New to the Site and have questions about financing...

[Gabe1996]

Hello All! This is my first time posting, so if you guys can fill in more information, I'll be glad. (:

 

So my name is Gabe and I am 18 years old. So I've been wanting to become a helicopter pilot for quite some time. In fact I wanted to join the Air Force branch but then reconsidered joining as a Commercial Helicopter Pilot. This is the career job I'm most likely going to jump into the working world, but at this moment... I'm wondering how would I be able to pay the $50k for training? I've heard that if you join the Air Force, you dont have to pay that amount because they will for you. I also looked into financial Aid, but people have said it's something that most people struggled to pay off.

 

If you guys may, add anything else.

 

Thank you!

[eagle5]

You can whore yourself out to a thousand fat chicks for 50 bucks a piece...! giggity

[UgleeBarnacle]

Hi Gabe,

 

The answers you're looking for has been posted throughout these forums time and again. But, I can't fault you for trying to learn. Just make sure to do your research before posting, you'll likely find what you're looking for.

 

With regards to flying in the military: Don't do it because of "free flight training." Put flying out of your mind for a moment and ask yourself if you want to serve in the military (not FLY in the military, SERVE in the military). The military is a path where you should want to be there for the right reasons, and if you're considering it simply because they have something you want, that's not the right reason. Gotta dig deep if you're considering that path.

 

On the civilian side of things, no two pilots have had the same career path, so you'll never follow another's footsteps exactly, but feel free to take a page out of their book. How to go about raising your training money?

-Start saving now

-Go to college, get a job, save

-Play the lottery

-Save

-Loans (you heard correct about paying them off)

-Save

 

I myself am a sophomore in college, and working towards a business degree. Some of the older guys on these forums pointed me in this direction a few years ago with the reasoning that I could work in a non-flying job and save money towards flying. Additionally, a degree is an amazing investment to have in your back pocket whether or not it is related to flying. Take it from somebody who is at the same point in their journey as you are: if you are on the fence about going to college, go to college. You'll increase your earning potential ($$ for flight training) and have a backup plan in case you decide to transition out of a career in flying.

[Hombre]

If you have not yet flown in a helo then an orientation flight should probably be the first thing on your list (you'd be surprised how many people want to be helo pilots without having actually flown...). Then maybe consider taking a few flight lessons to see if you have any aptitude for it whatsoever (One of my students did not have any hand-eye-foot coordination at all, and another could not get passed the fear of a normal take-off).

 

Assuming that's all good, the Army has a program for non-college grads. Unless I'm mistaken, the other branches require you to have a 4-year degree. While the military will train you to fly "for free," it's kind of hard to recommend that path if all you want to do is fly. You would be a soldier first, a Warrant Officer second, and a pilot third, and all that that implies. In no way should that be taken as discouragement, but an understanding that any path you choose requires significant research.

 

If your parents are willing to help pay for college, ask if they'll pay for this instead. And, of course, keep living with your parents, get a job or three, stop hanging out with your friends when you could be working, stop spending money on things you want but don't need, and instead save every dime you make.

[Azhigher]

How to pay for training?

 

Step 1: See how much the school you want to attend thinks it'll take to finish all the way through CFII

Step 2: Add at least $15k on to that.

Step 3: Either save up that much or take out a giant loan.

Step 4: ???????

Step 5: Congrats, you're a helicopter pilot!

 

Seriously though, financial aid isn't really a thing for flight school. You're on the hook for it. You can always go military but as was already posted here, if you go in just for free flight training you're gonna have a bad time.

[bentstrider83]

I'm basically in the same boat as you are and am doing the only thing I can do at this point.
Work my job as a truck driver and save up whatever bulk of money I can.

I've thought long and hard about the Army WOFT program myself.
But after an experience in JROTC in high school and a stint in the California Conservation Corps, I knew that wouldn't work out too well.

So here I am.

[Flying Pig]

You based joining the military off of the CCC and JROTC?

[SBuzzkill]

Joining is great but it's a long commitment with less flying than you would imagine.

[bentstrider83]

You based joining the military off of the CCC and JROTC?

I'm just saying that if I couldn't handle those things for any lengthy amount of time, the consequences of failing in the actual armed forces weren't worth it.

 

 

[Goldy]

Doesnt matter if you fly in the military or not! VA will pay for all your flight training once you get out. So fly if you can yes......but if you can't just join up for 4-6 years and then it's paid for. You would never save $50K in 5 years anyway.

[bentstrider83]

Doesnt matter if you fly in the military or not! VA will pay for all your flight training once you get out. So fly if you can yes......but if you can't just join up for 4-6 years and then it's paid for. You would never save $50K in 5 years anyway.

Don't know if this is directed towards myself, but I'll chime in again anyways.

 

I'm driving trucks right now and could see myself at least getting the private licensing out of the way first.

With only a pickup truck payment I'm making gargantuan payments on due to getting a lemon vehicle the first time around, I still have enough to cover some sort of outside training/schooling.

Apart from that, no family of my own to worry about and I'm just putting away any extra money that piles up.

 

That and even if I don't make the cut as a warrant officer and get into their flight training(I'm 31 with nothing else going on), I also don't find ending up as a "door kicker" an appealing thing this late in life.

 

Not to mention I'm kind of a loner as well and the whole "brotherhood" thing would get on my nerves after not too long.

No disrespect/bad blood to the current and retired military types out there, but this idea has been handed to me ad-nauseam and I'm just not interested in going that route.

 

So yeah, I'd rather just focus on the job I have right now, get and stay in shape for the helicopter training and leave it at that.