Flight Training and Aviation Inquiries

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Blitzy

Filing Flight Plan
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Dec 9, 2018
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Blitzy
Hello! I just joined for some information and hopefully helpful leads on how to eventually become an airline pilot. I've always had a fascination in flying, not so much the technical parts (e.g. pointing at an airplane in the sky and identifying it), but the actual exhilaration of flying and knowing how a plane functions. I took an introductory flight in November, and it was absolutely thrilling, mainly the deciding point in becoming a pilot. If it helps for answers that pertain and will be relevant to me, I'm 15, taking dual credit at a comunity college, and I live in Houston, Texas. That aside--the questions.
  • Flight Schools! Any suggestions on good, but reasonably priced flight schools within or around Houston? My current plan is get a private's license, get as many as hours as I can, and go to a University that has a flight program in it, hopefully saving $15k by already having a private license. I inquired to one of my University choices, and they said if you get any further ratings, you will not be able to take their program.
  • US universities with decent prices and flight programs, particularly ones that partner with bigger airlines. I plan on getting an bachelor's in aeronautical science while attaining all my ratings. Dream would be Embry-Riddle or UND. Any cheaper suggestions?
Frankly, any and all suggestions are welcome. Perhaps it would be better to get all my ratings at a flight school while attending a normal university without a flight program? I know a lot of people go through the Air Force, or a similar military unit, but I don't want to go into the military. If you guys can share how you became pilots or the like, I'd greatly appreciate it. Thanks, y'all.
 
Blitzy said:
...Perhaps it would be better to get all my ratings at a flight school while attending a normal university without a flight program?
Click to expand...
:yeahthat:

Aviation universities are a really expensive path, and the "aviation degree" is pretty much useless. Search the forum here, lots of threads on this subject. Bottom line is learn to fly anywhere, and get a degree in something that interests you and is useful in case your flying career doesn't pan out for any reason.
 
Download this free ebook. It will answer just about any question you might have about becoming a Private Pilot. No sign-up needed. Just click and download:

www.FreeFlyBook.com
 
I discourage people from going to an aviation university and encourage attendance at a local university to obtain any science degree.
 
If you’re into “the actual exhilaration of flying” you might want to find a facet of aviation outside of airlines.

Like the others said, find a small flight school for your hours, maybe look into gliders, or shotgunning hours. Get a degree in something that holds its own outside of aviation, or do it online as you build your hours up, community colleges are great, also degrees just to be a degree are becoming less and less important.
 
@Blitzy --- One person to definitely get to know from the Houston Aviation community is Pat Brown. He is based at the West Houston airport and is friends with just about every instructor and flight school in the Houston area. He can be a very valuable resource in hooking you up with the right instructor or school.

There is also a very active Facebook group. Houston Area Aviators. That can be another good spot to get plugged into the flying community in your area.
 
Get your Private license. Get a college degree. Find out how things like the deal between Auburn University and Delta Airlines works, but try hard to not have an Aviation Management degree. Get a degree that will support a non-flying job.

Why?
  • Because your health will change over time, what will you do if you lose your medical? You've still got to eat.
  • Airlines are notorious for merging, shutting down and / or laying off employees. But you still have to eat.
  • A major airline may not hire you, and regional airlines pay poorly. But you will still get hungry two or three times a day.
  • Like it or not, autonomous planes are coming. No, I won't ride in one without both full flight controls and two functional disconnect switches in front of me. But, paid pilots won't ride in many of them either. But eating every day makes you feel much better.
That said, there are many ways to save money while learning to fly (Sportys has lots of free videos and an app or two). Search out scholarships for college, easier to get with good grades. Studying for your PPL after school will help you learn good study habits to get through college, too.

Have fun, learn well and fly safe! Hope to see you around here a lot.
 
@Blitzy , my wife went to UND years ago with the intention of doing all her ratings there (she had her PPL on her own). They lost her log book like a week into it. She got fed up and followed her IBM'er father's advice and got a non aviation degree (Math in her case). She also didn't use their aviation program due to the cost which realized once up there. So she finished college with a great degree and no debt.

What did she do next? Get a good job in Minneapolis (non aviation). Saved up money and each summer she knocked another this or that: IR, HP, Complex, Tailwheel, Seaplane, Multi Inline, Multi on each wing, Commercial. During the rest of the year she would fly. Back then lots and lots of Red Cross blood flights.

Finally she had enough time. It wasn't 1500hrs then though. She quit her normal job and started flying for the airlines. It was a few years before 911. She never got to the left seat when post 911 aviation suffered so she returned back to her normal job...a good paying, in demand job. FWIW, her non aviation job paid almost 3x more than her right seat airline job! So the non aviation degree was a fantastic fallback.

All along the way, she never once had college debt or aviation debt and her dad only paid for part of her college degree.

So you don't need to go to an aviation school and my wife is telling me right now to first get a good, marketable non aviation degree. Then become a pilot. In your case probably a CFI and CFII to build time on someone else's dime.

There is absolutely no 100% guarantee that the aviation business will be boom for the next X years. Another war, financial meltdown, world catastrophe, etc could upset it. But if you're a nurse or any STEM occupation you'll be employed for a long time to come.

Probably not exactly what you wanted to hear.

Also I'm not dissing UND, went there myself. Nice class sizes, not too big, not too expensive either. But cold and not as much to do as in a bigger city. You'd definitely master cross wind landing technique up there LOL :)

You are already way ahead just asking these questions now. Good for you!

The last thing I would do is go $285k into college debt for an aviation degree, you just know aviation will go bust on you. For that amount become a Dentist :)
 
All right. Thanks for all the suggestions. At least I have time to adjust my plans. I'll totally get a non-aviation related degree while going to flight school on the side. It makes a lot of sense. Petroleum engineering maybe.
 
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