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Wheelsup has posted great info. And just to emphasize, tell him he must get at least a 4 yr degree. Even at the regional level, I know of at least one company that is shying away from those without at least a 4 yr degree. Of course the major airlines positions are extremely(!) competitive, and not having that degree will put him at a tremendous disadvantage. And anything less than 30 is plenty young to start training. The younger the better as seniority is god in this profession, but he'll still have plenty of working yrs ahead of him if he doesn't take his sweet time.
Thanks everyone. I appreciate all of the information. This is a field I know nothing about. He seems to have done his homework and is meeting with the program advisor in a couple weeks I guess. You just never quiet stop worrying about your children no matter how old they get. I do know that he's not really motivated by the thought of a huge salary as much as he is motivated by the actual job and travel opportunities.
Does he handle stress well? I think some enter this field not realizing the weight of the responsibility involved. Your every move is scrutinized, your decisions will be continuously questioned, and having an 'off day' just simply isn't acceptable. You can lose your medical authorization very easily and suddenly. You must be on top of your game, at all times, or people including yourself can be hurt or killed. So on the last leg of 5 day trip where you've been dealing with days of bad weather, icing, delays, mechanical issues, gate agents squawking at you, your fellow pilot that you're pent up with in the cockpit not getting along with you, dispatch pressuring you to do ridiculous things, passengers questioning (even insulting) your piloting ability for issues out of your control, lack of food, improper sleep, stress of the fight you got into with your wife the night before but can't handle properly because you are 2000 miles away, all of the many events (birthdays, etc) you'll miss, and for the first decade or longer pathetic pay, and you still must be able to focus and perform your job 100% , 100% of the time. 99% isn't good enough. It's not for the feint of heart. This job owns you and your entire life and the lives of those you love will take a backseat to it. Like wheelsup pointed out, you must absolutely love to fly to be able to put up with the other 75% of what this job entails. On the flip side, when things are good, they can be really good. But you have to take the good with the bad, and you don't have the ability the phone it in on the bad days.
Does he handle stress well? I think some enter this field not realizing the weight of the responsibility involved. Your every move is scrutinized, your decisions will be continuously questioned, and having an 'off day' just simply isn't acceptable. You can lose your medical authorization very easily and suddenly. You must be on top of your game, at all times, or people including yourself can be hurt or killed. So on the last leg of 5 day trip where you've been dealing with days of bad weather, icing, delays, mechanical issues, gate agents squawking at you, your fellow pilot that you're pent up with in the cockpit not getting along with you, dispatch pressuring you to do ridiculous things, passengers questioning (even insulting) your piloting ability for issues out of your control, lack of food, improper sleep, stress of the fight you got into with your wife the night before but can't handle properly because you are 2000 miles away, all of the many events (birthdays, etc) you'll miss, and for the first decade or longer pathetic pay, and you still must be able to focus and perform your job 100% , 100% of the time. 99% isn't good enough. It's not for the feint of heart. This job owns you and your entire life and the lives of those you love will take a backseat to it. Like wheelsup pointed out, you must absolutely love to fly to be able to put up with the other 75% of what this job entails. On the flip side, when things are good, they can be really good. But you have to take the good with the bad, and you don't have the ability the phone it in on the bad days.
It takes a lot to get him riled up. He's a pretty mellow cruiser most of the time. I've seen him upset, maybe 3 times in the last 6 or 7 years and they were situations that would angered just about everyone. He's been talking about doing this for a number of years, unfortunately he never said anything about this when he was doing the college search thing. He didn't realize that there were colleges out there where he could get his degree in aviation and become a pilot. It would be nice to turn back the clock to being 16 again and get a do-over. I guess he has some flight hours already--not sure where he got them though.
Should I look into going into the air force? I'm a pretty sharp guy. I know there are tons of people that enlist with flight aspirations that will never actually fly.
Don't limit yourself to just the Air Force, all branches of the military have aviation branches. Here's the thing, it's a great option, but it's a long one.
Warining - long post alert.
I finished my degree at 24 and applied for flight training in the US Army and was accepted. It can be a very long process, depending on their needs. They were very short on pilots when I applied and my candidate package went through in about three months. The thing to be aware of is that only officers fly aircraft in the military, so you have to meet both aviation and officer candidate qualifications. This means a demonstrated path of leadership positions (school, work or volunteer), no criminal history (not even minor stuff), be in better physical condition than the average enlisted soldier and a passion for aviation. You'll have to appear before an officer selection board for an hour-long interview, mine consisted of a major and two captains. They asked me a lot of questions about my leadership background with a few aviation questions to measure how serious I was about getting through training. It should go without saying that you'll have to meet some strict military aviation medical standards, I had to travel to Ft Knox for mine because that's where the nearest flight surgeon was located. You'll also need letters of recommendation and photographs of yourself.
