Nope. It's ALL FREE!

As mentioned above, the www.Jetcareers.com site was created by a Delta Airlines pilot with the intent of educating aspiring airline pilots about the things they need to know.

BTW- the forums at FlightInfo.com are also quite helpful! So, I wouldn't say you were in the 'wrong' place. Both have many, many topics & posts about Jet University

If you are applying for a pilot certificate issued on the basis of a foreign license, you must have the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) that issued those certificates verify the validity and currency of the foreign license and medical certificate or endorsement before you apply for an FAA certificate or authorization.

Get more information here- http://www.faa.gov/licenses_certificates/airmen_certification/foreign_license_verification/

Or contact the

Federal Aviation Administration
Airmen Certification Branch, AFS-760
P.O. Box 25082
Oklahoma City, OK 73125-0082

The FAA Study Question bank is available online-
http://www.faa.gov/education_research/testing/airmen/test_questions/

These free sites also help you master the material:
http://4vfr.com/
http://www.exams4pilots.org


Not really. You need to have an instructor sign you off to take the knowledge exams.

You need to have it completed before you can take your flight test. The Private written consists of 60 multiple-choice questions on:

Airplanes and Aerodynamics
Airplane systems
Federal Aviation Regulations
Airports and airspace
Airplane performance
Aeromedical factors
Weather
Navigation
Cross-country flying

All you want to know about what is covered, test descriptions and the testing process can be found in the:
 PRIVATE PILOT KNOWLEDGE TEST GUIDE


The Airplane Flying Handbook & Airmans Information Manual are great places to start.

Yes, having a job and a house payment may make it more difficult to get flying but you can do it. Being a homeowner there are two things you can consider to fund your training: rent out a room or take out an equity loan and use the money to fund your flight training. Then your only problem will be finding the time. You will have to reprioritize OR take a vacation and do your PPL in the most condensed amount of time. That is how you will do it for the least cost!

Since you have no flying experience, you should really get several lessons under your belt to see if this is really what you want. There are so many people who have "always dreamt about becoming an airline pilot", yet the reality is often not what they thought it would be! Seriously. A pal of mine who was a mid-life career changer at 40 who invested 5 years and tens of thousand of dollars in flight training to become an airline pilot. Three years after they were hired, they quit as the job took all the fun out of flying for them. The low pay was also a factor as they had left a pretty comfortable living to pursue their "dream job". By the same token, there are others who did the same and are now very happy (if poor) first officers.

Perhaps a weekend at the Airline Training Orientation Program might be something you are interested in taking. The cost is about $500. ATOP offers any FAA certificated U.S. pilot with an interest in the airlines, especially those looking toward an airline career, a rare opportunity to experience the Continental Airlines Pilot Training Center and the FAR 121 training environment. Each participant learns the operation of all major systems on the B-737/800. One hour of B-737/800 "sim" time is log-able including two ILS approaches and two landings. Multi-engine and Instrument Ratings are not required! Student and Private Pilots are welcome. Read a student experience with the program here


Don't look at the Air Force as an option to become an airline pilot! Do it if you want to serve your country but don't think of it simply as a way to get "free flight training" so you can become an airline pilot. In all reality, it's not truly "free" and the openings for military aviators are fewer and more competitive than they have ever been! Even if you somehow manage to get accepted into the service as a pilot candidate, then you have to pass flight school you will be committed for a decade or more. You could also get killed in the line of duty.

In years past, the major airlines drew almost exclusively from former military pilots but that is not the case today. For several years now the airlines have been increasingly hiring pilots from a civilian background. According to statistics compiled from Air Inc, about 65% of new hires are civilian trained. This is partly the result of a smaller pool of military pilots (due to reduced pilot slots and increased commitment times) available to the airlines than in decades past, plus the increase in the number of civilian trained pilots with previous jet and airline experience. Almost all the regionals now fly jets, many that go higher or are more advanced than mainline aircraft. Additionally, most pilots looking to move onto a major carrier will have several times over the amount of flight experience as a military aviator because of their regional job.


