Military or Civilian??

[DC10FlyBy]

ok thanks.
Mizzou is 30k out of state and 19 in state a year..
not too bad

[DC10FlyBy]

ok.
thanks, Mizzou is 30k out of state and 19k in state.
not tooo bad

[blee256]

Originally Posted by DC10FlyBy

ok.
thanks, Mizzou is 30k out of state and 19k in state.
not tooo bad

19K!!! Is that tuition only? I hope not. Does that include room and board? UCLA and Cal Berkley were like the Mizzou equivalent here in California and it was only 5-6K a year during the days I went to college.

[DC10FlyBy]

yes thats the total in state expense included room and board.

[kgflyboy]

You might consider visiting the University of Central Missouri. They have a larger flight program that SLU or any other college nearby. I started the flight program there, got my instrument rating, and then changed majors. A couple years later I wanted back in aviation, and I'm doing the FBO route now.

The advantage of the college flight school is that it is a part 141 school, which means thay can get you certified with lower minimum hour requirements. If I remember correctly, private at 35, instrument at 80, and commercial at 180 instead of 250 hours for commercial at the part 61 schools (most local airport schools). When you finish your instructor rating, you will have the opportunity to build hours by instructing students between classes since most colleges give everybody that takes the instructor classes a job up passing. In Warrensburg, it was reasonable to expect to be an instructor by the time you were a senior, and depending on how the industry is at the time, you can stick around and instruct after you graduate if you still need more hours.

I agree that loans suck, but the student loans you get through your college have lower interest rates than ones you can get to train at an FBO, so if you plan on borrowing money for flight school, do it through a college.

MU doesn't have a flight school, but you could take lessons at the airport 15 minutes south of campus. I'm not sure if you they have planes there for multi engine or complex aircraft training thouth. Also, UCM is a little cheaper that MU.

I hope this helps.

[kgflyboy]

If you want to save a little money, you get your private pilot license in Springfield before school starts in the fall. Then, you can pick up on your instrument rating in the fall through a college and work from there.

I have a friend from college who instructs in Springfield. If you want to talk to him I can give you his info.

[DC10FlyBy]

Yea that would be great.
I think i will get my flight training on the side though.
Seems like everyone is telling me to do that.

[staplegun]

Originally Posted by Ian J

On a side note - it is nice to hear about the "warrior-mentality" from the Navy and Air Force sides. It's a critical mindset to have in today's non-linear battlefield.

I wasn't a fighter pilot, but you never had to remind those guys of this...

It was a little harder in the "Reagan-era" Navy to remind the Anti-Submarine Warfare folks of how serious we were, let alone the cooks...

Most sailors (and troops) in those days didn't believe how close things came to an all-out shooting (Nukes & all) war...

The only thing which encouraged me was how the "citizen-soldiers" responded and stepped up to defeat the Axis in WWII. I knew (and know now) that if it came to a shooting war our guys would step up and prevail...

Anyway... sorry for the thread hijack!

No problem, thanks for your service in the Mideast!



Kevin

[DC10FlyBy]

Guys i know what i am going to do.
I am going to major in Sports Medicine and Physical Training at Missouri State University, which is 30 miles away from here and hopefully play soccer there.
I will also do all of my flight training at Pro Flights at the Springfield/Branson Airport there.

As a back up i will be a trainer at a local gym. Sound good? Or not?

[DC10FlyBy]

Originally Posted by blee256

So you were awarded a pilot slot without getting your waiver first?




Yes, Colleges are generally cheaper in your own state. If you go to a school out of state, there is an out-of-state fee in addition to the regular tuition for public schools. Private universities are expensive no matter where you live.

Mizzou is private??

[LoadMasterC141]

Don't be a zoomie

[azpilot84]

Originally Posted by DC10FlyBy

Hey guys.
I'm trying to figure out if i should go the military route or the civilian route to become an airline pilot.
I'm looking into US Air Force Academy, Purdue, Parks College, Embry Riddle.
What would you suggest? Military vs Civilian?
Thanks!

Military takes longer but essentially $0 debt for flight training just the cost of schools which is recovered through GI Bill.
His dream was to be a fighter pilot, my dream was to be any kind of pilot. I went the civil route and I have a good friend who just got a pilot slot in the USAF. Sometimes when I have to pay my bills I think..."Maybe the military route might have been better..."
One way to do it is get your Private civily while your working on your non-aviation related degree to see if flying is really what you want to do and then think about the military when you're done with school. An applicant with a PPL is a lot more likely to get in according to the USAF recruiter I chated with online.

[LoadMasterC141]

Seriously,
If you want to be an airline pilot, then be an airline pilot.
If you want to serve your country, defend it if neccesary, and are interested in more than button pushing, join the military.

Personally, I would have given anything to fly for the military over the airlines. Just me though.

