Fastest Way to Major Airline

[rmiller]

What would be the fastest, most complete way without military involvement from going from 0 hours flight experience to a major airline pilot starting at the youngest age possible and asumming the individual is academically and financially sound prior to graduating high school?

[rausda27]

Going to college first and foremost.

[flygirl813126]

And in college get a job as a rampie or something with an airline and/or an internship.

[Swen]

And then if your budget allows you can start training part 61.

[ATA_victim]

What I usually do is get in my car and drive (in the most direct route possible of course) to the nearest major airport. Majors airlines usually hang out around there.

[rmiller]

What would be considered the best 4-year insitution that offers complete pilot training from the beginning for those who ultimately want to be a major airline captain? Embry Riddle?

[DE727UPS]

A common misconception is that you must have a four year degree in aviation and train at a big name flight school to become an airline pilot. It's just not so.

In my opinion, a non-aviation degree is best because it gives you training/education in a second field. Also, smaller flight schools can provide training just as good as larger ones, at a better price.

[rmiller]

Well I would prefer to get all of my flight training with my bachelors degree so I might as well look into the college with the best possible reputation. My father is an MBA graduate from Fordham University so if an aviation career fails me I always have a a connection of aquiring a masters degree in a different field. Just as a law grad from an ivy league university has a better chance of initial emplyment and higher salary than one from a lower-scale school does, I was wondering if certain aeronautical colleges would have the same effect in a pilotry career or if they're all about the same. It wouldn't have to be close to my home either. I also of course know there I will probably need hundreds of flight hours after graduation before airline employment, but if anyone has advice that would be great...

[Swen]

[ QUOTE ]
My father is an MBA graduate from Fordham University so if an aviation career fails me I always have a a connection of aquiring a masters degree in a different field.

[/ QUOTE ]

You're missing the point I think. The reason for a degree is so that you have something to fall back on in the case you lose your job as pilot. You want to be able to step foot into the new job right away or with very little training. You do not want to lose you job as pilot and then work 4-6 years on a Masters.

[rmiller]

Regardless, is there a school where the airlines would prefer applicants to have gone over others (like the ivy comparison) or not?

[MrLeisure757]

From what I know, they don't care where you have gone or what you major in. They just want a four-year degree. I talked with a US Airways First Officer this past week after a flight. He majored in Forestry at a small college in Michigan. As you can see, it doesn't really matter where you go. Sure, maybe some airlines MIGHT look at you differently if you went to an aviation school. But I don't believe it would keep you from a job if you didn't go an aviation school.

[montanapilot]

[ QUOTE ]
Regardless, is there a school where the airlines would prefer applicants to have gone over others (like the ivy comparison) or not?


[/ QUOTE ]


The admissions officers for certain schools would lead you to believe this, however, it doesnt matter one bit.

[DE727UPS]

I understand your question. The airlines don't care where you went to college or what you majored in. Having a degree doesn't make you a better pilot, it only shows that you can be successful in an intense learning enviornment. I went to ERAU because I thought it would make the difference you are seeking. While I got a good education there, it didn't help me one bit throughout my career except for being able to check the "I have a degree" box on the applications.

[rmiller]

Well my last reason for going to Embry Riddle would be that I am guaranteed to go in with no flight expereince and come out with certification through Commercial Pilot Certificate. If I attend a standard college probably away from home living on campus I wouldn't know of flight school in the area to start training at nor would I have the time to do so.

[DE727UPS]

"If I attend a standard college probably away from home living on campus I wouldn't know of flight school in the area to start training at nor would I have the time to do so."

Well....if you say so. I have several friends who have done it that way. One I just helped get hired at UPS.

[project7]

[ QUOTE ]
Well my last reason for going to Embry Riddle would be that I am guaranteed to go in with no flight expereince and come out with certification through Commercial Pilot Certificate. If I attend a standard college probably away from home living on campus I wouldn't know of flight school in the area to start training at nor would I have the time to do so.

[/ QUOTE ]

You're first mistake there is the idea of a "guarantee". There are no guarantees in aviation. Period.

All pilot certificates are the same, and the training required to obtain them is always slightly different for each person (what I mean is that no matter where you go you gotta pass the checkride). I have done the Riddle thing and the FBO thing, and the FBO thing generally works out better for everyone (more flexible, more fun, etc.)

As far as not knowing of a flight school to go to if you didn't attend Riddle, it's not all that hard to find a decent one in most places.

It seems that you have a very common misconception about the aviation industry. People compare pilots to doctors and lawyers and therefore assume that there must be a "Harvard of the skies" out there that gives the best route to a flying career. The fact is that there is no one best school or one best way to do it. Flying is not as glamorous and prestigous as most people imagine (flying through a thunderstorm at 1am in an old rust bucket of an airplane for $10 per hour will suck the glamour out real quick). If you ask a hundred different airline pilots how they got to where they are, you'll get a hundred different answers.

I know it's frustrating, but do your homework before making your moves and you'll be fine. It's a great thing that you've found Jetcareers. I wish I had found this site earlier, it would have prevented some mistakes along the way.

Keep asking questions too, there's plenty of people on here who have been there and got the T-shirt..

[flygirl813126]

[ QUOTE ]
"If I attend a standard college probably away from home living on campus I wouldn't know of flight school in the area to start training at nor would I have the time to do so."



[/ QUOTE ]
There are many schools that have flight programs, that aren't only flight schools. They work from the private on. I know that U of I, SIU, Purdue, and Lewis all have that option. At U of I you can get any degree you choose, and still take part in the flight program. I know this is possible at other schools as well.

[montanapilot]

[ QUOTE ]
"If I attend a standard college probably away from home living on campus I wouldn't know of flight school in the area to start training at nor would I have the time to do so."


[/ QUOTE ]


www.airnav.com
www.aopa.org
your local yellowpages
http://www.nafinet.org

[Ice_Hawk]

[ QUOTE ]

There are many schools that have flight programs, that aren't only flight schools. They work from the private on. I know that U of I, SIU, Purdue, and Lewis all have that option. At U of I you can get any degree you choose, and still take part in the flight program. I know this is possible at other schools as well.

[/ QUOTE ]

Western Michigan has this too. You can major in anything from theater to forestry and still participate in their flight program and be on the flight team. I'm going to be majoring in aerospace engineering and still be flying.

[jtrain609]

That's not correct, you have to major in aviation to fly at Western Michigan.

[Ice_Hawk]

[ QUOTE ]
That's not correct, you have to major in aviation to fly at Western Michigan.

[/ QUOTE ]

Really? One of the directors of the aviation department that I talked to said that you can still fly at Western even if you don't major in aviation flight science. Did he just say that to get me to attend?

(Slightly off-topic) John, I thought you majored in something else (wasn't it psychology) and still got to fly? Or did you do the flying at an FBO?

[jtrain609]

Once you get to college you start to realize that the people that are there to recruit you will say almost anything to get you there. It's not a Western thing, every college does it.

When I left the college of aviation you couldn't fly unless you were an aviation major, and you couldn't go past the private pilot stage unless you were specifically a flight major. Truth be told, they introduced some other options to people. Oddly enough, they called it "Option B." You can read about it a little bit here. As I understand option B, only like three people ended up going down that route. I guess in theory you could, but I'm not sure that those guys are looked upon as the most highly regarded in the college.

Personally, I feel if you're going to major in something other than aviation then you're wasting time and money screwing around with the college. I did my training at an FBO and recieved fine training. I'll be graduating in December with a degree in philosophy with a concentration in applied ethics and a minor in political science. I did my primary and instrument training in Bay City, MI and I will finish up the rest of my training at Skymates in about a month.