im checking into many options, i think what i am probably going to end up doing is starting my training up here, maybe going all the way to commercial/CFI and then after i have completed that, going down to florida for an airline first officer transition/prep school.
Locally there are not many options, in buffalo there is prior aviation, dunkirk aviation and a flight school in batavia, also there is 1 in rochester but that might be farther than you want to travel.
A different option is jamestown community college offers a 2 year associates degree in professional piloting. the neat thing about the program is you dont actually have to travel to jamestown to fly, you do all of your flying at either prior or dunkirk for example. that might be a good option because it might be easier to get financial aid etc.. since you are technically enrolled in a college
i think this it the website for jamestown community college
www.jcc.edu (im just going from memory. search around on that site for the pilot info, or call them up and ask to speak to rick ruprecht (spelling?) anyways he is the coordinator of the problem and he gave me a lot of infor over the phone if you have any questions
after i get my commercial/cfi i believe i would have somewhere around 220 total hours, then i would transfer to a school like forida regional airline academy. they have a 9 week program to take low time pilots with commercial rating up to the training needed to be eligiable for a first officer job interview with a regional airline. i am going to be in florida at the end of march and while i am there i am going to try to check into the school.
i think the website for the school is
www.raaflightschools.com it also seems like a decent deal, i would like to do a fast paced program the entire time, but i cant go away for a whole year/afford it because it becomes very expensive
well i hope this helps and if i think of any other info ill let you know