tailskid

My Feedback: (34)

I'm thinking of 'renewing' my full-scale experience...I have a PPL, but in all honesty, I should go through ground school again, get the physical and then 4-5 hours of duel just to be ready for the Bi-Annual Flight Review.....wanna guess what will cost me?

skyarrow1

I have my pilots license and to be honest, with the cost of fuel and planes, I only fly the small stuff any more. If you want to become a professional pilot, then getting started now is not a bad thing and then plan on going to an aeronautical school. Then plan for years afterward not making much money... getting into flying commercial takes awhile.

Not wanting to be a gloomy gus, but just research it very well.

Mike

Enjoy Flying

Yep..
I can not agree more.
Always plan first.

colmo-RCU

If your parents can afford you a ppl, go for it! Yes, it is expensive, and you might hardly use it, so think your decision. Appart from that, it's normal at 15 not to want to go to college. Most of us thought like that at your age, but all these farts must have forgotten about it, hahaha . The important thing here is that you get over that mentality on time, which will probably happen.

By the way, I'm a commercial pilot and right now I'm flying in the Arab Emirates, and believe me, I make a lot more the 67 k

Good luck

asimatt

My Feedback: (26)

Hi
My whole life is aviation. I have an aircraft refurbishing company and employe mechanics,pilots off all types. If you have any questions about aviation I would be happy to help you out. See my website.
www.aircraftsalesinc.net

Charlie P.

Frown on "just hopping in a plane and taking off". Unless it is one you own or have leased/rented that's called "Grand Theft". My point was apilot's license alone doesn't get you an aircraft. A 15 year old hasn't even faced the burden of a car: purchase/lease, insurance, fuel, maintenance, etc.

Charlie P.

That''s true.A two year degree means less than a high school diploma used to. I'm interviewing cantidates for a $40K/yr Staff Accountant job and my top three cantidates have Masters Degrees and at least six years experience in accounting. We had 53 resumes. Thisregion is still suffering from the 1980's recession. Not just the 2008 one.

When Istarted In the 80's at that level Ihad an Associate's Degree and four years as a clerk. Went backand got my BSto get anywhere in management. Now Idon't even look at two year college degree graduates for middle level staff. High School is a gimmie anymore.They don't fail dummies.

Jobs are hard come by still. If Iwas starting at college I'd be looking at mechanical engineering (BS). We have too many thinkers and no builders.

Dave McDonald

My Feedback: (19)

If you really want to earn a pilot's license, and you can afford it, then don't wait. Do it now while you have the time, the money, and the desire all at the same time.

But instead of starting out with the goal of a private pilot's license, I'd suggest breaking it down into several more steps.

First, go take an introductory flying lesson. They are usually very inexpensive and will give you your first experience and thrill of actually piloting an airplane. This is a no-brainer. Do NOT skip this step. You will never forgive yourself for the rest of your life if you skip it.

Second, the intro lesson will most likely result in scheduling more and more lessons until you qualify for a solo flight. If you liked the intro lesson, then it's very likely that you will continue taking lessons until you solo. Soloing an airplane is an unforgettable experience that you will NEVER regret doing.

Third, once you have soloed you have already learned the basic piloting skills needed to take off, fly around, and land the plane. The next 30 to 40 hours of flying time will primarily be devoted to learning how to navigate, comply with FAA regulations, communicate with ground and air traffic controllers, and cope with potential emergencies. You will also be spending a considerable amount of time studying to pass the private pilot written test. For a lot of people who start out with the goal of earning a private pilot's license, this is where they quit because the emphasis has shifted from the pure fun of flying to an educational atmosphere.

Fourth, if you passed the written exam, and have learned the necessary navigation and communication skills, and have mastered the FAA regulations, then you're ready for the final step......the private pilot checkride.

Fifth, once you pass the checkride and receive a private pilot license, then the real learning process starts.


I soloed at 16, earned a private pilot license at 17, a commercial at 18, and an instrument at 19. By 1973 I had earned all the tickets needed to begin pursuing an aviation career. Then the Vietnam war ended, and the ex-military pilots flooded the market. Entry level piloting jobs paid less than minimum wage and required thousands of hours of experience to compete with the ex-military guys. Long story short, my life ended up down a much different path.

My advice? At the very minimum go take an introductory flying lesson. Then you can figure out what to do from there.

Quikturn

My Feedback: (12)

Hi t-max97,

Here's my two cents. Follow your heart. Go to a local airport and sign up for an introductory flight. If you like it, then get started on a private pilots license. By the time you complete your private you should have a pretty good idea if you want to make a career out of it. Even if you don't want to make a career out of it, you will have a life skill few people have.

