What is the best way to become an airline pilot? Do I join the USAF or get a college degree or both?

Question

What is the best way to become an airline pilot? Do I join the USAF or get a college degree or both?

Answer 1

First thing, go to your local airport and take a few introductory flight lessons and get a feel for what it is like to fly a small aircraft. If you decide to keep going you have a few options.

The military (for the most part) requires a four year college degree to be accepted as a pilot candidate. I believe you can get flight training in the Army as a Warrant Officer without a degree, but don't quote me on that. Additionally there is no guarentee that if you join the military that you will be selected to go to flight school.

Beyond that, the most cost effective way is to do your training at your local airport and work on your degree at a local public institution. Schools like Embry Riddle are fine schools, but the cost versus benefit doesn't warrant attending those schools in my opinion.

There are dedicated full-time flight academies - such as Delta Connection Academy, Flight Safety Academy or all ATPs, where you can do all of your training relatively quickly, usually in a year or so. From there you could, depending on how the job market looks, go right into a large regional airline and find yourself flying an Embraer or Canadair RJ.

Most regional airlines do no care about college degrees and I know many guys flying for them who have no college education. But most majors require, or strongly prefer, a four year degree.

You could do this - go to a full time flight academy that has a partnership with a community college. You complete the program with all of your required flight training as well as an associates degree. Try and get hired by a regional airline and then look at doing a distance learning program to finish your bachelors degree while working for the regional.

Answer 2

Do not go to one of those overpriced aviation universities.  You still need a college degree to go military.  Go to the cheapest college near you to save money, as this is a very expensive career choice.  Go to your local airport and get all your ratings.

When you go to college, do not get a degree in something like "Aviation Science".  Airlines don't care what you get it in, so get it in something useful so you have a backup career just in case.

Answer 3

The best thing to do it go to Embry Riddle down in Daytona Beach....get a 4yr degree.  My father is a pilot, my sister-in-law and her husband both are commercial airline pilots. They all went to Riddle.

Answer 4

justto be sure, i would say both

Answer 5

You don't become a pilot in the USAF without a college degree.