eddygunner8

Ok, well I dont even know where to start. I have spent literally hours upon hours researching this pilot thing and although I know I still dont know alot here is what I have come up with. Is it possible for me to do the following and is it a good idea?

First get a degree in something(im thinking about Pharmacy buts its such a long road or maybe some political science) then at the same time I will try to get my Private Pilot Certificate then Commercial Pilot Certificate and maybe a Flight Instructor Certificate. Im not sure where to get this haha. and I am not sure what a FBO truly is. I googled it and did not really understand(Further explanation would be appreciated). Well for the cost, that is what brings the problem. Thats why sometimes I wonder is it possible for me to go to a school like Embry Riddle (I live in Florida) and sign up for ROTC. But I am not sure if they would pay for partial cost for the training haha. I am soooo confused.

Well after I am done then maybe is it possible to get hours outside of the U.S since everyone is saying entry level jobs over here are horrible and I have links in Africa. But assuming a get a job, do those hours transfer to accredible hours in the U.S. Because I cant live of that job forever lol. I have multiple homes to stay in Africa so there goes much cost. Then maybe I can get a livable flight job over here and hopefully one day live the common dream of a major airline pilot.(Please dont tell me the horrors of that job its self because I know read a few things and I am willing to accept).

Any thoughts haha? I am just a high school senior(please dont kick me out of this forum, but if you do I understand, Your Forum, Your Rules haha). So I know my knowledge is very limited. But I have always dreamed of becoming a pilot but know I want to make the dream into a reality. This probably stems from the fact that I have flown at least 30 times, I know its more but i dont want to keep counting (not like flying the plane but you know riding it haha). I remember one time that i told the pilot that I thought his job was soooooo interesting and I wanted to follow suite. He told me thanks i think and that was it, but yeah so there goes it. any comments, thoughts and ideas?

pilot1278

Getting a degree in something other than aviation is the smart thing to do. If you can get both the degree and the pilot training at the same time, then that is the best route. If not, I would get the degree first.

FBO= Fixed Base Operator. Basically a place at an airport that provides services to pilots. Basic stuff like fuel, airplane tie downs, hangars, flight planning areas, lounge, and coffee. Some also provide pilot supplies and pilot training. You should google "flight schools" in the area you'll be training in to get a better look at the flight schools there, because not all FBO's preovide training.

rickair7777

Pharmacy would be a great degree...a little long, but once you are done then you could pay for your flight training out-of-pocket (pharmacists get paid well).

Even better, pharmacy is a GREAT backup/complimentary career to aviation...it is flexible, high paying, can be done part-time, you can get a job anywhere, and you can do it full-time when you lose your flying job due to furlough, medical, or bankruptcy. Aviation is no longer a career which you can rely on to provide a good secure income, especially during your first 10-15 years.

Physician's assistant is another good complementary career.

Stay away from aviation degrees, they are useless in the real world if you need a non-flying job (aerospace engineering is OK).

eddygunner8

Actually now I'm thinking on getting a degree for aerospace engineer or someother type of engineering at embry riddle, while doing flight school and maybe ROTC. I don't know what to do hahaha thanks for the replies and I'm now also considering that FBO.

inky13

An engineering degree wouldn't be a bad idea, although, it is more common than the pharmacist degree, in my opinion. Also, if you go the ERAU route with engineering and flight, you may find it difficult as the two schedules don't exactly make it easy to take concurrently. I've had a couple engineering students (and other non-AS degree students for that matter) who always had trouble being able to take ground school and their degree-program courses during a semester (schedule conflicts). Or their non-flying degree courses would seem to conflict with their flight block, leaving little availability to fly. One manager here (ERAU-PRC) suggested an engineering student to take flying lessons at a local FBO, I would agree. The campus does not coordinate with the flight line for scheduling.

I'm not too familiar with the ROTC program, but I don't think they will pay for your flight activities (unless your are eligible for yellow ribbon) I would talk to a recruiter. Maybe someone on here would be more familiar with that?...

The pharmacy degree would be an excellent choice, in my opinion. They seem to have a demand for pharmacists. But, things may change by the time you're done with school, that goes for any industry.

In any case, whatever you do, make sure it's something that you'll want to do, then have a back-up. If you prefer engineering over all the schooling for pharm, go for it!

Sounds like you've done some pretty good research, keep it up, and enjoy your senior year in high school!