If your parents said they will pay or help you pay for it, take full advantage of it. If you're on your own, I recommend pay as you go as much as possible. Especially if you're career minded. You don't want a huge debt monkey on your back while you're making 18k/yr as a flight instructor. And trust me, you will be instructing for a while until you build enough flight time to become marketable as a charter or regional airline pilot. A college degree (in anything) is very helpful but not necessary to be a professional pilot.

How do I know all this? Because I've done it. I'm currently a chief pilot for a corporate flight department and fly a beautiful Hawker 800XP. I took part time flying lessons for 3 1/2 years, paid as I went and had zero debt when done. Then flight instructed for about a year before moving into the charter department. I got to fly many types of jets and a King Air as a charter pilot. The lifestyle is great and gets into your blood. Sometimes you fly your butt off and sometimes you may not fly for weeks. The variety as a charter or corporate pilot is nice too. One day you can be dodging weather trying to get into Newark, NJ and the following day you might end up in the Bahamas for a nice weekend. I don't know if I could ever go back to a 9-5 job anymore.

saramos

Hi t-max97,

I say go for it. I had the opportunity to take flying lessons when I was 16-17. While I didn't earn a pilots license due to a lack of funds, it was still a great experience.

I too was not sure about college. I went for a few years, but did not finish. I am now at a point where I make pretty good money, but it took me until my early 40s, and after going to trade school (Network Engineering). While you can succeed without a degree, and many people do not find work in their fields of study, having a degree of just about any type can still help you when competing with others for a position or for advancement, as it demonstrates your determination. Also, college is a place where you can discover your interests, which often can be the result of a course you would have never previously considered interesting.

Also, if you do get your Pilot's License, and then choose to go to college, having a Pilot's license will probably be a great addition to your application!!!


Scott

wbrents

My Feedback: (21)

A previous post referred to the CAP. I think the Civil Air Patrol is a great idea, and they probably have a unit near you.
Check it out:

http://www.gocivilairpatrol.com/

Good luck in your quest,

Walker

jester_s1

I didn't read through the whole thread, so if it's already been said feel free to ignore mine. I see two issues: the first is whether it's a smart idea to get your pilot's license at the age of 15. The second is how to plan out your next 10 years or so to get started right in life.
On the first, if flying is just going to be a hobby for you, forget it. There is little doubt that you're going to be moving a few times in the next few years for jobs and school, you will likely get married and start a family, and if you ever want a shot at having enough money to have some fun in life you'll be working a lot of hours and focusing on becoming an expert at the job you find that you have a knack for. Chances are by the time you're 25 you'll remember getting your private pilot's license as a big waste of money that could have gone toward school or your house. Now if the thought is to go through the training and become a commercial pilot, that is an extremely in demand field these days. The average age of commercial airline pilots has steadily risen over the last 40 years, so a guy in his 20's who is qualified to fly a commercial jet can pretty much choose the city he wants to work in. The pay is good and job security is outstanding. That's of course assuming you don't mind the lifestyle of being away from home and away from your wife and kids overnight fairly often and won't consider sitting in the cockpit without much to do boring, and won't mind serving the public and all the foolishness that goes with it. Airline pilots don't do their job because it's fun. They do it because it pays well and supports their family and their temperaments work well with it. That will be for you to figure out if you're cut out to do that job, but starting at 15 will be a great way to get into a very solid career.
On the second issue, I hear a lazy streak in your first page of posts. You don't like school so you don't want to go. Guess what? You won't like work either. No matter what career you choose, you won't like something about it. The point is not to like the work you are doing, but rather to embrace the challenge and apply yourself to it. You've observed adults working at jobs they don't like. Do you know why they do it? The answer is responsibility. They have families to provide for, bills to pay, and life plans to accomplish. All of that requires money, and money requires work. If your attitude is that you won't do anything you don't enjoy, then you'll be making minimum wage until you're 30 and probably still living at home with you mom. People who do the really hard jobs are the ones who have the money to also play, to get the boats and jet skis, the private planes, take the nice vacations, live in the nice houses, drive new cars, etc. Medical, engineering, computers programming and systems, and aviation all require many hours of tedious and not fun learning and then many more unpleasant hours on the job doing things that nobody would be willing to do if the pay wasn't so good. If you plan to approach life with the attitude that you won't do anything that isn't fun for you, then you won't accomplish anything.
My thinking overall is that a guy should get his career sorted out first, get a solid paying job, get on top of things financially, and then play. That may mean you wait until you're 40 to have the good toys, but at least it won't mean you wind up in bankruptcy court because you spent yourself into the hole. The current video game generation has little use for that idea because that's never how life has worked for them, but that is how life works for everybody after you're 18 and don't have mommy and daddy footing the bill for your luxurious lifestyle anymore.

husafreak

My Feedback: (3)