Once you're done with all of that, your packet will go before a selection board at recruiting command. They hand-pick pilot and officer candidates. You'll get orders to report for duty and you'll go from there. However, you are far from done. You'll go to basic training followed by an Officer Candidate School (OCS), though this does vary by the service. These schools are challenging and they are set up that way by design. You can be asked to leave OCS, which will kill your flying ambitions. Flight school comes last and you'll have to survive that. It's long and can be arduous so you have to make sure that you really want to do it or you won't finish. I also had to contract for six years, at that time the other branches were requiring an eight year commitment of their pilots.
This was my experience, I only put it out there for others whom are considering this path but haven't checked into it.
Get the cheapest useful 4-year degree you can (because you'll want to remain useful skills besides flying, a mistake I made).
Step 1: Get a first class medical, stay out of trouble with the law
Provided he is in general good health, no diabetes, and can see 20/20 in each eye (with or without glasses) and doesn't have any large color vision issues you'll pass however get it, it'll cost $100 or so, and you'll know right off the bat if you're eligible to pursue it as a career. There are some major law issues that would disqualify you for most any job, and then things like multiple speeding tickets that would seriously hamper your ability to move to a career destination. Low GPA is bad too.
Step 2: Get the basic ratings
Private Pilot
Instrument
Commercial
Multi
------------
That gives you the ability to get paid to fly (not much though). Generally people have around 250 hours at this point, and around 10-20 hours multi engine. Rough low end cost around $40k.
Step 3: Build time
If you're lucky you can find some sort of aerial photo place to hire you at that time. That's pretty rare unless you have an "in". Most places are looking for 500+ hours. In order to hit the commuters you need 1,500 hours. No one buys these hours, unless you're made of money. The best way to build time is as a flight instructor at a busy school, that caters to career students. Here, multi time is key (although not nearly as important as it was 10-15 years ago). The goal is 100+ multi, 1,500 total time (TT). It will take around 1-2 years to build this time depending on where you work, and what job you're doing.
Ratings needed:
CFI - Basic Flight instructor
CFI-I - Instrument flight instructor
MEI - Multi engine flight instructor
Instructors are in good demand nowadays. Pay is higher than it has ever been, $30k is very possible.
Step 4: Apply for jobs as hours increase
You won't walk into a high end corporate (Part 91) or charter (Part 135) outfit unless you really network your butt off. Most jobs at first are going to be really crappy. Most guys who go 91 or 135 end up at the commuters because outside of the very tip top of corporate or charter jobs, they are vastly inferior to the quality of life you'll get as you move up the seniority list at a commuter.
Most folks go into flight instructing. The pay is low, the hours are long and the quality of life sucks. You're not going to do it for very long. I would recommend doing your primary and advanced training at the place you plan on instructing at, it will give you a huge leg up.
Step 5: Always be networking
I only got one job in my career by applying off a web site. All my CFI jobs, and my "career" job that I ended up at, have been had knowing dozens of guys spread out throughout the country helping me out.
Step 6: Understand it's mostly about luck
You can try as hard as you possibly can and still not succeed at ending up at a career gig. Lots of guys in their late 30's, 40's, 50's still floundering around the system working crappy jobs for decades. It's all about timing and luck. If you have it you're golden, if you don't there's nothing you can do...
The key to success is staying mobile and frugal. My income over my short career so far has varied from $12,000 my first year instructing to almost $16k my last month at my commuter airline. As your income grows don't spend it, sock it away, pay off the house, buy cars with cash, don't even think about having any sort of debt, that way when you take income hits from job to job, or getting furloughed (laid off) you don't have to scramble. Oh, and don't buy a house until you hit your career job (IMO). Commuting sucks! Don't be the guy who says "I can't afford to take the pay cut" to advance their career. Huge big no-no.
Go to www.jetcareers.com and have him register and post under the General section to start. Lots of people there can steer you in the right direction.
I know Qwerty was asking the question but I had to thank you for this advice. I copied it for my 16 year old son who wants to be a pilot.
Last summer he was supposed to go away to camp but objected because he felt he was too old. (Too old to be a camper, too young to be a counselor). So I asked him what he wanted to do instead, he replied he wanted to learn to fly. I wholeheartedly agreed to his request thinking who in the opposite of heaven would let a 15 year old fly a plane. Much to my (and my wife's) astonishment they do let kids (who can't even make their own beds) fly planes. He now has about 30 hours and only hasn't soloed because his mother is in cahoots with his instructor to hold this off for awhile.
Once again thanks to you and all the others who take their time to give practical advice.
