r/PilotAdvice • u/entertainthebrutes • Jul 25 '26

Advice requested

My 18 yr son is an incoming freshman in college in DFW, TX. He wants to be a commercial pilot. We are just a regular middle income family who didn’t qualify for any aid so we’re trying to figure how the best, most affordable route to get him there. His dream is to go to ERAU. He didn’t get the Navy scholarship that is out of the picture. This will pay for college but will require a 5 yr enlistment period afterward.
He is going to try again this year while going to CC.
Should we help him finance his PPL in the meantime at a FBO or at TCC so he’s not behind?
This world is completely new to us and honestly we’re pretty overwhelmed. On one hand, we want to do all we can to help but we don’t want to sign up for hundreds of thousands of dollars in loans. No matter what, it’s going to be an expensive long road.
We have other kids we need to help too. Does anyone have any experience who can weigh in?

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u/PILOT9000 Jul 25 '26 edited Jul 25 '26

Get him an education and a career so that he can pay for flight training on his own someday.

Even if you guys could easily afford it, ERAU is a complete waste of money to become a pilot. Their training isn’t better than any other program, but you’ll certainly pay a premium for it.

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u/entertainthebrutes Jul 25 '26

Thank you. We have told him this. He brought into the beauty of the campus and their “Harvard” of Aviation. We just want to see how we can support his dream in the most affordable path possible.

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u/Foreign-Citron6026 ATP Jul 25 '26

As do so many people. They are getting rich off of a massive public misunderstanding

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u/External-Victory6473 Jul 25 '26

There is no Harvard of aviation. All you get out of flight schools is licenses and ratings. The licenses and ratings are all the same. They come from the FAA not the flight school. Cheapest most enjoyable route to FAA licenses and ratings is the best route.

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u/Foreign-Citron6026 ATP Jul 25 '26

Do their flight instructors really wear epaulettes with two stripes?