Wow, this thread has been popular! Here is my 2c if you (original poster) are still out there. LOL By all means, if you want to fly go for it! How the heck are you going to know if you want to fly for a living or for fun without trying it? But here is my "advice": just go and fly and take some lessons, have a ball and don't worry about getting a "License". Getting a license and staying current and paying for airplanes may come later but why sweat it? People always tell me they wanted to be a pilot and regret not doing it, I tell them set aside a few grand and spend a summer flying with an instructor every week (so no trip to Hawaii that year). They will learn to fly, and probably solo. So no doubt they are "real" pilots on that glorious day! Then even if they hang it up in the fall and move on I seriously doubt they would ever consider it a waste of time or money. More like it would be the best summer trip they ever took! As for college, well, if you did do some flying, and if you love it and decide that is what you want to do for a living, then the military and the airlines usually require a college degree. You could get a degree in underwater basket weaving at a community college to fill that square Know this, the military doesn't only fly, a flying officer in the military will have a lot to do besides flying, and even though I loved it, the military is also famous for taking something that looks like it would be fun and turning it into a PITA. I love being an airline pilot because I love flying and aircraft and people, sitting in a cockpit crossing the country for hours may look boring to you but I am just honestly happy to be in an airplane. So it works for me. The pay is great at the top but generally in a downward spiral. The pay at the bottom is not even a living wage, so you gotta love what you are doing. Yes we are going to have a big pilot shortage which will be good for you timing wise, but no one would ever call this a secure job Take care!

hugger-4641

My Feedback: (6)

T-max, despite what others have said here, I think you have the right plan at the moment.  You need to be honest with yourself as you proceed through high school.  If you are taking the harder courses in high high school and actually applying yourself, are an above average student, and you decide you want to be a doctor or engineer, then by all means, you need to plan on a good four year school and grad school if needed.

But if you struggle with high school course work or even if you are above average and just don't see yourself sitting behind a desk as an accountant or such, then a trade school is probably a good plan for you. 

I teach at a trade school, and I see too many kids in high school who are pushed towards college when that's not the right path for them. Most schools and teachers have the notion that you are less than successful if you don't go to a prestigious four year university. This is TOTAL BS.
While the top 1% of college or university grads  no doubt do end up with the highest paying careers. That real fact of the matter is that completion and job placement percentages for most colleges and universities are pitiful at best. The national average is below 30% in completion and less than 20% for job placement . That means as a beginning college student, the odds say that you have a 70% chance of failing out before you graduate, and an 80% chance of not being employed if you do graduate.

Compare that with the numbers from the school where I teach, which has over 60% completion rates and 70% job placement.

Sad to say, at one time college was the way to go, but these days, my graduates enter the workforce making $40k-$60k year with no debt.
The typical college grad who does get a job starts about $25K-$35K year and owes two to three times that in student loans.

As far as getting your pilots license, if your parents can help you do it now, you'd better do it now. Because once marriage and kids come into the picture, your priorities change. I've been wanting to get mine for the last 20years and I've got one more child to get into college before I can make getting a pilot's license one of my top priorities![8D]

do335a

Blah, blah, blah,blah.

Heard it all before. Both for and against.

Done it myself.

Know what? It didn't happen until I made it a goal and then achieved it.

Got my first flight in a float plane at about age seven (Piper Pacer). Said to myself I'm going to do that one day.

Got an MBA from university.

Got my private pilot license the same year.

Bought an airplane within 3 months of that. Renting is useless.

Sold that plane several years later.

Several years ago, bought another plane.

Got a float rating.

Flew well over 100 Young Eagles.

Became the local field rep for the Young Eagles program for 8 years and ran numerous Young Eagles days as well.

Tacked on both Canadian and US endorsements. Night rating too.

Have flown across Canada and into the sparsely settled northern regions at Hudson Bay.

Just maybe I have a bit of an idea what this all about.

In all of that, there was never one word of encouragement from anyone, including my parents. Well, I say, if someone has an interest and a talent for something , encourage that person.

Add it to your goals list. You can work on both your education and your PPL at the same time. Nothing to stop you from doing that. Your flight training will be a valuable part of your education.

Just don't get the idea that you hop into your plane any old time you want and fly wherever you want as it strikes your fancy. It doesn't work quite that way.

avidflyguy

My Feedback: (48)

I started out flying ultralights ( flightstar spyder and preceptor n-3 pup) for a few years, and when the sport pilot program came out, i decided to pursue that instead of the private pilots license, the type of aircraft i like to fly are 2 seater light sport planes, planes like the cessna 150s,172s are boring to me, i prefer taylorcrafts,cubs and experimentals such as kitfox and avid flyers ( building my 2nd avid currently) i fly for fun, going to fly in/drive breakfasts on weekends.

mike31

My Feedback: (67)

Don't think it is not expensive to take up flying. Altho it still costs the same today as it did 50 years ago. All you got! Hull insurance can get pricey. Fuel cost are up there. Unless you get your license to overhaul and repair get ready to win the lottery. You will need that. I got my ticket in 1988 and to date have logged only 200 hours. Retirement and cost of everything else says flying takes a back seat. So if you are persistant by all means go for the ticket. Bring your check book.
PS: Don't forget to pass the physical and keep up with the regs and bi-annual flight reviews.
Best of luck to you!

