A new Beginning

[DavidP-GA-509]

Todd,
Hello. my name is David Pomerantz and I am interested in becoming a pilot. It may sound corny, but since I saw Top Gun in high school I've always thought about it. Never too seriously though until now. I am 37 years old and I currently own a gymnastics center. Times are tough and I am looking for other opportunities to pursue.

I guess I have a lot of questions about becoming a pilot and what potential careers are out there at this time. I guess the most important question at this time is...IS THERE A MARKET FOR NEW PILOTS OR IS THE MARKET OVER-SATURATED? Then my follow up question would be...WHAT IS THE FIRST STEP IN BECOMING A PILOT?

I'm at step one in this process and would appreciate any guidance you could provide.

Thanks,
David

[SkyWest Todd]

Hello David,
I'm sorry to hear about the tough times with the Gymnastic Center. It appears that things are a little tighter than they were a year ago for everyone.
To be honest with you about aviation right now. Not many of the airlines are currently hiring. I do however believe there will be a pilot shortage in the next couple of years.
With the downsizing of everyones bank accounts, it has effected the airline industry as well but.... I don't believe people aren't going to go back in time and settle on riding a train, bus or horse if ya know what I mean.
With that being said, I do believe the future is bright but I can't tell you there are numerous jobs there now. One thing to remember is that the airlines aren't the only option for pilots.
There are other options out there from corporate to cargo to crop dusting to customs and other Law Enforcement activities.
To better stream line you, I'll need to know a little more info.
Do you have any aviation exposure? Flown with a buddy? Ever taken the controls of a small plane or gone up for an intro flight?
If not, you may want to go to your local airport and take an intro flight. It's about 30 minutes and typically costs about $50. That would at least let get a taste of it.
The cost for the licenses to go from zero flight time to commercial multi engine pilot / flight instructor can be found on the www.allatps.com website. We do have a great financial aid dept if that would be a need for you.
As for the first step: Do the intro flight if you haven't already, then you will want to work on your private pilot license. If you interested in a total career change, ATP has a program that will take you through the whole thing from zero to hero so to speak.
I hope that helps a little, if you have any further questions don't hesitate to ask. I'm here for you.
Talk to you later,
Todd