To become a pilot

It turns out that the FSDO was unaware of one Part 141 school in Kentucky other than EKU and ATP in Bowling Green.  I have already visited the FBO and I am very impressed with their professionalism and technology.  The FBO is even closer than Mt. Sterling!  Its in Lexington, which is better exposure to the airport environment, and best of all, they have a fast track program with succcessful graduates working as CFI’s.  Not only that, But I’ve investigated how well all this would work with being in the Army National Guard and it turns out that they not only work, but complement one another.  The plan looks so solid at this point that even one of my good friends that has also been shafted by Eastern’s flight school is considering seeing how well it works for me and following my lead. 

The FSDO said that you couldn’t change rotorcraft ratings to fixed wing ratings, BUT, those rotorcraft ratings show up as part of your total time or tt hours, regardless, and that’s what employers look for.  That means I will have a marketable number of hours sooner BECAUSE I am in the National Guard.

Now all it seems I need to do is check on my health, keep up my grades, health and PT and I need to work on something unexpectedly pleasant. 

I wouldn’t trade my experience with ROTC and the National Guard for anything, and I wouldn’t be doing what I am doing right now without the life skills they have taught me.  But at the same time, I lost part of myself when I gained those new skills.  At one time I could dance, act, draw, enjoy a person’s company, sit and watch a sunrise, savor poetry and play the drums, but ROTC has hardened my heart, made me a rather unsavorable person to be around and I’ve lost all those things and more.  And it turns out that in order to be a successful pilot, it doesn’t matter if you have 5000 hours tt, it mostly matters that another human can enjoy your company in and out of the cockpit for days at a time.

So I have a new challenge for myself, becoming a better, nicer, more enjoyable person is all tied into my life now, professionally and spiritually.  I look forward to exploring new interests, meeting new people and mending old friendships.

I’ve been fighting hard, I’m not giving up, I want to be a pilot.

 So I called the FSDO in Louisville and told them about the scam they were running at the Part 141 school I am at and asked if there were other options in Kentucky, they gave me the number of a possible 141 near Bowman Field:

Shut down.

That means there is no decent flight training to become an airline pilot in the State of Kentucky.  I never really believed that I would have to leave this place, like so many others, because there were no opportunities for me here.  It kind of saddens me, but I’m sure the Florida sun will help cheer me up

And I’ve talked all day with Florida National Guard Officer Strength Managers about officers slots, and the outlook seems good.

The bottom line is that moving to Florida and staying at a flight school is a sensible and realistic option now, and I will investigate it in depth while looking for other options.

But I will be a pilot.

The hard part is staying away from my family and Girlfriend of 6 years.  I feel terrible because I’m asking more of her than I should, but I KNOW that this is what I should be doing in my heart.  The question is, “to thine own self be true”? 

Just another small fish in the big ocean of flight training.  Maybe because I want to be a pilot it seems like EVERYONE else does also.  I’ve wanted to be a pilot since I was ten, and now I’m 22.  How far have I come? A long way, IN THE WRONG DIRECTION. 

I started by trying to get into either the Naval Academy or the US Airforce Academy, but I didn’t have the support, resources, knowledge, etc.  Then I figured I would investigate other ways to become a military pilot since I also wanted to be a soldier.

Four years of ROTC training and a lot of spent money later I’ve learned that, at least my Part 141 school is a scam and now I’m graduating, becoming a National Guard officer with a degree in Aerospace management and it seems I’m no closer to my goal of a life up where my head always is.

But I’m not giving up damnit, I–Want–To–Fly

.

So I’m looking into other options, and Part 141 schools at universities don’t look so hot anymore, although I’m sure there are some really nice ones.  There are this Part 61 schools like ATP, and Delta Connection and they look great!

A little too great.

Are they a scam?  Who am I going to ask the people here at this Part 141 school?

“Of course they are a scam!”

Or maybe I could ask some of their associates:

“We offer the safest, most affordable and expedient flight training.”

Hmm…. Where are some non-military retiree Airline Pilots when you need them? 

I know smartass, the airport…

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