Bill Vargas

My Feedback: (5)

Here's an Idea!

Join up with your Favorite Military Branch of Service with a Colledge Degree and Fly something on Uncle Sams dime or finish up your college(FREE, well almost) in the military and fly on Uncle Sams dime. There you will Gain Valuable Experience and Knowledge about flying. The military has so much to offer that will help you later on in life,,, a little effort now pays big time later on! Oh BTW,,, almost all Military Air Stations have a Flying club too

BV

Charlie P.

Sooo, why not get that kid in a trade school?

Ipaid my way through a local community college and then got a job. That employer had a 100% tuition &books reimbursementprogram so Iwent to a local university on their dime (though Ihad to go nights or make-up the time for day only courses).That has paid off big time in my career.

Next question is in the next fouryears how many crew chiefs and enlisted maintenance grades willbe leaving the service and looking for employment -with lots of practical experience and a gov. perk for the employers who hire them. THATis a toughcurrent to swim against.

Looking back I do regret that Ihadn't done military service. When Igraduated high school the military was about as appealing as a wet toilet seat. It was where you went if you couldn't find work or afford college (and we had just bugged out ofVietnam). At least in the circles Ihung out with - but that might just have been a convenient excuse not to get pounded andground-down by a drillinstructor.

But do it now. When you get old, scarred andtied down you'll be less likely to dare and more likely to wish you had.

t-max97

My Feedback: (9)

Hey guys I haven't posted because Iv'e been gone all weekend. Do you really think that was what I mean't or do you just like to start arguments? Anyone with a tiny bit of common sense would know you can't get on a plane without renting/owning it. Thanks to the guys who actually contributed to the thread and to what I asked, but it's mostly gone way off track so I'm done with this thread.

t-max97

My Feedback: (9)

Why don't you read ALL the post's before you write something stupid about someone you don't even remotely know? I already replied to someone who said similar but Ill post it again.


I know why I see adults that work in jobs they don't like, it's that or don't feed your family and don't pay the bills, I know my dad is one of them, he has a great job and makes nearly 100k without a college education but he typically doesn't enjoy his job at all. My point is now for me at 15 I don't have my own family and I don't have bills so I don't have anything holding me back from a career in something I will mostly enjoy besides myself, my hobbies/things I enjoy the most would be whitewater kayaking, trap/skeet/sporting clay shooting, rc planes/cars/trucks/boats, and just working on mechanical things. For instance a couple years ago a friend of my brother gave him an old 94 honda z50r that had seen it's better days and would barely even idle and wouldn't shift gears, him at 19 couldn't do anything with it so gave it to me at 13, I completely rebuilt the engine/transmission and put in a new clutch,new piston, new ring, new seals,new gearshift spindle,new valves, new shift drum stopper and new gaskets all by myself with money I had saved and it ran great. So why wouldn't I try to do something that involved any of those things? Nothing lazy about not wanting to work in a job you hate your whole life just to die later, think about it...when your laying on your death bed are you gonna look back at your life and think how great all those countless hours spent working a job you hate where? I don't think so. I realize some people end up in a situation where they don't have much of a choice for a career but they typically put themselves in that situation. Like I said I'm done with this thread, thanks to everyone I know everybody is just trying to help.

Quikturn

My Feedback: (12)

Do what you love to do and you'll never work a day in your life.

Kudos on fixing up that motorcycle!

t-max97

My Feedback: (9)

Thanks quickturn. Everyone needs to watch this, it's basicaly what I'm saying. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mnFUDVpFwFQ

Dave McDonald

My Feedback: (19)

So have you taken your introductory flying lesson yet?

Charlie P.

Well gosh. I'm glad I can take life lessons from a 15 year old.


Sometimes work is what they pay you to do because it's not fun. There used to be a name for folks who did what they liked all day: "bums." A hobo was someone who would at least work when he could find it.


You want hard work? Decide which of two good employees you have to let go because of budget cuts. Decide whose water gets shut off because they haven't paid the last three bills. Decide who loses their home for non-payment of taxes. Life is full of ugliness. I've been laid off three times. Sometimes you take a job to meet the mortgage and keep grocerieson the tablewhether it's fun or not; even if it pays half of what you had been earning.

It's true that money won't buy happiness. But it sure gives you options. And nothing is better than having options - especially pleasant ones.