My advice is get your commercial certificate thought a part 61 school. You have part 141 and part 61. Part 141 flight schools are universities and colleges that offer flight training in a major and part 61 is your local airport offering flight instruction (or a place like All ATP’s flight training). I started part 141 and my first weekend was told by a recently graduated corporate pilot to change to part 61 and get a different degree. Why? Simply airlines don’t care of you have a degree in aerospace, math, sociology or applied basket weaving. They just want the 4 year degree and the certificate and flight time. Part 141 schools tend to over charge (in my experience by 50 bucks per flight hour…assume at minimum 300 hours…300 times 50 = 6,000 extra dollars down the drain. All for ending up with a degree that will get you nowhere better if you apply to the airlines and will absolutely get you nowhere if you get (and you probably will be) furloughed and have to take another non flying job to make ends meet.

My advice is get a degree in something non aviation that appeals to you while you take flight instruction on the side. You’d be doing the same thing if you went part 141, but this way you end up with a degree that is more valuable on the market and save money in flight training. I didn’t listen to that corp pilot, blew 15 grand in extra money for flight training that I wouldn’t have spent part 61 and another year and a half of tuition one I finally realized his wisdom. You don’t have to believe me, I didn’t believe him, but at least look in to flight training near a good local university and compare costs. Also, if anyone says an aviation degree is needed to get hired, go to any airline’s about us link and look at pilot flight time and experience requirements. They only say 4 year degree at the majors, and at the regionals that you’ll cut your teeth on, most just say some college preferred. Nobody says you have to have an aerospace degree and most big iron jockeys don’t have an aerospace degree.

Think twice about becoming a pilot. If you go into it for the money and benefits you won’t make it. If you go into it because you love it and would not really be happy doing anything else, then go for it. Get a degree that will provide a fall-back career is an excellent idea. Get that degree in whatever appeals to you. Every squadron I ever flew in had pilots with every type of degree you could imagine, i.e. newspaper photography, foreign languages, accounting. The pure civilian route to the left front seat for a major airline is not for the faint of heart or those concerned about a poor income for most of their working lives. Only about the last 10 years or so are well paid and the benefits are substantial. You have to retire at 60 in the US. The military route is faster, you are paid well during your training (no debt accrues for the flight time) and your experience will move you into the airlines quicker. Be leery of civilian flight instructors who may be prone to debase the military route, generally due to some feeling of inadequacy or jealousy. Captain Chesley Sullenberger of Hudson River landing fame was an Air Force Academy graduate and F-4 pilot before he went to work for US Airways. Military flying has some substantial challenges that civilian flight-training does not have. The training is more rigorous, the expectations are higher and the qualifications to get into military are much different. Plus there is always the possibility of being shot at from time to time. If you chose the military route you can offset the tedium of airline driving by being in the reserves and really flying then. Finally, there is a huge difference in flying as a civilian and military flying. Granted, they both put air under your butt. There the similarity ends. Most airliner flying is glorified bus driving. Point A to Point B with as little action as possible (and that’s how the passengers and the company want it). Military flying takes you from Point A to Point B back to Point A with as much commotion as possible. Whether the Air Force or Navy for flying? I chose the Navy for many reasons. Air Force training is pretty well done and the pilots get their wings at the same training point that Navy students finish their Basic Flight Training Command level. Air Force pilots then go to a training squadron where more advanced techniques are taught. Navy pilots complete Advanced Flight Training Command prior to getting their wings. After advanced Navy pilots go to a Replacement Air Group where they fly the fleet birds to which they have been assigned. The most notable difference is that Navy pilots learn to fly on and off aircraft carriers at each stage of the syllabus. In the final stage you fly off the boat both day and night.That is a considerable step up from taking off and landing on 8,000ft of concrete. My granny can land on 8,000ft of concrete (my bias is obvious and I am proud of it). You can be preselected for the Navy flight training prior to making any commitments, but if you wash out you have to complete your obligated service. If it were easy anyone could do it. That’s why military aviators are understandably proud of their profession and professionalism. You chose. Pick one.