Expert: D. Norkus - 7/14/2007

Question
hi, my name is jr and i was thinking about being a pilot. i am 15 and would like to know if there are scholarships to get into a good flight school or a flight school period. If there is how do i prepare my self. and i need some good tips on getting started. Thanks

Answer
1)"i am 15 and would like to know if there are scholarships to get into a good flight school or a flight school period."

Most flight scholarships are one time grants ($1,00-$5,000) that only cover a fraction of the cost of flight training or attending a aviation university (which can top $100,000 for a school like Embry Riddle) for your academic and flight training over 4 years. You will not find one grant or award that will pay your entire way through.

Your best bet for grants for aviation university students can be found here- http://www.avscholars.com

Here is another listing I created of smaller one time flight training grants for students looking for funding- http://www.geocities.com/av8trxx99/page2.html

Most flight students must take out substantial loans to fund their training whether it be via a flight school, flying club or aviation university. Sources for that funding  include:

http://www.avscholars.com/AvScholars/Channels/Pay_for_Flight_Training/av_scholar...
http://www.aopa.org/info/certified/funds.html
http://flighttraining.aopa.org/learntofly/financing/
http://www.salliemae.com


2)"If there is how do i prepare my self? i need some good tips on getting started."

Familiarize yourself with ALL the career related information you can find to get the "big picture" of what being an airline pilot is really all about!!! What many romanticize it to be (pay included) is often not what it is actually like.

I suggest throughly going through the info presented at these links, then get back to me with any further specific questions you may have:

http://www.jetcareers.com

and my own page- http://www.pilotcareer.info

At page bottom there are several other career related links you should also check out including the career info link for the Air Line Pilots Association. Visiting these links should get you started with the basics. Addressing such frequently asked questions like yours about "preparing yourself" and how to "get started" via this forums is very limited, so I created my site to help answer all the most common need to know points. Once you have familiarized yourself with the basics, it is then easier to address any further narrowed, specific queries you may have.

Hope this helps "get you started",

Dottie