
I’m always honest. While there are the rare and occasional stories of someone who slipped through the cracks because they play golf with the COE’s nephew and got hired without a degree, if you aspire to fly for a Major airline and are just a regular guy like the rest of us, you will need a 4yr degree.
As for where to get started you obviously need to learn to fly. In full disclosure this is ATPs website and all the mentors on here are successful ATP grads. We’re not salesmen, we all simply were in the same place you are now and after doing our research determined ATP is the best route. At 30 you’re not old but you do need to get started. While ATP has a full time program we recommend obviously not everyone can take 9mos off without pay so there’s a self paced program you can do while you work. The key is consistency which is why small local flight schools usually fail. After you earn your licenses and ratings you’ll need to build the required 1500hrs to fly for an airline. The most common method is flight instructing and usually takes about 1.5-2yrs. As for your degree since you have your Associates you can take that and your get credit for your licenses and finish your Bachelor’s online with minimum time and effort.
That’s really a quick and dirty of the process. I recommend you visit our FAQ section and ATPs website. There’s tons of information and answers to many questions. After feel free to come back with more specific questions and we’ll be happy to answer.
Fernando,
At 30, you can still have a solid 30 year career if you get started soon. If you continue to work, the flex program would be your best option. It will take longer but allows you to continue working at the same time. If you financially could quit and take out a loan you can get through the fast track program earning your ratings in 9 months and then begin instructing to earn an income again. As for your degree, if you stick with just the associates I recommend you getting involved with an regional airline with a flow program to a major, as that will be your best chance of getting to a major without the 4 year degree.
Welcome to the forums. Let’s get to your questions.
An Associate’s degree is not equivalent to a Bachelor’s degree, it takes half the time to get and is usually more trade specialized whereas a Bachelor’s degree has a large general education requirement along with it. A degree is not required for the regionals, but one most certainly is for the majors, so I would plan on getting one.
Thirty years old is a little late in the game, but it is not awful. I would not waste any time in getting going though. Now all of the mentors on this website went to ATP and are successful professional pilots, we give our time to this community because we want to help people and we believe in the process that ATP has developed. I strongly recommend that you take a look at ATP’s website, as you need to work while training, I would look at their Flex Track option.
Take some time to look around ATP’s website and the FAQ section of this website, there is great information on both that will really get you pointed in the right direction. Of course we are also happy to answer any questions that you may have.
