Chopper man speaks the truth...

I fly for a large charter company in the midwest flying Learjets. I don't want to dash your hopes and dreams, but I want you to have a realistic view of what you're in for. I know that aviation is something that gets in your blood... If you have it, you'll be successful. If it really isn't in your blood, your life will be hell... H-E double hockey sticks. Strong words, but that's how it is.

Unless you come from a very affluent family, I'd highly recommend getting into the military to get your flight training. With fuel prices the way they are today, and the insurance companies gouging flight schools/light aircraft owners, civilian flight training is VERY VERY VERY expensive. I did my flight training back before the prices skyrocketed (late 1980's-early 1990's) and I'm still paying off my loans. It isn't fun. I wanted to go the military route, but I couldn't pass the physical requirements since I had surgery on my left knee when I was in 8th grade. I don't know if something like that would keep you out now, but it did back then. But anyway, I'd highly recommend going the military route. Let Uncle Sam pay the bills for you... all you have to do is show up for work until your commitment is done. If it's in your blood, it won't be hard. And you'll be flying the big stuff a lot sooner in the military than you will civilian as well. I see military instructors with their students at a lot of airports all across the country, and listening to them and watching them, I think they do a much more thorough job with the instruction than I ever saw on the civilian side as well.

As far as the Aviation Industry...

The airlines definitely are not the glamour job that they used to be. Right now, I think that there are only about 3 stable major US airlines... Southwest, UPS, FedEx... did you notice that only one of those is a passenger airline? All the others, are financially on rocky ground, and that's not good for your morale when you're wondering if you'll have a job at this same time next year. Also, the airline pay and schedule are nothing like what they used to be... with all the concessions that the pilot groups have given at all the airlines in the past 15-20 years, the pay just isn't there anymore like it used to be. Also, since the airlines have furloughed (laid off) so many pilots, the ones who are still flying are flying more to make up the difference to keep the money going for the airline.

But before you make it to the major airlines, you'll likely get hired by a commuter, making about $18,000 a year for your first year or so... and flying 80-100 hours per month. Doesn't sound too fun to me. It's totally wrong that these airlines pay that low, but that's the way it is.

On the charter/corporate side of the industry, where I am, things are better, for now. 9-11 was actually good to this section of the industry... The people with money who don't mind paying the price to fly private are plentiful, and so far business has been pretty good. But with the rising price of jet fuel, who knows when these people will say "it's too expensive" and stop flying private... when that happens, I'll be looking for a new job as well. On the flip side, a lot of corporate/charter pilots have no real schedule... whenever the company calls, you have an hour or an hour and a half to get to the airport and get ready to fly, and you might be gone for 4,5,6 days. I'm fortunate that my company has an 11 on 4 off schedule, so we can have a little bit of a normal life away from the airport... but many aren't so fortunate.

Like I said, it's a tough lifestyle, and if you get it in your blood, you'll do OK. But, glamorous, it isn't... Long 12-14 hour days in hot airplanes where the air conditioning doesn't work so well, and trying to keep your uniform clean while you preflight the airplane and drain the fuel tank sumps... then trying to explain to an impatient and angry customer why you can't land at the airport that he wants to go to when he's seen other airplanes just like the one that you're flying land there before (because of different regulations governing private vs. charter trips (FAR 91 vs. FAR 135)...

Think hard about it before you take the plunge.

I went to Parks College of St. Louis University from 1988 to 1992 where I did my training... of all my friends that were PPP's (professional pilot program), myself, and 1 or 2 more are the only ones that I know of that are actually doing what we went to college for... all the others are not even in aviation anymore. Something to think about.