Becoming a pilot.

Well idk if it falls in the same category but I have been thinking about joining the Air Force
 
I have done a lot of training flying small plains and have logged about 100 hours of airtime so I can try to help. I never completely finished getting my license though. All I had left was to do my night cross country flight and I was done but then I left for school. So I can try and help you if you need it. Oh and I have a few family members who are pilots/flown in the military.
 
If on your venture into becoming a pilot you come across the CEO of American Airlines look hims square in the eye say "I mean you no disrespect" then punch him in the DICK.
 
If only I could explain how much my Uncle bitches about being a pilot. Just join the Air Force, fly for them and then go from there.
 
its more just if youre sitting the in the right seat.

captains make plenty.

but that does bring the point that you have to become a pilot because you love it, not for the money.
 
regional pilots make nothing. It's a long road to being successful.

First you learn to fly, (spending a ton) then you teach others to fly (making nothing) then you fly for a small/regional airline (making nothing) then you move up to a bigger aircraft and bigger airline, and finally make something.

Oh, and joining the air force for 2-3 years and becoming a pilot is not possible. If you join and pass everything to become a pilot, you're probably going to spend 2-3 years just doing training. Then you're most likely in for another 8-10 years.
 
don't plan on celebrating christmas or any other holiday anywhere other than a staff room, hotel or airplane for the next 5 years.
 
Everyone forgets this part, it may be payed for, but you're serving in till it's payed off. which is quite a few years.
 
sooooooooo true.

also plan on missing 2/3rds of your kids lives.

although, after enough time, my dad only works 8 days this month. (using one week of vacation)
 
Alright so I dont smoke weed so Im good there. Money truly isnt a problem because I will be spending money to make money and to pursue my dream job. Missing my kids lives, my friends dad is a pilot and he is at home alot... soo... And typically, a commercial airliner pilot makes 100-160 K a year.

What I do know so far is that you get your license and some hours. Then from there, they say your really not going to become any major pilot unless you fly for the airforce for a couple years. Then after that you are more likely to get hired since you know what to do. I know it takes lots and lots of hours and work to become a pilot, but im ready for it.

And there is not only commercial airliner pilots. There also is working for a private business. In which you own a plane, then when the company calls you, you fly them where ever they want. There are many more rather than just flying for American Airlines or JetBlue.
 
Im attending Metro State University and Im majoring in technical aviation. My dad is a 737 Captain and knows all about the long road that it takes to become a commercial pilot, if thats what your looking to be. First you have to do any where from 40-60 hours to get your private, then you have to go on to your multi-engine, then you have to get your instrumental, then get your commercial. Its a long process but hey, theres nothing better than flying if thats what your dream is. PS, there will be in a huge demand in 5-10 years for commercial pilots because there is a fuck ton of older pilots retiring. I dont see any college grads getting steady jobs right off the back so it really is a good investment for your future.
 
This was the answer i was looking for, thanks. I want to still be able to go to college (dont wanna skip out on those four years) but what do you typically major in to become a commercial pilot? and should i be getting my pilots license somewhere on the side while im at it?
 


I graduated a commercial aviation diploma program in 2009 with my commercial multi IFR, then got my float rating later that year (have about 300 hrs total). I'm working up north as a flight coordinator for a company while I'm waiting to fly. It looks like it'll be another year before I get on as a First Officer (most likely on a Twin Otter). The industry is definitely pretty saturated with commercial graduates and it's doubtful that you'll get on anywhere immediately out of flight school unless you have some connections or you decide to become a flight instructor. The industry is cyclical though, things have been slow for a while and are due to start picking back up I think (though I was told all that talk about the baby boomer captains retiring before I started my private license in 2007). Don't let anyone's comments dissuade you, if being a pilot is something you want to do, then do it. You'll get to where you want to be if you work hard.
 
before you can even think about joining any branch of the military as a pilot you have to have something like 300 hours of flight time on your own. score super high on your asvap. and its an automatic 10 year enlistment in any branch. dont think you can go in for 4 years and be out. google will answer all your questions.
 
also to be a pilot in the air force you have to be an officer, which would mean graduating from College or working your way up the ranks which takes a long time
 
