Looking for some input...

[Ataylor]

There have been plenty of similar threads but I was hoping someone would be willing to weigh in here.

 

I'm currently about halfway done with a geology degree from a well respected university but have become rather disenchanted with my current path for a variety of reasons and will likely pursue something else. I originally became a geology major due to a strong passion for the outdoors and a visceral reaction to the idea of being stuck in a cubicle 9-5. As I've tried to brainstorm potential other career paths I thought about what things I dreamed of doing as a kid. Among other ideas I always thought flying helicopters for SAR, EMS, firefighting (etc..) would be awesome. For whatever reason I never considered this out of high school when thinking about careers/jobs. Am I crazy to even consider this an option now given the current state of the industry?

 

As I've read up and thought about this some I made a pro/con list.

 

Pros:

 

Young- I'm 20 now.

Money to start training. Would have a little over half the training cost covered when starting.

Mechanically inclined.

Calculated risk taker. Not sure if that should be a pro or con. I routinely participate in high risk sports and feel like I'm a good judge of my abilities in potentially harmful situations so I put it as a pro.

 

Cons:

 

Money-Would likely end up with some sort of loan.

No degree.

Potentially no job.

 

What was it that finally made you decide to start training or look into it on a more serious level?

 

Sorry for a bit of a long winded post on an often covered topic and thanks for any input you have.

[ADRidge]

I'd wait, to be honest. You're in college, you've made some headway there. From someone who did what you're thinking of doing, I can tell you this: I've been out of school for three years trying to do this helicopter thing. It's been the most fun I could ever THINK of having. I've met some of my best friends and only met one real scumbag. Luckily I only lost 180 bucks when that school closed.

 

Anyway, the job situation for up and coming helicopter pilots is hard. Very hard. I'm not saying it's not possible to get a job, but as for me I'm going back and finishing my degree. Get your degree, and then pursue flight training. That way you have some type of backup plan if you should lose your medical/run out of money for training/get sick of it/whatever.

 

That being said, you seem like the right type of person for this helicopter thing. Go out and take a demo ride at a local flight school. It'll make your decision that much harder!

Edited December 18, 2009 by ADRidge

[kodoz]

Finish your degree, pursue a career there in parallel. It could get you through a slump in the industry, and it's a nice-to-have if you lose your medical or get laid off. Years ago I was thinking pretty much what you were. I would have ditched grad school and that career path if I'd had the money to start flying. As things worked out, having that career has made it easier to afford, and a bit less stressful to ride out being an unemployed CFI with debt and no job prospects.

 

This is a particularly bad time for trying to get into helicopters. Even in good times though, flight training is about the only way to go from 200-1200 hours. Only about 1 in 5 students who get their CFI will get hired by their school, so all those other guys have to find somewhere else to go. If you do this, have a plan for getting to 1200 hours if you are one of those 4.

[clay]

What part of the country are u in? Networking is key in this job market. Meet as many pilots as you can and maybe start hanging around airports in your free time. As far as MY opinion on the whole degree thing, do what you want. None of us know how you truly feel towards your current college path. I know when I tried the whole college thing, it was great at first. But wasn't where i truly wanted to be. I gave up on that and took a dive into helicopters. I love it, and have never looked back or regreted anything. And there are jobs. Just harder to find now. No one has started shredding and disposing of helicopters in the last year or two (except maybe R22's). If you have a passion for helicopters, that's where you should be. If you just kinda like em and think it would be fun, stick with what your doing and work on helicopters on the side.

[adam32]

If you have a passion for helicopters, that's where you should be. If you just kinda like em and think it would be fun, stick with what your doing and work on helicopters on the side.

 

Thats good advice. And dont ever buy one! Then you will go from liking them A LOT to hating them A LOT!!

[Inferno]

You sound a lot like me. I was 2 years into an Economics degree from one of the top universities in the country before I realized I hated it.