[Hacker15e]

Originally Posted by azpilot84

Military takes longer but essentially $0 debt for flight training just the cost of schools which is recovered through GI Bill.
His dream was to be a fighter pilot, my dream was to be any kind of pilot. I went the civil route and I have a good friend who just got a pilot slot in the USAF. Sometimes when I have to pay my bills I think..."Maybe the military route might have been better..."

Although you don't pay out of pocket for USAF flight training, it's not at all "free".

In fact, the joke goes that you pay for your "million dollar" training "one nickel at a time, shoved up your @ss."

If you count all the intangibles, like the 10-year training contract and the fact that you can't say 'no' when you bid a bad schedule, it is far from free.

[azpilot84]

Originally Posted by Hacker15e

Although you don't pay out of pocket for USAF flight training, it's not at all "free".

In fact, the joke goes that you pay for your "million dollar" training "one nickel at a time, shoved up your @ss."

If you count all the intangibles, like the 10-year training contract and the fact that you can't say 'no' when you bid a bad schedule, it is far from free.

I made a point of not saying it's free but that you don't pay any $ for it. It costs quite a lot... sometimes your life.

[Fins Up]

I'm going to jump on the bandwagon of what a lot of military guys here said. Sounds like you're mind is made up anyway.

I hate hearing of folks who want to use the military as a stepping stone to an airline career. You are a military officer FIRST, and a pilot second. You have to be committed to a lot more than just flying airplanes or your performance will suffer. And that's not being loyal to the country you swear to serve or the men and women who serve under you.

If life as a pilot is what you want, by all means do whatever you can to achieve it. If being a military officer/enlisted servicemember is not at the forefront of your aspirations, leave the military out of it.

[Wild_Weasel]

The Air Force isn't the only branch that flies! You might want to also consider the Marine Corps. They are the only branch to offer guaranteed air slots to college students and you're not obligated to join until after you graduate and take your commission.

However, being selected for the contract is the easy part. All Marine candidates must attend and pass OCS (Officer Candidate School), which is incredibly challenging both mentally and physically.

I'll be attending it at the end of May and I'd be happy to share more information about the program if you're interested.

[HercDriver130]

Just remeber if you go the military route you are a MILITARY OFFICER FIRST. If you dont have a HUGE desire to serve your country and yes put your LIFE in harms way do not choose the military route. Other than that both are fine ways of reaching a commercial aviation career.

[DC10FlyBy]

I don't need any more help on military or civilian stuff.
I'm pretty sure im going civvie.


I am going to major in Sports Medicine and Physical Training at Missouri State University, which is 30 miles away from here and hopefully play soccer there.
I will also do all of my flight training at Pro Flights at the Springfield/Branson Airport there.

As a back up i will be a trainer at a local gym. Sound good? Or not?

[DC10FlyBy]

Ok, i hate this.
Now this guy im talking to tells me thats not a good idea, i should get business or management degree.
:\

[Seggy]

Major in something that you will enjoy. I was a political science/history major, jtrain was a philosophy degree, Doug Taylor was a film major.

I loved my major and getting up for the classes was easy because I was interested in it. Get the degree in anything outside of aviation and do your flight training on the side.

[Old Dominion Flyer]

To the OP regarding selection of major:

I'd be curious to know why "the guy you're talking to" disapproves of sport mgmt and instead suggests a business major. Whichever major you select, I suggest working in a related field while you earn the degree. This way you will have work experience to accompany your degree should you apply for jobs related to your major upon completing college. YMMV, but a business degree can be so broad that it does little for you as far as getting a job out of college unless you have related work experience. IMHO, you're on the right track with the Physical Training degree and working as a trainer while you attend college.
Example:
While I was earning my Parks and Rec degree I worked part-time at the local rec center doing various pool jobs(guarding, teaching lessons, managing, pump room ops). During my last year of college, on two separate occasions, my supervisor strongly encouraged me to apply for full-time positions. The second time I applied I received a job offer. Keep in mind, Parks and Rec has always been my "back up", but I'd be happy with it if I was no longer able to fly(ie. health issues). I graduate in two two weeks and I'll be pursuing my Commercial and CFI . I'd say that my backup plan has worked out well so far.

[X-Forces]

Originally Posted by DC10FlyBy

Hey guys.
What would you suggest? Military vs Civilian?

I have had people ask me this same questions for a number of years now, and my answer is always the same, and has been echoed by many already.

Do not join the service simply to learn to fly. Period.

It's called "The Service" for a reason, trust me.

It was always easy to tell the "High school to Flight school" aviators from the ones that had transitioned from into aviation. They typically had a much harder time.

[Flyin_bryan]

veterans & enlisted-

does air force take guys with buisness management degrees and 2000 hours CFIIME?

[germb747]

Originally Posted by Flyin_bryan

veterans & enlisted-

does air force take guys with buisness management degrees and 2000 hours CFIIME?

Yes