Pan Am eh?
I'm going to ask you something here.
How much are you prepared to pay?
Expect the total sum to be around 75.000 dollars and even higher. no matter what is written in the school broschure...those "schools" have a knack of mysteriously increasing the cost of their programs...

If I were you, I'd apply to a college, preferably an aviation college (embry riddle comes to mind). Those flight schools like Pan Am, Gulfstream Academy, Delta Connection are awfully expensive, and chances are pretty big you'll end up with hundred thousands of dollars in debt, and a shattered dream.

Get your medical first, then start planning your life in aviation school, that's my advice.

The couple of colleges I looked at for aviation were

Purdue University in Indiana
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (Daytona Beach FL or in Prescott AZ)
Western Michigan
University of North Dakota

I ended up going to Embry-Riddle in AZ

I would recommend:

1. Going to an actual college.  You will want a back up plan, a minor or if your daring a double major.  An example, one of the instructors here at ERAU was out taxing to the runup area and he had an epileptic (sp?) seizure, I believe that ends his flying days. 

2. Take several lessons or at least earn your private pilots license before going to a full time flight school.  This will help you decide if you really want to do this as a job and usually if you go to a college with your PPL you'll end up saving money.  PPL courses at colleges are very expensive.

3. Start planning on how to pay for the expenses.  The only students here at ERAU that do not worry about costs are the ones driving new Mercedes and Corvettes.
(I'm not writing this as discouragement but, it has become an issue with my situation)

Well, depending upon where you are geographically, I recomment Central Washington University's flight officer program (which I'm currently in.)  There are pilots all over the airlines and even military who have graduated through our program.  Two of which come to mind, one I met was an Air Force pilot flying the F-117A Nighthawk at a local airshow (McChord AFB) and the other I had the pleasure to meet was Lcdr. Craig Olsen, Opposing Solo for the US Navy Blue Angels.  One of the original people who started Alaska Airlines was a CWU graduate also. 

All of my flight professors are absolutly WONDERFUL! One is a Lawyer/Engineer who was on the original team to design the Boeing 747, worked for British Airways, owned an FBO and a couple of Law firms... all of the professors have had at one point ATP ratings.  They are extremely friendly people, and always bending over backwards for students to succeed, and the FBO is also in a class of its own.  We've got a nice fleet of planes, about 5 C-152's, 3 2003 Piper Warriors III's for IFR, 2 2004 Arrows (plus 2 older ones) a 2004 Piper Seminole...  and all of which have complete IFR GPS suits. (Well, except the 152's) 

Anyway, I've already written too much. 

Aside from how much I like the flight program, I do recomend you go to a flying school that isn't only a flying school.  The nice thing here is that if I decide I don't want an aviation degree, I can do just about anything else I want, engineering, computer science, music, law enforcement, education... and not be stuck having to find a new place to go. 

Flight Tech dept. website.
http://www.cwu.edu/~flight/

FBO website
www.midstateaviation.net


Any questions, just E-mail me or PM me.

Hell, I'm 15, a sophomore, and enrolled in flight school at Wings airfield.  I'd encourage you to start now, it's alotta fun, one helluva stress reliever (most of the time) and sets you up for a future career in aviation.  Personally, I'm bound for the air force and then most likely a commercial career afterwards.  As for the flight colleges-If you plan on going straight into a commercial career (no military) then yea, it's probably a good idea.  HOWEVER, if something were to happen to you physically that would bar you from flying, you'd be f***ed basically.  So basically, what the other guys said, a standard college with a flight program is good.  Or so I've been told.  My parents would kill me if I didn't go to a standard college anyway (not to mention you kinda have to if you expect to fly in the af)

Quote:


Not saying your not going to make it or anything but the AF pilots are some of the worlds best and if you do join you must be almost perfect inlcuding grades and such...I was thinking about joining because it is almost free but then I heard about what it takes to be a AF pilot..so I am deciding on going to flight school right after graduating highschool in a 1year 7mo.

I say you should go to a college like ERAU and major in something that is pretty sure to get you a high paying job because in today's airline market you won't be able to get a job as an ATP unless you are the best. And that usually means rich parents that can pay for lots of flying time . But seriously, major in something that will get you a good job so if you can't be an ATP you are not stuck without a job.

Oh and BTW, I'm a pliot, not an airline pilot but an experienced pilot with many ratings.

Very much so! I just can't afford it . Why do you ask?