 

A year and a half later (a year after starting flying helicopters) and I couldn't be happier with my choice. Every day is a new adventure, and the people I've met have been amazing. Good luck with whatever your choice is. When it all comes down to it though, do what makes you happy. Theres no point working 8 hours a day being miserable (even if the money is good)...

 

Oh, and on the career choices out of high school, I agree. I just never occurred to me either. For what i spent in that 2 years of college, I could have paid my way to 300 hours. Oh well, live and let live.

[Lindsey]

You sound a lot like me. I was 2 years into an Economics degree from one of the top universities in the country before I realized I hated it.

 

A year and a half later (a year after starting flying helicopters) and I couldn't be happier with my choice. Every day is a new adventure, and the people I've met have been amazing. Good luck with whatever your choice is. When it all comes down to it though, do what makes you happy. Theres no point working 8 hours a day being miserable (even if the money is good)...

 

Oh, and on the career choices out of high school, I agree. I just never occurred to me either. For what i spent in that 2 years of college, I could have paid my way to 300 hours. Oh well, live and let live.

 

Wow - there's a few of us on here, it seems. I have a similar story - 2 years into an Econ degree from one of the top colleges in the country before I realized I hated it. Transferred to another school, am subsequently graduating a year early and am finally realizing "the dream" that I'd let slip - that of flying helos.

 

That said...a degree is useful. But it doesn't have to be from one of the top colleges. Look into other options, perhaps going to a cheaper school and doing lessons on the side.

 

And Inferno...same. The money I spent on my first two years would have paid for over 300 hours...in a Schweizer.

 

I suppose we learned our lesson!

[Inferno]

Lindsey: Ya, we learned it... Painfully. Lol.

[spil]

I´m actually the same situation. I´m studying and flying side by side.

 

Get your degree as backup, I think it´s all the time a good idea to get educated in different directions.

Try to start flying, the progress of getting hours will be slower, but at the end you can decide between two ways ... flying as work ... or flying for fun!

 

Greetings

Edited December 27, 2009 by spil

[Ataylor]

What part of the country are u in?

 

Right now I go to school in the northwest. My family lives in Texas. If I were to start training I would move to wherever I thought the best fit school was.

 

When it all comes down to it though, do what makes you happy. Theres no point working 8 hours a day being miserable (even if the money is good)...

 

Couldnt agree more which is a major part of why Im considering this. Seems like a lot of people end up working jobs that make them unhappy just for a big paycheck.

 

That said...a degree is useful. But it doesn't have to be from one of the top colleges. Look into other options, perhaps going to a cheaper school and doing lessons on the side.

 

Good point and probably something I should look into.

 

For now I'll probably end up taking some time off from school so I can sort through all my options without spending more money. Should be plenty of time to work in a demo ride at some point. Maybe I'll run into some of you in the future...

[rick1128]

I´m actually in preatty the same situation. I´m studying and flying side by side.

 

Get your degree as backup, I think it´s all the time a good idea to get educated in different directions.

Try to start flying, the progress of getting hours will be slower, but at the end you can decide between two ways ... flying as work ... or flying for fun!

 

Greetings

 

Good advice Spil. I did the my training and my first jobs while still in college. I got a degree in Business. I have always had flying jobs, but my degree has gotten me position I would never have had, if I didn't have a degree.

 

In the FW world, a degree has been a highly desirable thing. Employers can not require it for a flying job, but it will put someone further ahead in the pack. Mostly it is proof that one is trainable. As helicopters become more complex, I believe that this desirably will more into the RW world.

 

Just food for thought.

[Goldy]

If you want to be a pilot, you will have to learn to take and pass many written tests. I have only one word of advice for young men and women who want to learn to fly, but have no financial resources to do it.

 

Unscramble the word below. If by some small chance you are able to unscramble the word, and you are 18 years of age, YOU COULD QUALIFY !!

 

YMILITAR

 

 

Good luck,

 

Goldy

[mechanic]

Goldy what does a "Ray Limit" have to do with anything???

[Lindsey]

Goldy what does a "Ray Limit" have to do with anything???

