Flying straight away, or continue my degree?
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Join Date: Sep 2016
Location: Kuala Lumpur / Wichita
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Flying straight away, or continue my degree?
Hello everyone!
I am new here, and I'm in a bit of a struggle about my future.
My situation is as follows; My parents want me to pursue a degree. I have already been accepted to a top aviation university(Wichita State) in the USA as a transfer student for Aeronautical Engineering. As grateful as I am for that, I have completely lost all my motivation and passion for it, as I have stubbornly fixated myself on becoming a pilot. Although some say that it is always best to have a backup before stepping into the volatile industry of aviation, I feel like I would be wasting my parents' hard earned money as I will not be doing my best or even trying hard in this degree. What do you guys think about this? I am also worried that if I do my degree first, I will no longer have any funding to do flight training in the future.
Another option for me, if I can convince my parents, is to attend a flight school in the USA, which can offer the PPL, CPL, ME, IR, CFI,CFII, and MEI qualifications, as well as a position as a flight instructor afterwards until I reach 1500 hours. These programmes range from about $40000-$60000 for the whole course. Several places offer this, like Aerocadet(Which does theirs through Aviator College) and Flying Academy. However, they only issue FAA or EASA certifications. With those licenses, and the 1500 hours experience, would any airlines want to hire me, as a foreigner? I know that for Malaysia(where I'm from), the license conversion requirements are quite difficult and costly to obtain, so I would have to work overseas. What do you guys think this path- could it be a better idea than pursuing training in Malaysia, where the cost is higher and I only earn about 200 hours?
Thanks a lot guys, can't wait to hear what you gotta say about this!
Dan
I am new here, and I'm in a bit of a struggle about my future.
My situation is as follows; My parents want me to pursue a degree. I have already been accepted to a top aviation university(Wichita State) in the USA as a transfer student for Aeronautical Engineering. As grateful as I am for that, I have completely lost all my motivation and passion for it, as I have stubbornly fixated myself on becoming a pilot. Although some say that it is always best to have a backup before stepping into the volatile industry of aviation, I feel like I would be wasting my parents' hard earned money as I will not be doing my best or even trying hard in this degree. What do you guys think about this? I am also worried that if I do my degree first, I will no longer have any funding to do flight training in the future.
Another option for me, if I can convince my parents, is to attend a flight school in the USA, which can offer the PPL, CPL, ME, IR, CFI,CFII, and MEI qualifications, as well as a position as a flight instructor afterwards until I reach 1500 hours. These programmes range from about $40000-$60000 for the whole course. Several places offer this, like Aerocadet(Which does theirs through Aviator College) and Flying Academy. However, they only issue FAA or EASA certifications. With those licenses, and the 1500 hours experience, would any airlines want to hire me, as a foreigner? I know that for Malaysia(where I'm from), the license conversion requirements are quite difficult and costly to obtain, so I would have to work overseas. What do you guys think this path- could it be a better idea than pursuing training in Malaysia, where the cost is higher and I only earn about 200 hours?
Thanks a lot guys, can't wait to hear what you gotta say about this!
Dan
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: White Waltham, Prestwick & Calgary
Age: 72
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Looked at cynically, if they need a bum on a seat, it won't matter where you're from as long as the paperwork is right. The FAA and EASA exams will take you round the world, with a law exam here and there so I wouldn't restrict yourself to Malaysia at all - that's what aviation is all about! 
Phil
Phil
Just a thought from a casual observer: if you get FAA tickets will you be able to live/work in the USA (or is that even your ultimate goal ?) ? Getting the legal ability to work here seems to be an implacable obstacle even for very experienced pilots.
Best of luck in your decision.
Best of luck in your decision.
