Flight training

[-]

Canadian47@reddit

The military is one option. How old is your son?

Reply

[-]

SLW1977@reddit (OP)

He will be 18 this year. No military interest sadly. My dad was a veteran

Reply

[-]

Then I say this very respectfully. At 17-18 HE needs to be asking these questions. If he is going to be responsible for an aircraft and its passengers he should (possibly with your assistance) be researching and figuring out his options.

Reply

[-]

SLW1977@reddit (OP)

I agree. And normally that’s what I’d do. However, he does have a medical concern that may not even allow this to be possible. We are waiting for a consult appt or the category 1 medical to be done - whichever the Dr advises before he takes our $ - so I’m just helping gather all the information first as he is having a hard time with the fact he may not be able to do this medically. I’m being supportive. Thank you.

Reply

[-]

Canadian47@reddit

Getting a Cat 1 medical first would be a good step no matter what it cost. Transport Canada has been more "difficult" to deal with in the past few years. Good luck.

Reply

[-]

aboutwhat8@reddit

Military aviation is still his cheapest option. Another option is you could let him live at home for free, keep carrying his bills, and he could work & use his whole paycheck to get flight training etc. Stateside, we have part 141 flight schools that can sometimes get student loans.

Reply

[-]

Cougarb@reddit

The degree parts adds a lot of cost for minimal value. He is better off getting diploma in a trade first. Serves as a backup if he can’t get a job or looses his medical. And still “checks the box” of having education outside of flight school. The trade background is the only reason I landed my first job flying

Reply

[-]

SLW1977@reddit (OP)

He’s not really interested in a trade unfortunately. He watched his older brother struggle with crappy employers and trying to find anyone actually willing to apprentice him and the back log of trying to get the school blocks done he now thinks no thanks

Reply

[-]

Cougarb@reddit

The degree parts adds a lot of cost for minimal value. He is better off getting diploma in a trade first. Serves as a backup if he can’t get a job or looses his medical. And still “checks the box” of having education outside of flight school. The aviation industry is no better. In fact, I’d say harder having experienced both. They are very similar. You’re not going to get a job applying on indeed. If he’s afraid to spend a month, 9-5 job searching, walking into doors and meeting people. He’ll likely be in the same spot as his brother once he’s finished school. (Anecdotally) id say a new grad unemployment rate is around 50% for more than 2 years. It’s about grit in this industry and a lot of “if you don’t ask, you won’t get”

Reply

[-]

flywithRossonero@reddit

I completed my flight training in Quebec last year. Cost me 90k and finished with no job opportunities. I’ve been working to pay for my instructor rating (another 20k) to get my first job. I have over 60k in debt with no career prospects for atleast another 2-3 years if I manager to get by. I think in todays economic climate your son would be looking at over 120k just to complete everything. Please make sure he understands the struggle he’s in for. Flight schools in Canada these days sell a dream that was true post covid for hiring, the reality today is very different. If you have any questions feel free to send me a message

Reply

[-]

SLW1977@reddit (OP)

Are you in Ontario? Is it really that hard to get a job here? Wow. It seemed the jobs were plentiful maybe just in the US

Reply

[-]

spkgsam@reddit

For pilot jobs, Canada acts like one giant market, and yes, it is very difficult to find a job at the moment for low hour pilots, and no, jobs are definitely not plentiful in the US either. Aviation is always very cyclical, and after the mass hiring of 2022-2024, we are for sure diving into a low for the foreseeable future. That said, no one can predict what it will be like in a few years, if/when your son finishes his licence. If you’re under the impression that going through a university program will make him significantly more employable as a pilot in the future, that is simply a lie told by the schools, and definitely not worth the premium unless you value the degree.

Reply

[-]

SLW1977@reddit (OP)

Thank you … I’m not under any impression a degree will make him more employable… and I’ve shared that with him… it’s what he’s chosen he’d like to do… he’s not interested in getting a trade or joining the military… which has also been proposed by me

Reply

[-]

flywithRossonero@reddit

Still in Quebec, but can confirm Canada wide the market for fresh 200 hour multi IFR pilots is very bad. He’ll 100% have to move for either a ramp to flight job up north which could take 2-5 years of shitty working conditions or become an instructor

Reply

[-]

VeterinarianLow5559@reddit

Ontarian here... I pay for my flight training while doing a six figure full time job. I don't fly much during the winter, accumulate that money for summer/spring. LLP withdrawal from RRSP also helps... So far I'm cashflow positive every month, done with PPL, night rating, CPL, working on IFR... I won't recommend getting into a debt for flight training...it's not worth it financially My recommendation would be to have 30K in bank account while working full time (assuming 3000$ after tax), and keep a burn rate of 1500$ per month from savings (ie full time job + 1500 from bank) Keep doing it for 2 years, your son will be able to get PPL+CPL+Night rating+ instructor rating... Then start working as an instructor and pay for IFR/multi IFR while instructing He'd be a first officer at a regional around 4-5 yr mark with zero debt with this strategy..

Reply

[-]

spkgsam@reddit

Rich parents, subsidized programs, military, or massive loans. Those are the options for becoming a pilot in Canada, sounds like you’re going down the loans route, many have done it successfully, but his first 10 years or so as a pilot is going to suck. How sure are you that this is what he wants? There’s a pretty high failure/washout rate at every stage.

Reply

[-]

MEINSHNAKE@reddit

It sucks, most people nowadays just get the loan and hope to get to a job where they can pay it back in a reasonable amount of time, which isn’t easy. I was super fortunate that my parents gave up a bunch when I was young to get my private license privately over the course of a couple years, then I worked and went to university, only returning to flying when that was all done and paid off. At that point I paid cash for my commercial, multi, ifr and instructor rating. Took about 5 years to be making enough that I would have been able to start making a dent in any student loans had I needed to take them out.

Reply

[-]

waveslikemoses@reddit

If it isn’t loans, then it’s working as much as possible to save up the cash, or having parents that are well off tbh. I used to fly once a week because that’s realistically all I could afford since prices are so high, then I thankfully switched to somewhere much, much cheaper. I’m based in the USA tho.

Reply

[-]

rFlyingTower@reddit

This is a copy of the original post body for posterity: --- I’m in Ontario Canada and my son wants to be a pilot. How on earth does anyone pay for flight school?? He wants to go to university where the cost is separate and not a subsidized program up north like Sault or Thunder Bay… any tips appreciated… I can’t wrap my head a loan this size even… --- Please downvote this comment until it collapses. Questions about this comment? [Please see this wiki post before contacting the mods](https://www.reddit.com/r/flying/wiki/index/rflyingtower/). --- I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. If you have any questions, please [contact the mods of this subreddit](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose?to=/r/flying).

Reply

Reply to Post

19 Comments

Canadian47@reddit

SLW1977@reddit (OP)

Canadian47@reddit

SLW1977@reddit (OP)

Canadian47@reddit

aboutwhat8@reddit

Cougarb@reddit

SLW1977@reddit (OP)

Cougarb@reddit

flywithRossonero@reddit

SLW1977@reddit (OP)

spkgsam@reddit

SLW1977@reddit (OP)

flywithRossonero@reddit

VeterinarianLow5559@reddit

spkgsam@reddit

MEINSHNAKE@reddit

waveslikemoses@reddit

rFlyingTower@reddit