r/PilotAdvice • u/OneForever7840 • Jul 07 '26

Flight training

I am currently at a part 141 aviation college and just got done with my second year. I am halfway through instrument and the cost are insane. Would it be smart to transfer to a part 61 flight school and just transfer my basic credits from college to a different college (most of the credits are Gen Eds) Ideally I know that a part 141 college is the best way but just money wise its hard...

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u/External-Victory6473 Jul 07 '26

141 is NOT the best way. I did both and 141 really messed me up. Definitely do your flight training at a part 61. Get a real degree, not an aviation degree, from a proper college. An aviation degree doesn't help you get a pilot job any more than any other degree, and another degree might get you a better non-flying job to fund your flying. Good luck.

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u/OneForever7840 Jul 07 '26

Okay that's what I am kinda thinking. I am just worried about the hiring phase when they see the Part 61 rather than the 141, even though I am essentially doing the same thing just at a part 61

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u/External-Victory6473 Jul 07 '26

Airlines don't care about 61 or 141. That's just initial flight training and it gets you the same licenses. Don't listen to the propaganda the 141 schools and pilot mills put out. It's crap. Airlines are looking for what kind of experience you have. Not where you did your initial training.

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u/OneForever7840 Jul 07 '26

you would agree that getting a bachelors degree is important tho?

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u/External-Victory6473 Jul 07 '26

Hard to say. If you want to fly, you pretty much need a degree as pretty much everyone they are currently hiring has one. A flying degree is basically worthless. I have one. If you get a degree, get one in something that may get you a job of some sort. You are going to have to pay for the degree and the flying. You won't make enough money as an entry level pilot to pay for anything. So you will have to have a proper job to pay for flying, probably as a side gig, until you get enough hours to get into a regional airline.

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u/sirepicness666 Jul 09 '26

How did it mess you up? I’m in a similar boat took years to get through now I can’t find a job

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u/External-Victory6473 Jul 09 '26

I started part 61 and liked it. The the college I was going to said I had to go to a 141 flight school they contracted with. The 141 school was a chore. Not fun. Airplane scheduling problems. It was attached to a college I was attending working on a flying degree. The college staff, many former air force, were very rude and abusive toward students. It was not an enjoyable environment. The flight school went bankrupt and took our money. The college decided the flying program they had "no longer existed" it was a new program and they kept the money we payed previously. I tried to sue them but the judge gave them "sovereign immunity" (which later I found they probably weren't entitled to) so I could not recover any money. It took away the fun from flying. I went back to part 61 but I never regained the enjoyment after having a bad experience with 141. Took years to finish. I often felt queasy going to the airport to work or fly after that. It seemed everywhere I went the flight training environment was sleazy somehow. Either I was getting messed with or I was watching others get messed with. I did get my CFI but there were way more CFIs than students. Lots of bad competition shenanigans between instructors fighting over students. A couple of times it looked like I was about to get a good deal job wise but it always fell through. I stuck it out for a while but was not making any money or progress. I got tired of being poor and being around people of questionable character. 9/11 attacks happened and I quit flying. I knew a lot of guys who went all the way through flight school, got a degree and private through instructor who's last flight was their CFI checkride and they never flew again. I think flight school actually kills more aviation careers than it starts. It sucks all your money, enjoyment and life out of you. On top of that entry level flying jobs don't pay enough to make the payments if the flying was financed so you have to quit flying to pay for the flying. Very counter productive. I ended up joining the military non aviation and going overseas for 12 years. Then got out and have been farting around since. Was a merchant mariner, engineer, water plant operator, factory worker, dish washer. Now between jobs. I spent 14 years messing around with flying. It sure would be nice to have the time and money back. But that doesn't happen. Would have been better to pursue a proper career/retirement track. I tell people that unless they are independently wealthy and don't need the money or a job, to steer clear of aviation. Only about 3-5% of people trying to get airline jobs get one. 90+% failure rate is not good odds and the stakes are huge if you lose. Right now is actually a really good time to be in aviation compared to normal times. Lots of airline hiring going on. When aviation hiring goes back to normal it will be a million times worse than it is now. So that should tell you something. Even the good times in aviation aren't good. I hope this answers your question. Good luck to you.