Career Pilot

[BACONATOR]

As far as the aviation degree goes- sh*t happens, if something (physical disability, family, economy) were to ever preclude you from flying, then you'd be a guy with a (no offense) pretty BS degree and a bunch of flight hours on your resume, which are useless in any other field. If you love to fly, I'd say take flying lessons and get a degree in a more marketable field that interests you.

WELL SAID. The aviation degree is basically USELESS unless you want to fly (professionally) for the rest of your life until you retire, or you want a job that simply requires a 4 year degree (military officer, some sales jobs etc).

I think of the aviation degree the same way I view the ITT tech degrees: They take a subject/job/certificate that really isn't worthy of being a 4 year bachelor's degree, and they make it into one. You'll see a lot of ITT Tech degrees are "XYZ Technician". It's a certificate, at best, but they turn it into some sort of quasi-engineering degree, even though it's not.

I know plenty of ERAU kids who were meteorology/engineering/polysci/whatever majors who flew on the side and got multiple ratings. That's seemed kind of embarassing to me that I was getting a REAL degree AND doing their degree (ok, fine. Not the classroom stuff, but what is it all really about?) in my spare time for fun.

One of my roommates was an aerospace engineer and got all the way up to his CFII ticket before he graduated.

Bottom line: If you want to be a professional pilot, you can do the aviation major. I RECOMMEND you get a real, marketable, professional degree and get your tickets on the side so you have options besides just flying. You'll probably spend FAR less training at an FBO instead of a "certificate factory" like ERAU.

 

[usmarinemike]

Find another career path... that's my advice.

Second this, sort of. If you want to fly, that's great. If you want to USE the military to get a bunch of flight time, that's not great. Sure, flight time is a great benefit to being a Marine aviator, but if you don't have that calling to be an officer in the armed forces, then take your crayons and go color somewhere else. I'm not trying to be offensive. Maybe you do have a desire to be a military officer, but your language doesn't indicate it. Your language indicates that you want a trade, not a profession. Military officership is a profession, like doctor or lawyer. Your technical ability (flying) comes second as made obvious in the Marine IA billet thread.

Read 2 or 3 books in the Commandants reading list for officer candidates and 2nd Lts and see what they do for you.

 

[FLYTPAY]

I NEED TO DECIDE IN THE NEXT WEEK!

Becoming a military officer is not a decision that should be made on the fly and if you only have one week, I would go with the accounting gig...sans cockpit. Assessing your original post, you do not have the drive to really want it.

I should've said this before I will be getting an accounting degree Also

"If you cannot quickly add, subtract, multiply, and divide by 60's then you might as well just be an actuarial accountant." -Jack Douglass 2007

 

[OUSOONER]

It depends on which Aviation track you go...Mine is more the management side and I know for a fact there are good jobs in the business side of Aviation. Who runs the airports? They have their own corporate/business side of the house. The FAA, hell even Boeing (where I did my internship) said they want people with more degrees like mine. I can't speak for the ones that just do the pro-pilot track however because that degree is all flying and not much else, which is why I didn't get it. My degree has a large emphasis in accounting, management, finance, supply chain, economics..etc etc.. Boeing hired 2 of the 5 guys with my degree that came out of my graduating class. I didn't apply because I'm doing this, but it is a good thought.

Also, if ATC interests you, that is another route with good money as well. These are all options if you don't want to fly in the airlines.

 

[bunk22]

I'm of the opinion that there's nothing wrong with using the military, specifically aviation, as a stepping stone to another career. Obviously there's risk in everything, may not finish flight school or you may select helo's, making it a bit more difficult to go the airline route. This whole have to be an officer first thing, okay. To each his own. It all comes out in the end.

 

[A4sForever]

Yeah ... just to clarify:

I don't have ANY "problem" w/ ANYONE "using" the military as a steppin' stone to the airlines -- that's what I and most of my Compadres did ... but most of us held out the REAL possibility of stayin' "in" and this kid ALREADY "knows" he's airline bound ... :icon_lol::icon_lol::icon_lol::icon_lol: ... which means he's not really considering the possibility of workin' for UNCLE for all his born days (at least he has not indicated such) -- so why "spend" all those years of required military service if all he wants to do is fly from "A" to "B" for fun & PROFIT .... ??? It's not necessary these days ... if Jimmy Carter had not been President and I hadn't married a retro-hippie -- I'd probably have "stayed in" .... :sleep_125

"... my final goal of eventually flying airlines or commercial ..."