This is long. If you don't want to read it all, it's separated by some of the stuff I've seen so far in the thread.
I'll try to put some of this discussion to rest. I'm a 2nd Lt. in the Air Force beginning pilot training, and I have countless family friends who have taken a lot of avenues into, out of, and all around the flying world.
First off, the military is a great way to fly....if you can get into it. It's not easy to get a pilot slot. I repeat, it's not easy to get a pilot slot. First and foremost, you must be a commissioned officer to fly in the Air Force. This also means that you must have a college degree in order to become an officer. Avenues for commissioning include but are certainly not limited to:
1. Enlisting and then applying for OTS (Officer Training School). This option requires that you have a degree now, plan on doing a few years in a job that may be totally random based on your performance in the early stages of enlistment, and then will do well enough to get into the competitive OTS program. Then, OTS may have enough pilot slots to count on one hand for the entire class, so you will need to be a top graduate. This option ensures you will have a 1% chance of becoming an Air Force pilot by approximately 2017 if you start tomorrow.
2. ROTC. Scholarships through ROTC are typically very hard to get without a nice resume, assuming you are attending a good school. My little brother is apparently one of 2 at CSU in his class on any type of scholarship for ROTC (I think that's what he said, I may have misunderstood). 4 years of college, commissions out of ROTC are becoming very competitive since the military is force shaping (meaning if you aren't so awesome, they kick you out to save money), and even if you did get a commission out of the program there are only about 400 pilot slots for all AF ROTC graduates in the entire country. Once again, this option requires that you are in the top of your competition.
3. Air Force Academy. This option isn't even an option without some kick ass ACT/SAT's, an outstanding resume, references, a lot of willpower and determination, and a desire to take Astronautical Engineering 410 even if you desire a Bachelor of Science in English (yes, even English guys get a BS degree from there after so much engineering core). The class of 2015 is admitting 1,100 from a pool of ~15,000 candidates that had qualifying applications. Probably 800 will graduate. Good luck with this option, but if you did make it each class typically has 500 of the AF's 1,000 pilot slots every year. Half of most classes go on to fly.
Next, if you go through AF UPT (Undergraduate Pilot Training) and finish this multimillion dollar program, you'll pay it back with 10 years of pretty well payed service. There is no way to do it with 3, not sure who told you that. Some aircraft deploy a lot, some not ever. A consideration that is probably overlooked by some entering the military...
Commercial airliners.....no one can say for sure where we will be in the next 10, 20, 30 years regarding demand of commercial pilots. However, it's extremely easy to find someone capable of flying an airplane that can takeoff, cruise, and land by itself. Frankly, I don't think we even need pilots for large transportation/cargo aircraft. The military is becoming heavily reliant on unmanned aircraft in combat, and I think they will head a revolution in the way our society flys. We do have pilots because if/when ANYTHING goes wrong in that aircraft, you need a face to save the day and/or place blame on. People aren't going to like the idea of flying with a mainframe in the left seat, so it won't happen soon in my opinion. Another consideration is cyber warfare, a huge new frontier for war. Can you imagine a hacker taking over Delta's system and sending 100 jumbo jets into a crowded city? Could happen if we weren't careful with that technology.
SPARKNOTES: I love flying, and I don't care much about money right now. I have a Civil Engineering degree and passed my FE to make sure I can venture into that field if things change for me. If you want to do it, go for it. But to assume you will be making $100-160,000 as a commercial pilot is an absurd risk.
Also...if someone gives you advice, don't blow it off until you see a post that reinforces your previous biases. Fujarome had some good stuff to say, listen up.
 
Although, I forgot to mention I am very, very happy with my financial situation at the moment. Not all is lost, and I hope I didn't sound too foreboding.
 
can't wait to reapply to the Air Force, all i needed last time was a more advanced education and more demonstrations of leadership, got so close to getting into the pilot program. Air Force is the most logical way to go from my point of view.
 
Thank you Smail. By your post are you saying become a airforce pilot? because i couldnt tell if thats what you were saying was better or if that was just what you knew more about. Right now I'm a junior in high school, next school year i will be a senior applying to colleges and all that. What do you think i should do right out of high school?
 
I've always been a huge advocate of giving yourself options, so I was giving you as much info as I could at the time. I would recommend applying and researching your options very soon (junior year of high school is perfect). It's free to apply to the Air Force Academy, and it might be for you. ROTC is also a fantastic option if you know what to work towards. However, the military isn't for everyone so don't limit yourself to that. The best thing you can do right now is find people in the professions you are interested in and start talking.
 
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