Nephew wants to take the vocational option in high school choosing transportation- flight aviation. I opine that this is more a hobby than a career path as I doubt he will be getting a job flying planes after high school.

This program provides students 15 hours of flight time
in partnership with Vincennes University.
Students will fly in Vincennes University's state-of the-art Cirrus aircraft with a licensed flight instructor.
Any opinions about a career path after this that leads to commercial pilot ?
He is currently working part time at the grocery store

I think 15 hours of flight time is enough for him to figure out if he wants to be serious about the profession or not. But it’s nothing more than a brief introduction.

If he’s prepared to spend AT LEAST $250,000+ for that endeavor, to include obtaining a 4-year degree, then tell him to go for it.

quote:

Originally posted by oldbill123:

Any opinions about a career path after this that leads to commercial pilot ?
He is currently working part time at the grocery store

Isn’t the military already forecasting a pilot shortage?

IMO, trying to get into the USN or USAF even to start as an enlisted is a great place to start.

quote:

Originally posted by erj_pilot:
If he’s prepared to spend AT LEAST $250,000+ for that endeavor, to include obtaining a 4-year degree, then tell him to go for it.

These days he'll make that money back in about three years. After all, it's only money. The question is really about the fortitude to put up with all the BS involved with the flying lifestyle. Those that love flying will do well and those that don't can't believe anyone would live like that.

The Air Force and Navy are recruiting heavily for pilots. I presume the Army is as well. High School ROTC programs provide a window into military aviation and other military careers. Navy and Air Force require a 4-year degree for pilots, Army not so much.

In that 15 hours program the aviation bug will bite him, or not. I live near a military flying training base in NW Florida with primary and rotary wing programs. A number of aviation students DOR (drop on request) when they realize they do not have a passion for flying. On the other hand, I have friends who have been flying since they were first able to reach the pedals, from basic fixed wing to fighters to jumbo jets, and it is all they have ever wanted to do. He will know it if it is his passion after a few hours at the controls.

How old is he?

My son joined the Civil Air Patrol a couple of years ago. He has had the opportunity to fly several times and they have multiple options available to help fund obtaining pilots’ licensing.

They also have other aerospace programs, including maintenance, in addition to leadership and search and rescue.

Things to consider if flying is a real desire. It opens doors…including service academy options.

https://erau.edu/
Embry Riddle is worth a look.

quote:

Originally posted by HayesGreener:

Navy and Air Force require a 4-year degree for pilots, Army not so much.

That’s due to how the Army tends to make Warrant Officers into pilots and not commissioned officers, the only service to do this.

Whether or not he becomes a flyer, my advice is to encourage him to study and pursue something that ignites his passion. Nothing is likely to bring more long-term happiness and success than doing something you truly appreciate every day. This, of course, is easier said than done in many fields, but everybody I know who has been happy for the duration of their career truly enjoy what they do. This carries over into the other aspects of their life, and it is a lot easier to put in the extra work, hours, dedication, etc. that leads to success if you like the particular yoke you are wearing.

Many aviators are motivated in such a way, I have a few in my family who'd rather be in the air than anywhere else you could possibly imagine. The potential downside to that is that anyone who enters that field will be competing with these highly-motivated individuals. If you don't have the fire in your belly, you are starting at a disadvantage.

quote:

Originally posted by oldbill123:
I opine that this is more a hobby than a career path as I doubt he will be getting a job flying planes after high school.

My former stepson also wanted to be a pilot, and he discovered that it was basically impossible to get hired as a commercial pilot without a 4 year degree or at least significant military flight experience. (This was 5+ years ago, so that may or may not still be the case... many job markets have changed post-COVID.)

He dropped out of college halfway through to attend flight school, because he hated university but really enjoyed flying. But he then ended up having to go back and finish his bachelor's degree after completing flight school, just to be eligible for jobs.

So I'd suggest that your nephew explore one of the college aviation degree programs that combines flight school with a bachelor's degree, or else explore a military academy or ROTC as a path to both a college degree and pilot training.

Note that he'll want to make sure that he meets the physical/medical requirements to be a military pilot. My older brother was dead-set on becoming an Air Force pilot. It's all he ever wanted his entire life, ever since he was little. When he got older and started looking into it more seriously, he was told by a recruiter that he could never be a military pilot, due to both his nearsighted vision as well as his history of childhood asthma. It crushed him.

I retired from the airlines 11 months ago. My professional career started in 1991 as a second career. I started flying in college, then ran out of money, then picked it back up a few years later when I had a real job and some spare $$.

Generally a 4 year degree is required, but right now some airlines are waiving that requirement. Hiring requirements change dramatically depending on if there is a glut or shortage of pilots.

He will probably have to be age 21 to get hired at an airline, and age 23 to be Captain. Ergo he isn't going to go from high school to the airlines! The typical career progression is to get his ratings (Single Engine, Multi Engine, Instrument, Commercial) for, as erj mentioned, around $250k. Also get a 4 yr degree, for more $$. Then go to an entry level job that pays basically nothing (expect to live at home with parents or share a cheap apartment with several other people). Flight instruction, pipeline patrol, aerial mapping, etc. Single engine airplanes. Then after a year to 3 yrs, go to flying freight at night in the weather in crappy airplanes, also for very low wages.

Then go to a regional for ok wages. After a few years, upgrade to Captain, then after a few more years start being competitive for the majors.