When I was in high school I had a few friends who earned their pilots certificates around the same time as earning their drivers license. I always wanted to get my certificates early, but my folks weren't willing to go along with it at that time. Instead, I waited till college.
Best bet for your son, may be to find a community college that has a flight program. It'll be loads cheaper than the pilot mill / ATP...or dedicated aviation school like Embry Riddle.
It is easier to get loans for flight training through a four year college, but getting $60k/loans for a job with a starting salary of $20k/year is a non-starter for most. He's lucky to have a job that pays him more right now than his first SEVERAL years of professional flying will pay. (I had flight instructor friends who took pay cuts to go to the regional airlines) If you guys can support his financial obligations for a couple years while he piles all his money into his flight training, he could be sitting pretty, debt free, and ready to start instructing within a year.
Other option is military service...as stated, they're very selective. He'd have some tests required just to qualify, and if he doesn't score well he'll be at the bottom of the stack. Same time, if he's successful in military flying, it'll open numerous doors for him down the road in his professional flying experience...it doesn't make you a shoe in (I have a lot of guard buddies who can't get a call from Delta no matter how many LORs they get) but it can definitely help.
I started typing and realized everything was covered. It'll take a lot of effort and money in today's world. Though, if it is your passion, pursue it. Aviation is an incredible and tight-knit industry.
What I've learned, is that it takes a certain personality to both stick around through the highs and lows, and to appreciate every bit of it.
I know Qwerty was asking the question but I had to thank you for this advice. I copied it for my 16 year old son who wants to be a pilot.
Last summer he was supposed to go away to camp but objected because he felt he was too old. (Too old to be a camper, too young to be a counselor). So I asked him what he wanted to do instead, he replied he wanted to learn to fly. I wholeheartedly agreed to his request thinking who in the opposite of heaven would let a 15 year old fly a plane. Much to my (and my wife's) astonishment they do let kids (who can't even make their own beds) fly planes. He now has about 30 hours and only hasn't soloed because his mother is in cahoots with his instructor to hold this off for awhile.
Once again thanks to you and all the others who take their time to give practical advice.
I took my first flight at 15 and solo'd before I had a drivers license. I had about 11 hours. I remember going to the airport after high school let out (circa 1998) and doing touch and go's on my own. It's absolutely nothing to be scared of, if the CFI thinks he's ready, then he's ready!
This is a great time to be getting in. There is one airline offering an $80,000 bonus to those who sign on with them. Another is paying $130/hr for 300 hours of flight time to help you get to the 1,500 required to become employable. There is another one that just launched some sort of loan repayment plan if you hire on, ie they pay for your loans (or part of them). If you have a pulse you have a job at a commuter waiting for you. Oh, and the pay has gone up quite a bit, even since I started in 2005. Legacy airlines and other major airlines are hiring like crazy, Southwest used to require a 737 type rating since the beginning, now it's gone.
That being said, the same was said in 1998 when I started out back in high school. They couldn't hire enough. Since then 9/11, Fuel crisis, 2008 Financial meltdown, and finally age 65 has all put a damper on the career. However it always bounces back. Aviation is cyclical, if you stick around you'll be rewarded as long as you keep trying to better yourself and move up.
The whole business is cyclical. Wheelsup got in at a great time... United was taking certain demographics with just a commercial ticket and a few hundred hours experience. They were offering fighter pilots a three-for-one conversion for flight time, so a 3000-hour A-10 pilot would be credited with 9000 hours. However, I know someone who, after he separated from the Air Force, went to work with USAir/US Airways. He's been furloughed three times, offered an RJ the third time. A student of mine was an Air Guard commander requaling in the F-16 who had been an MD-80 captain at American and was downgraded after September 11th to the right seat of the 757/767. Flip side, a high school classmate got on with American in the very early 80s; very senior now. How'd he do it? No college, which is pretty much unheard-of now, he just got his private, then his commercial, instructor and instrument at the earliest possible time. He and I both got our private certificates as seniors in high school, he did his flight check a couple days after turning 17. Difference was he had someone fund his hours-building until he could do it himself, I was not so equipped with $$$. He paid his dues by instructing a lot, weird hours, etc before being hired. I instructed an ANG pilot who flew canceled checks in a Seneca every night, later flew for Kitty Hawk (they still around?), again, that's dues-paying.
Back then I paid $15/hr for a C-152 and $20/hr for a PA-28-140 Cherokee. Sticker shock these days.
One comment about the military route: It's a very solid way to build time, but nowdays it comes at a price. When I got my wings the service commitment was 6 years. Now it's 10, plus the year of pilot training. That means a 22 year old lieutenant is 33 when first eligible to separate. And some SUPT graduates aren't going to F-16s or C-17s, they're going to MQ-9s (RPAs, aka "drones"). Ughhh...
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