The no BS version: If you decide to press ahead, you are just going to have to suck it up and plan on dropping at least $35-45K on this endeavor. I also wanted to do it the 'cheapest way' possible. Doing so cost me several years of airline seniority. I started flying at age 23 and didn't get hired until age 30 because I paid as I went. If I had to do it over again I would take out a loan and get it done! The sooner you have a seniority number, the sooner you progress in your career and the sooner you can get on with a major. The less time you have at the end of your career the less money you will make for retirement as the end of your career is when your pay scale is topped out. Don't penny pinch about $10-15K now when making the investment will earn you $150-190K/yr as a major airline captain at the top of the pay scale.

I suggest you visit the Career Changer forum at http://forums.jetcareers.com for more input on the determining "best" route for you.

Does your pal who went to Pinnacle have a serious case of "SJS"? You can get into this business for a lot less that what Jet U. charges. Oh boy...

"Check out the "Hot Topics" portion of the forum [at jetcareers.com] where you can read ad naseum about how professional pilots feel about "Jet U"." - Delta pilot Doug Taylor, webmaster http://www.jetcareers.com

I majored in aviation. It interested me at the time so that is what I went with. If I had to do it again, I think I'd change my major. Who knows, if I ever lose my medical, I am going to need something to fall back on.


It is not your college major the airline cares about. They prefer applicants with a degree as that implies the pilot has developed critical thinking ability, study skills and that they can apply themselves. Qualities that are good for a pilot to have!  Especially with all the study that you will have to do for aircraft systems, proficiency checks and recurrent ground schools.

A degree can mean the difference between getting called for an interview and not.

The regionals are pretty desperate these days so you will be able to get by with an Associates Degree or maybea H.S. diploma with some seriously high time in your log book (don't count on it though). If you ever want to work for a major airline you simply need a degree to be a "competitive" applicant.

You see, there are two kinds of hiring "minimums"  aka "mins":

• the airlines published minimum requirements
• the average qualifications of those that were hired

While anyone who meets the basic mins may get called for an interview, realistically most of those hired also meet the airlines unpublished competitive minimums. Airline prefer to hire the most qualified applicants, right? So competitive mins are basically an average of their new hires qualifications. At the regional airline level, the difference between the two is not much. At the major airline level it is huge! Major airline pilot applicants consistently have thousands of flight hours above the published minimums.
 
To see what pilot applicants have these days in terms of flight experience and education and who got hired, visit the http://www.aviationinterviews.com website and look under each airline you are interested in flying for to read candidate experiences.

Since you say you need a school where you can use your GI bill, I suggest finding a place to get your flight training and Associates degree out of the way. While an aviation degree is limited in its usefulness, you could get college credit for all your ground school making the degree seems a little less painful. San Juan College, affiliated with Mesa Airlines is a good option or check out this list for some schools.


Unless it is specifically related to aviation, I am not sure that it will make a difference to the HR board.

There are some messages about them at Jetcareers & Flightinfo that you can read over but most seem to think they are OK. Only one negative comment about their 'rising prices and training contracts'....

I have no personal experience with ATP but two F/O in my base were ATP Career Track grads and were both were very happy with their experiences. They started with zero flight time, became multi-engine instructors with ATP, got 500TT w/350 ME and 14 months later were hired as airline pilots. They paid $40K but I believe the program now runs $50K.

The ATP website has a forum for communicating with such grads, so you can go there and get the facts 'straight from the horses mouth'!

No personal experience but from what I have read it is just a school that capitalizes on Shiny Jet Syndrome.

Read many, many, many opinions about Jet University by doing a search for their name (enclose it with quotations for better results) here- http://forums.flightinfo.com
You will find that people have a lot to say and it can be summed up in two words: STAY AWAY.

Yes.
Having a DUI does not prohibit one from getting an FAA commercial pilot certificate.
Getting hired may be another matter. There have been those who were hired with a DUI. It just depends on how well your flight time stacks up against the other applicants as to whether it will really affect your chances. These days it seems like the regionals are hiring anyone with a pulse the "pilot shortage" is so bad, so if I were you I'd be pretty hopeful about my job chances!

I agree, Ebay is a great place to find deals. Marv Golden is also a good shop. My old Dave Clark headset was purchased there and is still in perfect working order after 15 years!

I recently went to Ebay and purchased a Bose Quiet Comfort 2 headset for less than half the retail of $300, then got myself a mic attatchment (Uflymike.com, it ONLY works with the QC2) to make it into a noise canceling headset. A really awesome set up! Especially when compared to the cost of a 'real' Bose noise canceling aviation headset at $1,000!

