Well, I'm sort of at a cross roads here in my school career. I could either go the: get my flight instructor rating and start teaching to build my hours OR the: get my multi-engine then go into an internship at American Airlines(Eagle) where after wards you have a guaranteed interview and possible job.

The thing that I can seem to really find out is how beneficial an internship is...Most guys go the flight instructor route and eventually...after logging many-a-hour, get the job with Joe-Bob airlines. I know nothing in life is quick and easy(besides ****) but the reality of the matter en-lies with the numbers. My professor(the one sponsoring the internship) explained it to me like this...Barely anyone applies. Those that do, USUALLY get it. The ones that usually get it, ALWAYS get an interview. The ones that always get an interview, USUALLY get a job.

Now for what it entails. It would be 3-4 months of wherever American would put me. It would most likely be unpaid because the paid ones are much more difficult to get. After doing the internship you have a guaranteed interview after you graduate. They also cut your hiring minimums in half.

Now to the negative. The baby is coming in February. I would be doing this in the fall. So that would leave the lady to the raising of the baby, for the most part, during this time, to herself. I would get a night job to supplement some income to send it home. I would also be living with my Uncle(if it were the Dallas internship).

Thoughts?

 

Do whatever you think is best for your family.

 

My interships got me where I am now. My friends that didn't do internships had a hard time finding a job. To each their own but I'd vote internship.

 

my advice is that if you need to solicit someone for advice, make it a professional and not miataturbo.net.

or had you forgotten what happened last time you asked us for advice?

 

If I remember, last time it went something like this:

Turbo_4: I'm about to have a baby and we have 0 money.
MT.NET: Emergency!! ABORT! ABORT!

 

no no, not that thread.

https://www.miataturbo.net/forum/t30118/

 

I would definitely suggest getting advice from within the pilot community, it's a lot more knowledgeable and close-knit, albeit very competitive at the moment too. That being said, I'm glad I stopped my flight training because everyone in my flight school's class that I would have graduated with are now either flight attendants, ground crew, etc. or not in the aviation field at all. Saved me a ton of money. I also have a very close friend who was in the same situation you are in late last year (different company), he went with the internship, did everything that was asked of him, and he's now a flight attendant for AirTran and he's still on the waiting list for a job simply because the economy sucks for hiring commercial pilots. He's been guaranteed a job, but he's also in a "pool" with other people who were guaranteed a job, and it's been over a year now.

 

What will your total time be after you get the multi-engine rating? How much PIC? How much turbine?

 

Total time around 350, PIC around 100 or so and no turbine...

 

That's a tough choice... Either way you go, be prepared to be broke for a while. I did the whole pilot thing, actually got a degree in it. I've got my commercial ticket , multi-engine and instrument ratings. I'm now a UNIX administrator...

I'll give you two pieces of advice:
1) Multi-engine turbine time with major air carrier for no pay >>> single-engine CFI (or CFII) time, plus you can always go back and do the CFI thing afterwards if it doesn't work out with AA. (I'm assuming that's what the internship entails)
2) Figure out something else that you like to do in case none of it pans out, aviation is a TOUGH career to get started in and can end very quickly at any time due to the job market, medical conditions or who knows what.

I hope I didn't sound too negative, I wish you the best of luck. It can be a truly awesome career...

-Todd

 

So wait what chick did you get pregnant?

 

Do the internship. It'll be a tough time but your wife will be able to deal with the kid. Increasing your socioeconomic status in the long run will benefit your kid far more than being over attentive for 3 months. Backed up by studies.

 

I have already decided to start another degree as soon as I finish my bachelors. I'm pretty set on a Food and Beverage management degree. All I need is about 12-14 more classes and I can get my associates in it. I have plenty enough kitchen experience + that degree and I will be set for when those pockets without a job come. Trust me, I'm already fully aware and trying to prepare for an unstable market.

 

I also just found an aviation forum, so hopefully I can get some good pointers from over there...I was asking in general about internships here...not really in particular.

 

Try to join the Chair Force as a pilot if you've got a degree, that's the way to be guaranteed a job with guaranteed flight hours and is a hell of a way to support your family at the same time.

 

No guarantee on flight hours in the Air Force. Drones are very quickly removing the need for pilots.

If you want to move into the food and beverage industry I am not sure if it is worth finishing up in your other program. Might want to just switch now and get it over with.

 

In a reality I want to get 3 degrees. I already have my associates, almost my bachelors and in case my aviation career goes down hill, I'll have a backup degree in whatever I choose.

 

Whatever you do, stay healthy. My flying career ended very quickly after I got injured.

 

Good for you... I wish I was that smart when I went down that path. Good thing I was a computer nerd when I was a kid.