Doesn't sound much like CNO material to me ...

I NEED TO DECIDE IN THE NEXT WEEK!

Nope, still doesn't sound like CNO material to me ....

 

[bunk22]

People change though. I never wanted to stay 20 years, still don't actually. It has just worked out that way. Or should I say, getting out with 16.5 years probably isn't the smartest thing to do with ret so close. So this young lad, even if he were to make it, may certainly change his mind...wants a 20 year career, wants to do something other than flying, etc.

 

[BACONATOR]

Oh, and for the record... you are going to be a freshman next fall?? You DON'T only have a week to decide. You have years, so calm the fuck down.

 

[Herc_Dude]

Oh, and for the record... you are going to be a freshman next fall?? You DON'T only have a week to decide. You have years, so calm the fuck down.

No kidding - and if you are seriously wanting to be a Marine your only limit as far as aviation goes is your age. Then again, if you waited and gave yourself time to make the RIGHT decision you would be wasting precious years that you could be flying commercially... :icon_roll

 

[bunk22]

Apparently he's on a pretty tight timeline

 

[A4sForever]

People change though....

Roger that: I'm living proof of that concept. I raised my right hand intending on "staying in" ... but 9 years later, I was glad to get "out".

But he doesn't "need" to fly in the military to reach his announced end goal. He doesn't "talk the talk" for a prospective military pilot -- he indicates that it's only what he can get out of it for future employment that drives his interest. At least that's all he's indicated ... and he only joined this forum two weeks ago (looking for input to an airline career?), but he's only got until "NEXT WEEK" to decide the next 10-20+ years .... ???

If I was tryin' to "get in" to Big Blue today -- I'd probably be shooting for 20 from the get-go as the airlines suck right now for hiring. They did when I ponied up as well, but then again, airline hiring was not front & center as we had that pesky little thing to contend with called a "draft" and that pesky little SEAsian war to consider. The airline hiring crunch will probably continue for the near future -- but consider this: the past 3-4 years and RIGHT NOW was suppose to be another airline hiring "golden time" as the Vietnam-era guys retired, etc., etc. -- but is it??? It ebbs and flows -- impossible to predict. If you're putting all your eggs into the "I'll fly in the military" basket "and then get into the airlines" -- good luck in these tough times.

I mean ... I don't care what he does; no skin off my ass. I'm just providing facts ... cause I've been there.

Time for Mai'Tai's & CUBI Specials ...

 

[HuggyU2]

Just curious: do you know anyone in the airlines? If so, have they told you what the lifestyle is like these days?
With all that is going on in the airlines these days, why do you think you want to join them?

 

[Birdog8585]

OK killer, first, I have no problem with using the Military, or the Government for that matter, as a route to your goals. If you do decide that path however, just as others have said, MAKE SURE THAT YOU KNOW WHAT YOU ARE GETTING INTO! This is about LEADING young men and women fresh out of boot, MCT, A-school, C-school, whatever. It would be a complete shame and let down if you did not know that. Moreover, a real possibility is that this could happen before you start TBS or even flight school as it did for me. I enjoyed every lasting minute of it because I KNEW that this is what it was really about. I agree completely with what usmarinemike said, read some of the books on the Commandant's reading list before committing to anything involving Marine Corps.

Also, if you choose the Marine path, you have got a long road before you see the cockpit again after you graduate - OCS-6-10 weeks; wait for TBS class-unknown; TBS-6 months; wait for API start date-unknown; API-6 weeks; wait for Primary to start-unknown; Primary - FINALLY into the cockpit (after sims).

Granted, you will receive the best training on the planet but educate yourself like you are doing now, to be completely sure this is proper path.

 

[Catmando]

Once two of us young AVROCs hitched a ride on base with a Marine Capt. heading into town.

After a few blocks, he asked us each what we wanted to fly. I answered that I didn't know, "maybe A-5's." But my friend said he wanted to fly for "the airlines."

With that, the Marine pulled over and said, "Son, if you want to fly for the airlines, you're in the wrong program…. And you're also in the wrong car. You can get out now and find yourself another ride."

Although years later I did eventually fly for the airlines, it had always remained only an option and never a goal. And the Marine Capt was right. He also made a lasting impression.

 

[FLYTPAY]

With that, the Marine pulled over and said, "Son, if you want to fly for the airlines, you're in the wrong program…. And you're also in the wrong car. You can get out now and find yourself another ride."

So you left your liberty buddy????