To be a competitive pilot candidate, you will need your degree. The regional airlines may settle for a 2 year (maybe less with an ATP and some serious flight experience behind you) but the major airlines and the corporate world are VERY competitive. A degree puts you on the same level as the other candidates.


1) Depends on your time line and obligation as a father. You could chose to do your training locally for cheap in your free time after work with a nearby school or flying club and still be near your son OR chose to get it all out of the way ASAP by going away for an "academy style" program. You need to make alist of options close to home plus a few fast track type options then go out and see what they have to offer. 
2) Nope.
3) Private Pilot. If you want a career, Sport Pilot is not the way to go.
4) Depends on your budget and your time frame. Part 61 may be more suitable to your family needs as well as budget while a "Career Track" program such as the one offered by ATP Flight School for $50K (which is one of the cheapest) may be what you want. I know 2 ATP grads who went from zero hours to airline pilot in 14 months.
5) As mentioned, get at least your associates. That will keep your resume out of the "circular file".

I was a career changer myself at age 30 and I cannot under estimate the sacrifices you and your family will have to make personally as well as financially to make this dream come true. You need to arm yourself with as much information as possible to make an informed career change choice.

To do so I suggest visiting the "career changer" message forums at http://www.jetcareers.com  Their boards also have many, many topics about schools all across the country. Additionally, check out my site http://www.pilotcareer.info & http://www.airlinepilotcentral.com

Good Luck.

Reserve your airplane now for the annual "Cross Country Caper & Poker Run" hosted by the Coyote Country chapter of the "Ninety-Nines"

This years event will be held Saturday, Sept 29th from 10:30am to 2:30pm, rain or shine.

Airports included in the Poker Run are: Fallbrook, Ramona, Gillespie, Hemet, Oceanside & the terminus is at French Valley Airport.

You can start at any airport. There you purchase the number of poker hands you would like to play at the event booth. (Purchase as many hands as you like!) You need only visit 5 of the 6 airports listed (one for each card in your hands), so pick your favorite destinations. Your last stop will be French Valley. Once you select your playing cards randomly from a big box, they will be noted on the poker form before the card itself is stapled on to it (so no cheating to get a better hand by switching cards!). You get one form for each poker hand you buy. The top 50 or so hands will be able to chose from a long list of prizes at the finish French Valley.

Planes must land at 5 airports to collect cards (one for each card per hand of poker) to be eligible for prizes at the finish. Cost is $4 per hand or $10 for 3 hands of poker.
 
Where do you buy your poker cards?

Fallbrook  @ transient ramp, Gillespie @ the termianl building, Hemet @ Hangar #1 Cafe, Oceanside @ the airport office, Ramona @ the transient ramp &  French Valley @ the terminal. Ground or UNICOM will provide progressives if need be.

Buy as many hands as you wish. The more hands you have, the better your chances to win prizes! The best hands of poker will pick their prizes at the finish of the race. There will also be a silent auction at the terminus.

This event is OPEN TO EVERYONE. All pilots and their non-pilot passengers who wish to participate in the Poker Run may purchase hands of poker and have a chance to win from dozens and dozens of great prizes!

http://coyotecountry99s.googlepages.com/

Yes, you need at least commercial pilot certificate to get paid. This is true no matter what you fly- from a Cessna 152 to a Boeing 747. A private certificate holder cannot receive compensation for flying per FAA regulations.

Re: "Professional"
The term is often used in job descriptions but means nothing in terms of FAA pilot certificates- and that is what they are although many still call them "licenses".

Re: Helicopters
I hope you have a VERY large sum of money saved up for this venture. Even the smallest rental helo like the R-22 runs about $175 per hour. I cannot imagine how much it would cost you to start your own helo business. Additionally, in all probability you will not be able to get insured as an owner operator with minimal experience.

I suggest you stop by Corporate Helicopters @ Montgomery Field. They can address your questions about helo training and I know they have hired on former students to do photo flights and tours. http://www.corporatehelicopters.com/

Here is another resource for you- "Pursuing a Career as a Professional Helicopter Pilot" here- http://www.flymidwest.com/ProPilot.html