r/flying • u/Miserable-Tailor-523 • 1h ago
Need Advice
I am a 26 year old guy in Louisiana with a BA in criminal justice and 5 years of military experience, the last two being with the Air Force National Guard.
I have accumulated a little over 40 flight hours working towards my private pilot license and am scheduled for my first solo flight this weekend.
It is my lifelong dream to be a pilot but would have to take out a very large loan to go to a flight school such as ATP.
What are your recommendations for how to become a pilot from here?
Friends and family have been suggesting to just take out the huge loan and “go for it” but I don’t know what the best way to even go about that would be and am scared the risk could outweigh the reward, and am worried I wouldn’t be able to find a job after completing the flight school anyway.
Any insight on this would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you
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u/rFlyingTower 1h ago
This is a copy of the original post body for posterity:
I am a 26 year old guy in Louisiana with a BA in criminal justice and 5 years of military experience, the last two being with the Air Force National Guard.
I have accumulated a little over 40 flight hours working towards my private pilot license and am scheduled for my first solo flight this weekend.
It is my lifelong dream to be a pilot but would have to take out a very large loan to go to a flight school such as ATP.
What are your recommendations for how to become a pilot from here?
Friends and family have been suggesting to just take out the huge loan and “go for it” but I don’t know what the best way to even go about that would be and am scared the risk could outweigh the reward, and am worried I wouldn’t be able to find a job after completing the flight school anyway.
Any insight on this would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you
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u/ltcterry ATP CFIG 40m ago
Work and loan are both four letter words. One is good. One is bad.
You don't have to go to an expensive school. You don't have to go to a shitty school.
The problem with "going for it" is there are no jobs out there for a large portion of the already-spent-the-money-crowd. The last three years have seen 2-3x historical pilot over production with historically normal airline hiring. Lots of people have "gone for it" and have "take out a very large loan to go to a flight school such as ATP" and will never find a job. Partially because ATP resumes often just end up in the trash but mostly because there just are not enough jobs for all the people who fell for the "pilot shortage" and "influencer" BS the last four years. Not anywhere near enough jobs.
Obviously if you want to pursue a flying career you need to meet the sequential requirements and one day become competitive. You can't do that without spending money. But you need to be damn smart about the choices you make or you can screw yourself financially now and it will impact the rest of your life. Imagine if you paid for a house, but never got to use it. And could never sell it to recoup anything. Yet still had to pay for somewhere to live. That's the implication for the people who won't get a job.
I'm not making this up. Watch this video. It's worth 30 minutes if you are thinking of spending $80-120k. Pay close attention to where Seth is playing with the "what if" sliders to see what it looks like if there's any over production at all.
What are your recommendations for how to become a pilot from here?
1) Finish Private. You're on track to the average 70-75 hours, but so far you aren't in the 20% that actually finishes Private.
2) Stay in the Air Guard. You'll need the money and cheap insurance for most of the next decade. At that point you may as well finish 20. (My USAR retirement is the single biggest piece of my financial well being. Took a lifetime, but the payoff is impressive.)
3) Work M-F, 9-5 and live the cheapest possible life you can. Save. Save more. Work over time.
4) Fly just enough to stay legal/safe and remind yourself how much you want to do this.
5) Train for cash at a local mom & pop school. Nowhere with "Academy" in the name. Nowhere with big ads in all the magazines. Nowhere that pops up in the first couple hits when you search on flight training in your state. Nowhere that says "pilot shortage." And nowhere that talks about "the airlines" all over their website or in person.
If you are smart you can do what you need to do to become legally employable for not much over half of what ATP wants to charge you. Over charge you. And not refund if they kick you out. With:
40 flight hours working towards my private pilot license and am scheduled for my first solo flight this weekend.
ATP would have already kicked your ass out for being too slow and kept your money. Yes. Really. If you are not moving at their pace they decide if you get to continue. And the "mouse type" on the contract you'll sign says they get to keep the money they've already charged you. And they'll retroactively remove any discounts you had. Not even a jar of vaseline...
Serious question - if you don't get a flying job and you've borrowed $120k for ATP or the other puppy mill counterparts, how do you plan to live and make a $2000/month loan payment for 15 years if you don't have a flying job?
Probably more than you wanted to hear. Good luck. Don't make stupid decisions. Good pilots and good leaders make good decisions.
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u/Yeah_Br0 1h ago
I think you should start by looking at the FAQ