 

Ahahahaha mech, oh man I laughed at that one. :lol:

[Goldy]

Goldy what does a "Ray Limit" have to do with anything???

 

I knew someone would figure it out. Careful or you'll be working cyphers in DC.

[teddy]

IMO read aviation books in your free time

[Ataylor]

What are peoples thoughts on switching schools part way through training?

 

I could potentially move back to Texas and finish my degree for considerably less money relatively quickly. While doing this I could start training in Texas at the same time and get the basics down. If I did all my training in Texas I would end up with no mountain/altitude experience which doesn't appeal to me. I could finish my degree and move to a different helicopter school then.

 

Would I be better off waiting and doing all my training through one school? I imagine if you switch you would at least want to switch to a school training in the same helicopter?

[apiaguy]

switch schools... doesn't matter

switch helicopters... doesn't matter

switch to flatlands... doesn't matter

 

Only thing that will matter is if you can get a job as a CFI and the above will have little to do with it.

[heligirl03]

A BA/BS in Geology and RW qualifications could be a pretty valuable combination, especially if you are interested at ALL in utility-related flying (meaning arctic or seismic). I'm a CFII in Seattle with a previous BS. Feel free to PM, as I am happy to share my experience, etc. Halfway is a good chunk and worth completing regardless, although the value of the name on the degree is always debatable

 

HG03

[Lindsey]

Right now I go to school in the northwest.

 

Okay, now I'm really curious. I go to UW - Tacoma. I transferred here from Reed College in Portland, OR. Look up the price tag differences and you'll see why.

[Pohi]

The schools that you may go to does matter, to a small amount.

 

Not that it is a super big deal or anything, but it does mean a wee bit.

 

Swapping schools every two months may look like a bad thing, or staying with one school might look like a better thing.

 

It is not that uncommon for a student to go to two or three different schools through the training, life has its little way of throwing curve balls in the mix. What matters is the quality of knowledge and the retention of that knowledge once the training is complete.

[Lindsey]

The schools that you may go to does matter, to a small amount.

 

Not that it is a super big deal or anything, but it does mean a wee bit.

 

Swapping schools every two months may look like a bad thing, or staying with one school might look like a better thing.

 

It is not that uncommon for a student to go to two or three different schools through the training, life has its little way of throwing curve balls in the mix. What matters is the quality of knowledge and the retention of that knowledge once the training is complete.

 

There is a HUGE difference between "swapping schools every two months" and swapping schools two years into your four year degree. I'm not saying that you're saying that, but still. I'm so, so much happier at this school than I was at my last one, and to finish out at the last one would have just been simply stupid for my situation. Sometimes transferring IS the right, best, and smartest thing you can possibly do.

 

Ask anyone - Reed's academic reputation is much better than UW's for the same majors. But that was not going to be the reason I stayed for another two years. You don't want to ignore that fact, but you cannot let it drive every decision you make.

[Ataylor]

A BA/BS in Geology and RW qualifications could be a pretty valuable combination, especially if you are interested at ALL in utility-related flying (meaning arctic or seismic). I'm a CFII in Seattle with a previous BS. Feel free to PM, as I am happy to share my experience, etc. Halfway is a good chunk and worth completing regardless, although the value of the name on the degree is always debatable

 

HG03

 

I had thought about that combination. I couldn't decide how relevant the overlap was other than that I would be able to relate to the people I was flying. I'll most likely end up with a BS in GIS or geography and a minor in geology. Probably send you a pm in the next day or two when I get a chance.

 

What matters is the quality of knowledge and the retention of that knowledge once the training is complete.

 

Thats what I thought and agree with but at the same time I would think that a school is far more likely to hire someone who they have worked with for some time and have a good idea of who they really are. Cant imagine it would be too big of an issue if I did my private and instrument ratings at one school and commercial/instructor at another or some variation of that?

 

 

Lindsey, I was referring to switching helicopter schools part way through training not universities. Can see how that might have been a bit confusing post.