Dog Community

Any pilots here?

Posted : 11/24/2007 3:23:52 PM

Okay, so here's the deal. I want to be a pilot. I've wanted to fly planes for a lot of years. I can do a "discovery flight" for like $49, so that seems like the obvious first move, but here's my problem. I already know I'm going to love it. I don't need a first flight to tell me that. I don't want to do that first flight and fall in love with it without being able to actually start lessons afterwards, and right now, I definitely can't. I am broke. Broker than broke. I'm 19 years old and have no experience in anything besides babysitting, and well, I hate kids. I adore my niece and nephew to pieces, but generally, kids suck. People keep telling me I should start babysitting another kid at the same time as my niece, make twice the money for the same amount of my time, and that's a logical idea, but no. I watch my niece because I love her and I have a huge amount of freedom while watching her (I can take her anywhere, do anything, she comes to my house, my dog who doesn't like kids LOVES her, etc.). I wouldn't if I added a non-related kid.

Anywho...so basically my only options for another job are retail or food service at minimum wage or just barely above. I'm about to have 2 1/2-3 months kid-free because her mother's having another and will be on maternity leave. Soo..for 2 1/2 months, I'll have a min. wage job. Still can't afford flight school, or, uhm...anything. Even if I get two retail jobs and work my every waking hour, I'll just have to give my Mom more money, pay more on the credit cards I stupidly used way too much for a year, and I'll still have no money for anything. And no time for flying anyway.

Point is, I'm pretty unhappy where I am. I'm not doing anything with my life. I feel pointless and useless besides the fact that I'm keeping my cousin's kid out of daycare. Whoopdeedoo. But I love her more than anything, and can't quit yet. So here I sit trying to figure out how to be happier. Bingo. Learn to fly. Oh, no money. I can do ground school at the local community college for really cheap, but I'm talking actual flying lessons, which cost a lot... So the point of this entire ranting whining post is...anyone know if you can get financial aid for flight school? I've googled and googled and googled again, and really not found much, so I figured I'd try asking actual people. Unfortunately I don't know those "actual people", so..anyone here know anything about flight school and financial aid?

purple chaps

Posted : 11/24/2007 6:08:46 PM

I'm not sure how things work in the states, but in Canada you could join the military. You can't become a pilot with out post seconday *I don't think* in the military, but you could do another job...

My husband is an Avation technician. meaning he's an aircraft mechanic, but you could also move to another trade that allows you to spend time in the air. It would get you out of the job you don't like and get you in the air, or close to it Smile

chelsea_b

Posted : 11/24/2007 6:20:22 PM

My plan used to be to join the military, buuut..I'm not while ol' Bushy's in office, nor while we're occupying Iraq. Good suggestion though, thanks.

Cita

Posted : 11/24/2007 10:00:17 PM

Southern CA has a good market for tutoring. When I was in high school I tutored for $10/hour (primarily biology, some English, and some SAT prep) - you could probably ask $15 without people blinking an eye, and if word spreads at all that you're pretty good, you shouldn't have too much trouble getting 10 hours a week. It would certainly be a nice supplemental income.

Alternatively, you could work for a test prep organization such as Kaplan. You earn a bit less but have more job security.

Have you looked into working with an airline? I have a sort of distant friend who's a pilot, but I'm not sure the specifics on how the financing of flight school works.

I do know some schools offer sort of "flight degrees" - the friend/acquaintance I mentioned went to Daniel Webster University (East Coast) and majored in aviation. He's a pilot for United now at 22 years old, and loves his job. (It does not pay well, however.) Usually for universities you can get a decent bit of financial aid, so that might be an affordable option for you, offering both a degree and fun with airplanes.

My dad has a dinky little airplane:

It absolutely TERRIFIES ME!!!!!!!!!!!!!

You might love it, I dunno, but if it were me I'd want to learn in slightly bigger planes. Plus, sadly, SoCal is so congested I bet air traffic would beou a serious concern with flight lessons. Have you tried calling/asking around at all? Maybe some flight lesson places would let you work off a lesson a week or so by working in their office or something. It wouldn't hurt calling and talking to them, I'm sure they were once starving young people too. (In fact, chances are they still are!)

Anyway, good luck! The fellow I was madly in love with in high school was also obsessed with flying, and I know he took lessons down at John Wayne Airport and loved them. Then apparently he went off and joined the marines, go figure.

sooner

Posted : 11/24/2007 10:04:13 PM

The first thing I'd suggest would be to get involved with your local chapter of The Ninety-Nines, the International Organization of Women Pilots. Go to the link and scroll down to "Advancing the Pilot of Tomorrow", and it explains the programs and scholarships available. IME, they are great people to work with and extremely helpful.

Next, apply at the FBOs (Fixed Base Operators) at your local small airport(s). You may be able to get a desk job processing fuel tickets and rental cars with no experience. Getting yourself known and making friends with the pilots will help you in the future, whether it's getting a discount on plane rental or instructor fees or getting a job after your get your license.

Or, you can do what I did, and luck into dating a pilot whose dad is an instructor Wink

huskymom

Posted : 11/24/2007 10:31:50 PM

Does they flight school you want to attend have a website? One of the best flight schools in Canada is in TBay where I used to live. Its a part of the Confederation College and right on the website it has links to financial aid. I don't see why you couldn't get financial Aid for flight school. Its a valid career just like anything else.