would you do a flight program at a community college that cost around $50,000 all the way to CFII in two years and gives you an associates degree in some applied science . or would you go to college and do flight training on the side? the reason i ask is because i want to be a commercial pilot but i would like to have a degree in mechanical engineering or mechatronics in case i ever have to stop being a commercial pilot.
whatever you do, don’t make my mistake. I almost have a bachelors in aviation technology, I left my school for a lot of reasons and went to a community college to finish up two general math classes (that was a good move). I’ll have an associates in a few weeks and won’t be able to do a thing with it. If I finish up my bachelors in aviation, (about another 12 credits) my resume is not going to stand out, I honestly think I’d be better off with a liberal arts major.
$50,000 isn’t too bad of a deal to get your CFII. If they guarantee the price I think it would be a good plan. The degree doesn’t mean a thing, just make sure the credits transfer. A community college is the best way to get your general credits out of the way.
Get yourself an education first, the best you can afford.
Then get aviation training and, if you can, get someone else to pay for it. ie, explore military flying. Good pay, good benefits, good cause. And at the end of the enlistment you can go about an aviation career, or any other with a very good start.
Or,
you can fork over the 50 grand get a near worthless associates degree and go beg for an entry copilot job that pays next to nothing and is completely at the whim of the economy.
Your idea about getting a degree in engineering, or something non-aviation, is the best route. I can’t tell you how many people I’ve flown with who’ve said “I want to get out of the airlines, but I’m not sure what I can do.” I ask them what their degree is in and they say “Aviation Management”…what a waste of 4 years. Airlines don’t care what your degree is in, just that you have one (4 year preferably). Lots of people who start out with the dream of flying wind up doing something else. It’s even better if you can keep a second career going on the side, in what you really majored in. It’s very tough to get into a field, like mechanical engineering, when you haven’t practiced it in several years.
At the very least, I think you should get your private pilot’s license at a local flight school. How you get from your private to CFI is a big debate. Some will say continue with your local flight school. Others will say shell out big bucks to go to a place like ATP, after college, to quickly finish your ratings. That’s a choice you’ll have to make. Both have pros and cons and both have the potential to lead you to a successful career. Remember, airlines don’t care about where you got your ratings. They only care about who you know.
Get your regular education, then do your flight training.
You can go to a school, or do it one on one with a CFI. I did it Part 61, one on one with a flight instructor. I wanted better quality instruction, and I felt that would be better for me.
you could become a sport pilot while you are going to school. i don’t know where you are at but we have a school in sacramento that gives instruction for sport pilots. http://www.freedomfield.com
On the side.