Flying is expensive thats for sure. Civil air patrol is a great route, there are several scholarships available but probably the cheapest way is to get a job working the line at a flight school or FBO. They will usually give you the plane for cost and you can make friends with instructors who might teach for free. If you do take flying lessons it sometimes pays to find your own instructor that you can pay cash to, rather than paying the FBO a cut of what your paying for instruction. Another option is to buy a block of hours and you can usually work out a reduced rate. Most units like you to have a PPL but for some its not required but reccomended. They know its expensive and one of the questions I always got was how did you pay for your flying. They also know the dedication it takes and how difficult it is to juggle working , school and flying and they like to see how you can handle it since AF training is is such a high workload. I do however know of people hired with less than 10 hours so it can be done.
I got a fighter slot late last year and am currently waiting to go to training. I interviewed at 7 places over two years before I was picked up - I had no ties to the unit at all. Some people I know were picked up their first interview, others had 14 before they were selected. If you're young enough though and have time to enlist in the unit it is a great way to go. Many of the interviews I went to did go to people in that unit - they had an ongoing 2 year interview that is hard to compete with. Its also a great way to pay for school. I would have done it that way but at the time they werent accepting PRK. It is a long process but everything that is worth doing has a wait.