Luck is the biggest factor in a pilot career. Luck in timing, location, external events, company management, economic cycles, etc.

Every pilot will be furloughed twice on average during their career. A pretty high percentage will medically disqualify for at least a few months if not permanently.

Being a pilot is the best job and the worst career. Aside active duty deployment, it is the most family unfriendly career I can think of. Away from home many nights each month, have to work holidays and kids' birthdays for many years until gaining enough seniority, low pay for a lot of years, frequently moving to new cities to chase new opportunities.

Right now is a truly unique time in the industry. I am seeing pilots getting hired at the big airlines (UAL, DAL, SouthWest, AA) with less experience than it took for me to get a job flying freight. These times will not last long. When the economy goes soft there will be tens of thousands of pilots furloughed.

So don't believe anything the schools say about pilot shortages, super high wages, great schedules, free travel benefits, etc.

No pilot has any job security at all until at least 1/3rd of the pilot group is junior to him. Even then, do you remember Eastern Airlines, TWA, and Braniff? The list of top name airlines that have gone out of business is very long.

Pilot jobs are seniority based. Changing employers means going to the very bottom at the new job, with the lowest wages and worst schedules. It takes decades to get the seniority to have what most people visualize as the pilot life.

Every pilot needs a solid Plan B. The college degree should be in anything other than aviation. An aviation degree is worthless. Get a degree in accounting, engineering, nursing, or something else which has employment potential. Have a sideline business for income in the early days and security against furlough later on.

Being a pilot today is vastly different than in decades past, and it will continue changing. Flying itself is a lot of fun, and a great challenge. But the job and the career are the price to be paid.

What Fly-Sig said.

The most frustrating thing about an aviation career is that timing is the biggest factor. No matter how qualified you are, now matter how well you are prepared, your career will be determined by timing.

When I got hired at my current airline it was unheard of to have guys upgrade to captain in less than 10 years. Now we have two year guys in the left seat.

But that too will change. You really have to do this because you love it - the vagaries and BS that you put up with are not like the normal office 9-5 job.

But then again. when I get home on Wed I will have three weeks off and will watch my neighbors slog to work during the week while I enjoy a stogie on the patio.

I imagine being a commercial airline pilot has got to be one of the most boring jobs in the world.

I was thinking that a few weeks ago when I was on a 6-1/2 hour flight.

quote:

Originally posted by chongosuerte:
How old is he?

My son joined the Civil Air Patrol a couple of years ago. He has had the opportunity to fly several times and they have multiple options available to help fund obtaining pilots’ licensing.

They also have other aerospace programs, including maintenance, in addition to leadership and search and rescue.

Things to consider if flying is a real desire. It opens doors…including service academy options.

The son of a family friend spent his junior high and high school years with the civil air patrol, wanted to fly, and everyone thought he would follow through with it. During high school he paid for his own flying lessons, and ended up graduating from the Air Force Academy. Last I heard some time ago he was flying giant air lift aircraft in the United States Air Force. Gotta love that story.

quote:

Originally posted by Flash-LB:
I imagine being a commercial airline pilot has got to be one of the most boring jobs in the world.

NOPE! My Accounting career was THE most boring job in the world.

p.s. To fly for an FAR Part 121 air carrier, one must possess an ATP Certificate which requires the Certificate holder to be at least 23 years old.

quote:

Originally posted by Flash-LB:
I imagine being a commercial airline pilot has got to be one of the most boring jobs in the world.

I was thinking that a few weeks ago when I was on a 6-1/2 hour flight.

Lol, there are many many much more boring jobs.

quote:

Originally posted by Flash-LB:
I imagine being a commercial airline pilot has got to be one of the most boring jobs in the world.

Yep. Just boring as hell on this 13 1/2 hour flight across everywhere.

I have just retired after 36 years of flying for the airlines, it is the only thing I wanted to do my entire life. It was a blast, and made my life enjoyable. But flying for the airlines is not the only thing. Many enjoy, flying charters, corporate, freight, flight instruction, crop dusting ( had a few friends that did that building time to get hired at the airlines, retired flying the line on 747’s, 767’s, and went back to crop dusting again just for fun). There are many career paths in aviation that make for an enjoyable life.

If he intends to seriously pursue it, he needs a solid plan going in.

I went to a major university with a top tier aviation program with the intention of becoming a pilot. Even though we had multiple aviation career paths, I would imagine 90% of my class mates started down the pilot path as well. I got my private pilot and acquired a lifelong love for flying, but I decided I didn't have a way to realistically continue paying for the flight time required to finish. I switched to another degree path.

I had an acquaintance who was having trouble balancing his work schedule with flight time requirements. He met with the chief instructor who told him he really needed to stop working and prioritize flying if he wanted to continue. It was true, but also impossible for him as he was working to pay his way through college. He changed to a different degree path.

I had another friend who was running low on funds in his flight account. He called his parents and had a check for 30 grand in the mail 3 days later. He finished the pilot path, although he decided to go a different way after he graduated.

By the time we graduated, I would say most of the people in my class had switched from the pilot path to something else, even out of aviation completely. Most of those were for financial reasons, although quite a few who had other reasons (not a good pilot, didn't like flying, got a DUI, etc...)

The vocational classes he is interested in sound like an awesome opportunity depending on cost, but if he wishes to continue beyond that he needs a true passion for it, a realistic idea how he will pay for it, and as others have said a good amount of luck.