Being a Commercial Pilot help...

[felipemia89]

Hi guys.. Im 18 years old at the moment and I plan to study some type of engineering at a University in chile.. When I finish college I would love to start my path on becoming a commercial pilot. My career lasts 6 years in chile for a professional degree.. I want a degree first so then I have something to back up on plus some airlines require you to have a degree. I will be around 24-25 years old when I finish. Then I want to play my cards and start training for my commercial pilot license.. Do you think the market will be going well for pilots by then? Do you guys think I still have a chance at that age?? Hopefully I can start by getting my private pilot license before I graduate and be a step ahead. I think i will definitely take my courses in the US since its better overthere but much more costly.. Oh well but it will pay-off in the long run.. Give me your opinions please...

[nosehair]

Nobody can tell what the state of the union will be in 6 years, and at the current rate of change, it is much more of a risk to guess at it.

But, barring any type of 9/11 disaster, the airlines will be hiring as much as they can get, and 25 years old is just about ideal.

Try to get the private before you graduate; not so much to be a 'step ahead', but because it will give you a chance to really look into the profession before making a commitment - and just for the fun of it.

[pedro]

Originally Posted by felipemia89

I will be around 24-25 years old when I finish. Do you guys think I still have a chance at that age??

you will be perfectly fine. I just turned 25 and I haven't started my training yet.

Do you think the market will be going well for pilots by then?

there is no good answer for that one. The aviation industry is very cyclical. What might happen ten minutes from now can change an hour later. Make sure you can adjust to change because I have heard it happens often.
[/quote]

Hopefully I can start by getting my private pilot license before I graduate and be a step ahead. I think i will definitely take my courses in the US since its better overthere but much more costly.. Oh well but it will pay-off in the long run.. Give me your opinions please...

If you can balance school and getting your PPL then i say go for it! the sooner you get your ratings the better. just make sure you get your 4yr degree!!!

What is the training like in Chile? I would check out the local schools to get an idea of the cost and time that it would take. Good Luck!

oh.....and Welcome to JC..... you came to the right place to ask these questions.

[felipemia89]

Thanks guys.. I will definitely finish my 6 year college degree here in Chile. I will see if can manage studying in college and getting my PPL. I'll see about that. After I finish college I plan to go to the US and finish my courses there. Anything can happen from now till then but I doubt my love for flying will change.. I have checked the prices and the time it would take to get a PPL and its about the same as in the US. I do know some people here who fly as a living so I'll ask them. I have to say that this forum is AWESOME!! Its really GREAT!! I'll keep you guys posted.. thanks again..

P.S. Does anybody know if there is a fee to pay for a foreign PPL?

[bigbobby03]

There is no reason why you can't go to school and do all your ratings. I started training my sophomore year of college, and I was flight instructing by my senior year. This was all while taking a full load of unrelated finance. You just have to work hard at it. You should be able to get your ratings, and graduate college looking for that flying job. It would normally take me on semester per rating. Good Luck!

[jspeed87]

hey man how's chile? I'd love to fly in to easter island from santiago lol. I'm from colombia but I lived in the US all my life. My advice to you is, if you really love aviation, just do it. Forget the back-up degree study something you love. It would be smarter to get your degree here in the US(4 years for a bachelors degree) and do your flight training at the same time. By the time your 22, you should be building time to go to a nice airline. Their will always be a need for Pilots. They don't have automatic truck drivers, why would they do the same to a Pilot?

[felipemia89]

Originally Posted by jspeed87

hey man how's chile? I'd love to fly in to easter island from santiago lol. I'm from colombia but I lived in the US all my life. My advice to you is, if you really love aviation, just do it. Forget the back-up degree study something you love. It would be smarter to get your degree here in the US(4 years for a bachelors degree) and do your flight training at the same time. By the time your 22, you should be building time to go to a nice airline. Their will always be a need for Pilots. They don't have automatic truck drivers, why would they do the same to a Pilot?

Chile is good jejeje.. Yea I always also thinking about just going to the US and studying overthere since I will have SO many more opportunities there than in Chile.. Even though I love Chile I have to be realistic when it comes to opportunities.. Yea if I go to US this december- january I cant start college in the US until Fall(August).. That would leave me with like 6 months to start my training which is awesome.. I know I first have to get my PPL, IFR, ME, then Commercial.. Is CFI the only way to gain those extra hours later or is there another way??

[JaceTheAce]

My crystal ball tells me that the airline industry will be BOOMING in 7 years. In fact, if anyone needs any love life or stock market predictions that are 100% accurate, I offer those services for a nominal fee.

[jspeed87]

Originally Posted by JaceTheAce

My crystal ball tells me that the airline industry will be BOOMING in 7 years. In fact, if anyone needs any love life or stock market predictions that are 100% accurate, I offer those services for a nominal fee.

hey I got the same car in you pic only mine is red lol

[mojo6911]

I would just wait to get the PPL in the US. We deal with a lot of foreigners here, and it is a pain to get it converted, and the paperwork for adding the instrument rating is a hassle. Not to mention that other countries have different standards for getting the PPL.