Hello Everyone!, I am currently in my third year of a mechanical engineering degree. In all honesty, I am not liking mechanical engineering and am thinking of switching to a pilot since I rather do something I think I would enjoy with my life than stay in something I would hate. I am already 60k in debt and am wondering if will I still be able to get a loan? I know airlines pay a lot and I would be willing to work the max amount of hours, would that have an effect on how fast I would progress or is it only a slight improvement since they would give something close to that already? And finally, regarding health, while I have no health problems at all, my eyes could be an issue, I wear glasses which I know is allowed, But I am also a bit color blind, granted I can tell the difference between distinct colors. Granted that may not be good enough would glasses also be a solution as well or is that not allowed?
Thanks for taking the time to read this, I look forward to someone’s reply!
Nicholas,
Welcome to the forum, let’s get to your questions.
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As for the loan, you will need to apply and see what comes back. I would expect them to require you to have a co-signer. Make sure your credit is as good as possible. How hard you think you will work in the future has no bearing on what you will be approved for today. They will look at past credit history of you and your co-signer.
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Vision needs to be corrected to 20/20, glasses are fine. As for color vision, you will need to be able to pass the FAA’s color vision test, which usually consists of the Ishihara color plates. If you are not able to pass that test, there are other alternate tests available.
Chris
Thank You for your response! I was also wondering how fast I would progress in the pay scale if I worked maxed hours!
Sorry, one more thing Are color correction glasses allowed?
And one more thing, I would like to finish the entire thing as fast as possible but there is a week I have a vacation planned, does flight school allow for a week off?
Nicholas,
The pay scale is determined by years of service to the company, not how many hours you work.
I have never heard of color correction glasses, that would be a question for a FAA Aviation Medical Examiner.
I believe that ATP will work with you on the vacation, but make sure to tell them that when scheduling. The program is only seven months long, it would really be better if you could not take a week off in the middle of it. Flight training builds on consistency, taking a week off might sounds like a short time, but it could really have a huge impact on your progression through training. I would try to avoid this.
Chris
Oxymoron/noun/def: An oxymoron is a self-contradicting word or group of words.
Adam
Nicholas,
Firs things first, you need to see an AME and see if you can get a medical. Color blindness can affect your ability to get a medical. There is typically extra testing involved and without a medical, you won’t be able to pursue this career.
Once you get that sorted out, applying for financing would be the next step. If you can achieve both, then you can start thinking about a start date and asking off for a future vacation.
Hannah
Thank you all for your responses they helped me a lot, My current plan is to get a new pair of glasses and then go to a nearby AME to get a first-degree medical, hopefully.
After looking over the material I have a new question.
- How many hours do people normally have after 7 months?
1a) And how many months do people tend to have to be instructors to become eligible for a
regional airline? (i did not see a number of months on the timeline) - Do you guys recommend doing a direct line or waiting for airline placement if your goal is money?
Nicholas,
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You’ll complete the program with just over 250hrs. It usually takes 1-1.5yrs of instructing to build the required 1500hrs.
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I have no idea what you’re asking but if you’re only doing this for the money, you may be very disappointed and might want to consider other careers.
Adam
Thank you for the response!
I am doing this because for a few reasons
- I like traveling places
- I like the idea of flying a plane
- 12 days off a month
- Money
I am now slightly confused because isn’t a pilot salary pretty high?
One more question while I am at it, Do you think it would be worth finishing my degree for mechanical engineering? I have 1 and a half years left. I heard major airline prefer it, does it really make the much of a difference?
Nicholas,
It can be but that comes in time with seniority.
Ever hear of 9/11, COVID-19, the Recession of 2008. Things can and do happen that can seriously stall your career. You also simply could never make it to the Majors. The best pilot I know never did. There’s not even a good reason, just simply bad timing on his part. He never made much over $100k in the last 25yrs. Thing is, he’s happy because it was never about the money. I also know many pilots who dropped out completely after any of those downturns I listed. They were ALL about the money and when it didn’t pan out they quit.
You also say you “like the idea of flying a plane” and so do many people. Thing is not everyone is successful or very good at it. Bust more than a few checkrides and your career (and salary) prospects go down dramatically. If you’ve never flown (not flown in) a small training airplane I strongly suggest before you start counting on that big salary you’ve heard about you take an intro flight or lesson. The “idea” of flying is very different than the reality.
Adam
I was completely unaware of these factors, and it seems I need to do some more research! I greatly appreciate the time you put into your response.
Nicholas,
You absolutely should finish your degree. That will determine your options in a future airline career. After graduation, you should pursue an intro flight. In the meantime, spend some time on the forum. Read the FAQs, check out the schedules section and seek mentorship with local pilots in your area. You want to know what you’re getting yourself in to, the great things and the challenges too.
Hannah
Nicholas- 1st, finish your ME degree. You will find this to be of great advantage whether you end up as a pilot or not. None of us can predict the future and a BSME may very well make to differnece- someday- between having a job or not.
2nd- I had a similar color vision problem- I could distinquish colors but counld not pass the FAA isahara color plate tests, which are extremely sensitve. An alternative is an OCVT (Operational color vision test, where they flash a light gun at you from a tower) which I passed with ease and I suspect you can also. Anyway, get all this squared away with an AME prior to making any commitments. Good luck. Robert C