My dream is to become a pilot... im a 19 year old girl and really need some advice, please help me!?

Question

Im 19 & in my 2nd year of college, studying Psychology. I decided 2 do this course after school bcause i was so unsure of wat direction i wanted 2 go in & my parents thought that it would be a good qualification 2 have behind me no matter wat i chose as a career.

The truth is that im really unhappy,& ever since i was 16 i wanted to fly planes!The problem is ive been 2 embarrased to tell anyone,& afraid that my dream myt get shot down by my parents or laughed at by my friends.

Ive tried 2 look into wat it would take 2 train for my private pilots licence,but in most cases (in South Africa that is) u have 2 have done physics and maths at school and done very well at them 2 be accepted in2 training programs. Ive heard of other smaller training schools where i could go but i think it will be very expensive. could any1 tell me an estimated cost for pursuing something like this? and wat does the medical exam include?

advice from pilots or anyone in the field would be great! thanks:)

Answer 1

My daughter (here in the USA) went to the local small airport, and took flying lessons.  Had to pass the license qualifications, did great, then went on to get instrument license.  Has a ball at it.  Started when she was about 20, so you are right in there.   Owns her own plane, at age 34.

Answer 2

first of all , ladies cant become a pilot coz they get very nervous during emergency landings/positions.

Answer 3

Do it. Even it you just do it for fun I dont know anyone who regrets it.

Answer 4

It takes about 9000 dollars to get a flying licesnse and for the teacher. I suggest using flight simulator for starting, its really realistic and it feels like ur actually flying.

Answer 5

If you have 20/20 uncorrected vision..joing the military...USAF or USN..they train you, they pay you and you will be able to pass civilian licensing requirements without a hitch..good luck

Answer 6

Hallie:

This question is asked very frequently here on Yahoo!Answers, and you can read a large number of takes on it by using the "search for questions" box at the top of the screen.

I usually stop there, but I want to make sure you feel encouraged.  I was not the first female airline pilot by any means, but I was one of the first, and lots of crew members had never seen a woman in a flight crew uniform before.  I was told I must be a joke, I couldn't possibly fly with all those hormones, and other things much less pleasant.  It was pretty rough there for a while.

Female crew members are much more common now, and, though you will still occasionally have some overgrown baby make a grab for you or say something really insulting, it has become pretty rare.  Girls rule!

Having said all that, I believe the best first step for you is to go to the nearest airport that has a flight school and talk to flight instructors there.  You may very well encounter some female pilots right off the bat.

Not only can the instructors guide you toward your career goals, you can start taking instruction right away.  First you need your Private Certificate.  That will cost you US $5,000-$7,000 and take you a year or so to accomplish.  It can be done a lot more quickly, but most people who are involved in other things will take that long.

Now you have the passion for flying.  Then you will have both the passion and some basic knowledge and experience.  You will know for sure that it is the thing for you.

You can go on from there.  You must spend about US $15,000 to acquire the training and certification that enables you to make a living flying.

At that point I recommend you start trying to get a foot in the door with some small air cargo company.  That is the quickest way to get some flight time in big heavy airplanes, and that is something the airlines will find impressive when they look at your logbook.

And also, be sure to complete your college degree.  Technical and scientific degrees are preferred, but any degree will qualify you with most companies, whereas no degree usually doesn't cut it.

They want to know you can finish what you start, follow procedures, and be respectful of the institution.

All of those things add up to a start on a career you can be proud of.  It will include many things that must be supported by your sheer love of flight.  It will be a long time before you will make good money.  But if you are talented and patient, you will make it.

And don't believe anybody who tells you you can learn anything about flying by using a computer flight simulator.  That is a waste of time, and may actually teach you some bad habits.  Flying an airplane is completely different from using a flight simulator.  Don't believe that answer!

Good luck!

Answer 7

you should go too:

http://www.beapilot.com

i want to be an airline pilot too. i hope i succeed!

Answer 8

If that is your dream, chase it!  Don't let ANYONE distract you from it, nor should you allow anyone the ability to make you feel bad about it.  I am 36 and recently had to stop training for medical reasons.  My reasons for not pursing my dream earlier (to fly) were similar to what worries you now.  My dad pretty much killed it for me when I was growing up.  He wanted me to be an engineer.   If I were 19 and with the knowledge I had, I'd be in the left seat instead of the desk seat.  Many schools I know cost a minimum of $60K USD. Perhaps you can come to the US and train? Many of the CFI's  I know came from abroad to train and earn ratings.  They do their CFI work to build hours and after a year or two get hired as a entry level commercial pilot.  Know what it take to be a pilot. If you are sure that's what you want, don't get discouraged.   You can't put a price tag on living your dreams! If it makes you feel any better, there are many female pilots.  My last flight instructor was a 20year woman was bound to fly commerical jets on day.  God willing, so will you.  Good Luck!

Answer 9

Save ur pennies, it is very expensive but u should definetly go 4 it.

Answer 10

The FAA has some great information on how to choose a school and what to look for when choosing a school.  (PS - Even if you are not in the US, there is a lot of good information here.)

http://www.faa.gov/education_research/.....

Once you've got that figured out, there is a whole heap more of information available through their web site starting with this stuff: http://www.faa.gov/pilots/training/

Answer 11

Check out sites like http://www.sportpilot.org/

Answer 12

These are more for the USA but should help and answer some questions for you

http://www.beapilot.com

http://www.flighttraining.aopa.org

http://eaa.org  click young eagles tab