Are aviation loans a bad idea??

[@JD96893]

I've been thinking a lot about becoming a professional pilot and your videos/ebook guide are giving me a lot to think about. The CFIS route seems very appealing to me, I enjoy teaching.

[@pilotkaity]

If you like teaching then I recommend it!

[@melissamitchell3901]

Great information and perspectives. Thank you!

[@pilotkaity]

Glad it was helpful!

[@michaelpetersen9024]

Thanks for posting this! I was mulling this over in my head all day yesterday haha

[@pilotkaity]

I hope it helps! Where are you in your flight training process?

[@michaelpetersen9024]

@pilotkaity just starting out! I've tried out two schools via discovery flights and started ground school. If you don't mind me asking, how common are CFIS positions? And im assuming me working around a weekday 9 to 5 job would make me a less attractive candidate for those positions too.

[@CHGMANCHG]

You are better off being a United Airlines baggage handler than pursuing being a pilot. You will be struck paying back student debt your whole life.

[@TonyC2328]

Super awesome video! I was going to Spartan in Tulsa back in 2018 with the GI Bill from the Navy. The school wasn't adhering to their own practices, like flying us in a timely manner, so the VA said we had 3 days to pay on our own or quit lol I never even got to solo and I was there for 6 months! Now I'm 30, looking to get back in it. I'll consider the loan option after watching your vid, but not until I'm debt free and a loan would be all I have to worry about. Thanks for the effort you spent making this!

[@pilotkaity]

Wow that sounds like they took advantage of the GI bill that’s too bad

[@codymoser3829]

Even if you go to a big pilot school, it all depends on your specific CFI (certified flight instructor) teaching YOU. Which is luck of the draw if you don't already know a CFI there. That CFI could take forever, only being available a couple times a week, or they could be really motivated to fly everyday. You are going to run into weather delays, broke planes, sick instructors, etc. you name it. I like the advice here, she's not exactly encouraging people to take out a 120K loan at 15% interest rate. Everything in aviation takes longer and is more expensive than what you think. This is my experience. I think Part 61, mom and pop flight schools are superior. Either 141 or 61, switch instructors until you get a good instructor for you!

[@pilotkaity]

I completely agree with you! There are definitely some people who have to go the loan route and I totally understand that. I just want people to have as much info as they can to make that decision

[@thepilotnetwork]

Yeah but what flight schools will have light sport cfi jobs that won't take a year to build 100 hours or something like that, cause if I could know that would be great

[@codymoser3829]

@thepilotnetwork yeah I was learning to fly a light sport near me, but it was so light, got really bumpy in a smaller amount of wind. Also apparently there was only 1 DPE in a large area that would do the checkride in that light sport. The school shut down a few weeks ago... there was one plane to rent. It was fun while it lasted.

[@pilotkaity]

@@thepilotnetwork there are a lot of you start looking for them

[@CHGMANCHG]

Get your Aircraft Dispatcher, A&P Aircraft Mechanic, Remote Pilot and AGI/IGI Ground Instructor licenses. That will give you better options if you lose your job as a pilot.

[@pilotkaity]

Thanks for weighing in!

[@jeanpaulpeters2963]

If I may add some European perspective to this financial matter, the pros and cons are the same here. An integrated path training can get you fully qualified in 18 to 24 months but the cost ranges from 70,000 (cheapest flight schools) to 125,000€ (the Harvards and Stanfords of flight schools). And guess what, you get fresh out of flight school with only about 150 flight hours T_T (yes legal requirements are totally different to reach the right hand seat, here we don't have that 1,500-hour rule). Then you can go modular, i.e., you obtain your licenses gradually (starting with PPL, then time building, ATPL theory, IR-ME, A-UPRT, MCC) and pay for them as you go. Final price will be around 65,000-70,000€ but this will be spent gradually (yes "top" flight schools offering integrated training charge a huge premium for "organizing" and streamlining the candidate's training, since integrated training can be started with absolutely zero aviation experience). Modular can take up to 3-4 years and it usually allows to train on the side while keeping your job and financial income. The main argument in favor of integrated training is that it's faster and airlines have a better assurance of the candidates progression during the training since it was done with one single training provider. Arguments for modular include better financial affordability, higher autonomy displayed by the candidate and the possibility to train in different places. But one last thing that need to be mentioned, which I believe is specific to Europe, is that many candidates also choose to finance a self-sponsored type rating on top the money already paid (for instance Ryanair, the biggest European low-cost airline, asks for 30,000€ to be paid upfront to access B737 type rating with its approved training providers) to make themselves more marketable and be hired quickly, which is a total disgrace and as far as I know, it's not something pilots have to deal with on other parts of the world

[@pilotkaity]

This is very interesting to see how it works in other countries thank you for this!

