WBBulldogs

I've always had a deep passion for aviation and aircraft. Always looked up into the sky everytime I heard something buzzing in the air. I'm just really confused on what to do. I'm about to be separated from the military (downsizing sucks) I had been an Aviation Electrician and Electronics Tech for 5 years. Have experience with working on electronics at the component level and working on Sikorsky MH-60's.

I really want to pursue a career as a pilot. I'm so dedicated I've been saving all the money I can to fund the PPL. I know people say I will make nothing at first and maybe for length of time. As I prepare to get out I have the GI Bill I can use to go to college. I was recommended something completely separate from aviation so to have a backup career. So I was thinking of getting a BS in IT. I already have about a year and a half done of college courses. Mostly General Ed. But I was thinking of the more specialized colleges with aviation programs.

My decision comes in here: I am wondering if I should go to college while taking lessons or do one first over the other? I also thought of using the GI Bill solely on flight training. I was thinking of was a BS in Meterorolgy w/ Flight Option (CPL/ME) or BS in Aviation Management w/flight option (all the way to CPL and ME again) which is a business degree at a college. Are any of those two degress worth anything as a backup?

What do you think is the best path for when I get out?

Thanks in advance everyone!

splash333

If you want to be a pilot and have the gi bill then I would say go to a college like kent state that has flight technology as a major and includes all the ratings. Normally people say major in something other than aviation, but since the flight training is completely covered by the gi bill if it's part of your degree it wouldn't make sense to pay for flight training so you can get a different degree.

abelenky

If you're still young enough, I'd recommend looking at ATC instead of being a pilot.

First, realize that many commercial pilots aren't really flying at all. Auto-pilot is typically turned on about 90 seconds after takeoff, and disengaged around 30 seconds before touch-down. Nearly everything in between is just twisting knobs.

Next, realize that most professional pilots make very little $$$. Reading around this board should provide plenty of evidence of that. When a professional pilot is done working for the day, he can neither afford to, nor has any desire to go flying for fun.

If you can become a Controller instead, your pay will be much better, your schedule will afford you more time off, and you'll be able to fly for FUN, not WORK, and you'll still be involved in aviation on a daily basis.

I learned about the benefits of being a Controller too late. (you have to start young), or I would've done it. Thankfully, my profession as a Computer Programmer lets me get in lots of flying without the many downsides that my Commercial Pilot friends complain about.

ERJF15

Dude you can do both. Go on line and start the app for your GI Bill. You can use your regular bill first, then use the Post 9/11 after the regular runs out. There is no reason why you can't.

Just got my Post 9/11 squared away to get my masters done and a 73 type.

I was an AF maintainer myself.

rcfd13

You can hand fly the plane all you want. Someone who turns on the autopilot 60 seconds into the flight and twists knobs does that because they choose to do it.

I still enjoy flying for fun. Almost every pilot I know at the airlines flies for fun, is involved in aviation groups or owns their own plane and has great stories. It seems that the people on this board most of the time are just the ones who want to complain about the job and the pay and how much they hate flying. I've never had any interest in hanging out with those people.

The career is what you make of it. If you're going to hate flying and make yourself miserable then don't do it. If you're going to hang around with positive people and develop some hobbies then it's a great career. I've had some bad things happen to me in the industry, but I still have never regretted getting into it.

Javok

My advice is to do both at the same time. I've been earning my ratings and going to school at the same time. It's busy; especially when you're married and work 40 hours a week.

I'm happy with the progress I've made in the last few years.

wrxpilot

I'm still pretty new to this business, but I've been doing it (professionally) for a few years now and have experienced a few different ways to earn a buck - Flight instruction, charter, corporate, and the airlines. I've flown beat up old twins, new business jets, old turboprops, and airliners (at a regional).

Your remarks are so clueless, I don't even know where to begin... I just spent the past year hand flying a Brasilia all over the West coast, in and out of mountainous and coastal airports. Lots and lots of hand flying approaches into fogged in little coastal airports, slam dunk visuals into busy airports like LAX/SFO/LAS, etc. Before that, I was flying a citation and hand flew it all the time, often into some pretty crazy little airports.

The money is there for those that stick through it. Heck, just this past year I've turned down two pretty good paying corporate jobs. They just weren't the right fit for me, but I know eventually the right one will come along if this whole airline thing doesn't pan out for me. But even where I'm at now, there are quite a few folks pulling down some decent coin while still maintaining a good QOL.

Obviously things don't always work out, and I feel awful for some of the other regional guys and girls going through some rough times right now. But pretty much everybody I've known that has stuck it out and kept an open mind about what part of the industry they might end up at has done well.

That's great you like your programming gig. I was a mechanical engineer for five years out of college, and I absolutely hated it. I've been flying as a professional pilot for an equal amount of time now (five years), and I still love it. I'm good at it, and I almost always enjoy going to work. I have a good QOL, and I have WAY more time off than I ever did as an engineer. Even better, I just got awarded basically my dream base, and am currently in training adding on another new airplane type. Life is pretty good on my end!

afterburn81

This statement isn't all that accurate. Most 121 operators (not sure about other parts of the industry) require that you use automation in dense busy environments. I'd like to hand fly more but they are cracking down on this more and more.

Parafiddle

Another option would be to go to a community college that has a flight program and get your Associates degree in an aviation field along with your ratings (Pvt thru CFII & MEI) and then transfer to a 4-year university and get your Bachelor's degree in something unlrelated to aviation for a fall-back plan.

I will be starting at Aims Community College in Greeley, CO this summer, using Post 9/11 GI Bill benefits to earn my helicopter ratings (they also have a Professional Pilot - Airplane track and an ATC track). I already have most of my fixed wing ratings and I'm getting my instructor ratings on the side. The GI Bill will cover all of my flight costs and I will only use 2 years of my GI Bill benefits. Remember, once you get your instructor ratings, you will likely have to teach for a while anyway. You could instruct to earn some cash while working on your Bachelor's. I had to give up my Ch. 30 GI Bill in order to receive the Post 9/11 benefits, but it is a MUCH better deal. Just something to consider.

rickair7777

This raises a red flag. The civilians may not understand this but everyone in the military knows that involuntary downsizing is done based on performance rankings (lowest rankings get shown the door first).

I would carefully evaluate why you were ranked low enough to get the ax as a mid-grade enlisted. Consider how that would relate to your ability and motivation to complete pilot training in good standing. Be aware that simply scraping by in pilot training will not set you up for an airline career...your goal will be to complete training with zero checkride failures.

If the issue is something you can change, then make sure you are prepared to make those changes.

As far as degrees...generally avoid anything aviation related unless it is an actual engineering degree. The exception might be if you need to use the GI Bill to cover both college and flight training together you may not have much choice of major. Probably not worth extra tens of thousands of dollars just to get a non-aviation major. Any aviation degree will be nearly useless as a backup degree, other than the fact that it is a four-year degree. Ie there are few jobs where those majors apply, and there are a whole of pilots who have the same major you do.