[@LouisxSantiago_]

I got a loan for my ppl through my college and then used my gi bill for the rest!

[@pilotkaity]

That’s awesome

[@michael_viteritti]

Very great video, thanks for sharing. I think it’s important to be realistic and do the math also on a long term

[@pilotkaity]

Totally agree! I hear a lot of students that feel kinda jaded when they really get into aviation because they didn’t know any of this info

[@topofthegreen]

I would never take out a loan for flight training, the industry can change overnight and suddenly you have massive debt and no flying job, that and the pilot shortage is ending as many airlines have all the pilots they need, so the all flying jobs are hard to get right now, even CFI’s are having trouble getting jobs.

[@pilotkaity]

I tend to agree

[@abyteferi6570]

So once you get your light sport CFI you can build the 1500 towards your ATPL?

[@pilotkaity]

Yes. I mean any time you’re flying you’re building time. It’s all counts

[@TurtleDucki]

Kaity would know more about this than me but here’s my guess at a timeline… -You’ll get your Sport Pilot at like 30 to 40 hours flight time -Time build by flying to different airports to get close to 150 hours -Become a Light Sport Certified Flight Instructor at 150 hours flight time and use that to hopefully join a flight school with a student base where you can now build time thru instruction to 1500 hours -While instructing also save money to get your Private/Instrument/Commercial which should be quick since you’ll meet most of the time requirements anyways -Boom now you have 1500 hours and are qualified to get hired at a Regional Airline P.S. Kaity’s method of instructing in the Armed Forces after building time as a CFI-S is ingenious. If she hadn’t shared I wouldn’t have believed it. I used to think the Sport Pilot rating was useless!

[@abyteferi6570]

@@TurtleDucki love the break down thank you! Yeah she has definitely hacked the matrix

[@pilotkaity]

@@TurtleDucki this is correct! Thanks for the comment

[@LtColDaddy71]

Then you have CFI’s like me out in the middle of no where and can barely find enough students to keep my credentials. Just buy the gas. The 152 aero is set up to run automotive pump gas.

[@pilotkaity]

You may have to move to get a bigger student base if you live in a very rural area if that’s the main goal

[@Alberto1B]

Great video! Great explanation of XYZ flight school! I had not thought about it from that point of view. I have one question. As a heavier pilot (210lbs) with 100 hours, I mostly fly a C172. I flew a C150 and was not particularly comfortable. I like the light sport option you talk about but is there a different light sport airplane that I might feel more comfortable in?

[@pilotkaity]

They’re all pretty small you’re going to have to sit in them and possibly fly them to see what you can fly. Lots of guys your size fly light sports though so it shouldn’t be a huge problem

[@jessrico9079]

Your advice would be appreciated,, i have 2000hours,,1200 multi turbine, 500 single turbine time... Recently moved the US but need to redo some training from Icao to FAA, im estimating probably around 10k-15k,,,would you get a loan for that amount or rather pay out of a monthly salary that isnt too high

[@pilotkaity]

Are you saying you have enough margin to pay cash?

[@thepilotnetwork]

What school did you go to in florida because im currently doing the cfis route and at the school i wanna do it at there are no students who are doing that route. Anyway what school did u train at?

[@pilotkaity]

I don’t tend to endorse one specific school over another but there are 3 flight schools within an hour of Orlando that do light sport training. Check them all out and see if they’re hiring!

[@thepilotnetwork]

I understand the legal problems but can you like give me names of the flight school, or at least tell me what airport they are at. Thank you however as you are giving me hope for this light sport route

[@baileyflanagan3059]

I don't see the Ebook in bio...

[@pilotkaity]

Go to the Stan store link

[@QualityContentRick]

I was thinking of buying my own little airplane to get my hours up.

[@pilotkaity]

Not a bad idea!

[@CHGMANCHG]

Interest rates are worse than credit cards. You are better off being a United Airlines baggage handler and raising a family.

[@pilotkaity]

Eh idk about better being a baggage handler but it’s good to avoid the high interest rates

[@jonyq107]

No. It’s not worth it right now. The economy is about to collapse so the aviation industry will not be hiring

[@pilotkaity]

Let’s hope not but it definitely does have ups and downs!

[@CHGMANCHG]

UPS drivers end up making much more money because the tuition has skyrocketed. I would rather get my Aircraft Dispatcher, A&P, Remote Pilot, Radiotelephone and AGI/IGI Ground Instructor licenses as well as drivers/motorcycle license, and become a UPS driver.

[@pilotkaity]

Thanks for weighing in