Mike's Career Change to Commercial Pilot
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For those of you that do not already know, my name is Mike Welch. I have lived in Phoenix, AZ all my life and have been driving a tow truck for the last 14+ years of that. At the age of 22, when I got into driving a tow truck, I did it in the needs of a job. At the time I started, I was going to school in the mornings and then working from noon till midnight. Just to get up at 6am and do it all over again. But at that time, I did not know what I wanted to do, so after earning an associate degree, I did not continue with school. Meanwhile, hating driving a tow truck. It was not until February 15, 2019 that I took a discovery flight and decided that I wanted to become a pilot.
Since then I have gone back to school where I have been working towards a Bachelor of Science in aeronautics at Embry Riddle Aeronautical University Worldwide. I am just over half way through, and I currently have a 4.0 gpa.
I have researched and toured several flight schools from going to Embry Riddle in Prescott, to ASU at Mesa Gateway, Aeroguard flight training at Deer Valley and ATP’s various locations around the valley. Both Embry Riddle’s and ASU’s programs are fulltime for 4 years and I just cannot be without a job for 4 years. I still have a house payment, truck payment, utilities, etc. Aeroguard’s and ATP’s programs are about 10 months and I have been able to save up the money I need in order to pay my bills for that time.
If you are unfamiliar with how flight training works, it is based off from several different ratings. The ratings are private pilot, instrument, multi engine, commercial single engine, commercial multi engine, certified flight instructor or CFI, CFI with instrument or CFII, and then finally multi engine instructor or MEI. Both Aeroguard and ATP will get me all the way to MEI.
I have accumulated about 60 flight hours so far but do not have my private pilots license. It was not due to a lack of skills. It was a lack of knowledge. Flight training is broken down into flight training where you learn the skills and ground training where you learn the knowledge. When I would go in for a ground, the instructors would be like “so, what do you want to work on?” I have no idea. I need more of a classroom setting. I need a lesson plan. I need structure. I have concluded that Aeroguard would be the best fit and set me up in the best way to succeed. Since I already have about 60 flight hours, the cost of Aeroguard is about $80,000. ATP has a cost of roughly the same and they do not reduce the cost based on my previous flight hours like Aeroguard does.
On to the exceedingly more difficult part. I have been attempting to find funding to pay for flight training but have found it extremely difficult. Even though the earning potential for a pilot is really good, the financing options are extremely limited. Flight training is viewed more of as a trade school by lending institutions rather than a college. That means that federal student loan options are also not available. I have looked into tapping into equity in my home but used up a majority of the equity 2 years ago when I installed solar and the Tesla Powerwalls. That was before I knew I wanted to go to flight school. Otherwise, unfortunately, that would have given me what I needed. Aeroguard has two options. Wells Fargo and Fort Morgan. Talking with both Aeroguard and ATP, Wells Fargo is not lending for flight training due to COVID. That, and well, Wells Fargo sucks. They are not even telling me they are not lending. They are just coming with different reasons that they cannot approve me. It changes every time I talk to them. That leaves Fort Morgan. But they have an aggregate of student loan debt. And because I was not smart with student loans when earning my associate degree, I cannot get what I need from Fort Morgan. So, between what I can get from Fort Morgan and the remaining equity in my home, I am left with being short of half the tuition of about $40,000.
The last resort is to go to ATP. They work with Sallie Mae and do not have an aggregate. Unfortunately, Sallie Mae does not work with Aeroguard. I do not feel as though ATP has a structure that gives me the best chance to succeed like Aeroguard does. That is why I am trying absolutely everything I can to attend Aeroguard. I have started a Go Fund Me in the hopes of getting help. I would totally be willing to take the loans and have no problem with paying them back. But the problem that institutions will not lend is a big one. I also do not have friends or family with the means or ability to lend me that kind of money.
Watching channels such as 74Gear, the first aviation channel I subscribed to, Mike Patey and Trent Palmer have all fueled my passion and desire to pursue this career path. Be sure to check out their channels. I will put links to them in the description.
So, if you can help out, that’d be more than awesome. If you can’t help but want to, giving a like to my videos and subscribing to my channel also helps a little and it does not cost you anything.
Thank you for taking the time to listen and in the words of Mike Patey, Back to Work!
Since then I have gone back to school where I have been working towards a Bachelor of Science in aeronautics at Embry Riddle Aeronautical University Worldwide. I am just over half way through, and I currently have a 4.0 gpa.
I have researched and toured several flight schools from going to Embry Riddle in Prescott, to ASU at Mesa Gateway, Aeroguard flight training at Deer Valley and ATP’s various locations around the valley. Both Embry Riddle’s and ASU’s programs are fulltime for 4 years and I just cannot be without a job for 4 years. I still have a house payment, truck payment, utilities, etc. Aeroguard’s and ATP’s programs are about 10 months and I have been able to save up the money I need in order to pay my bills for that time.
If you are unfamiliar with how flight training works, it is based off from several different ratings. The ratings are private pilot, instrument, multi engine, commercial single engine, commercial multi engine, certified flight instructor or CFI, CFI with instrument or CFII, and then finally multi engine instructor or MEI. Both Aeroguard and ATP will get me all the way to MEI.
I have accumulated about 60 flight hours so far but do not have my private pilots license. It was not due to a lack of skills. It was a lack of knowledge. Flight training is broken down into flight training where you learn the skills and ground training where you learn the knowledge. When I would go in for a ground, the instructors would be like “so, what do you want to work on?” I have no idea. I need more of a classroom setting. I need a lesson plan. I need structure. I have concluded that Aeroguard would be the best fit and set me up in the best way to succeed. Since I already have about 60 flight hours, the cost of Aeroguard is about $80,000. ATP has a cost of roughly the same and they do not reduce the cost based on my previous flight hours like Aeroguard does.
On to the exceedingly more difficult part. I have been attempting to find funding to pay for flight training but have found it extremely difficult. Even though the earning potential for a pilot is really good, the financing options are extremely limited. Flight training is viewed more of as a trade school by lending institutions rather than a college. That means that federal student loan options are also not available. I have looked into tapping into equity in my home but used up a majority of the equity 2 years ago when I installed solar and the Tesla Powerwalls. That was before I knew I wanted to go to flight school. Otherwise, unfortunately, that would have given me what I needed. Aeroguard has two options. Wells Fargo and Fort Morgan. Talking with both Aeroguard and ATP, Wells Fargo is not lending for flight training due to COVID. That, and well, Wells Fargo sucks. They are not even telling me they are not lending. They are just coming with different reasons that they cannot approve me. It changes every time I talk to them. That leaves Fort Morgan. But they have an aggregate of student loan debt. And because I was not smart with student loans when earning my associate degree, I cannot get what I need from Fort Morgan. So, between what I can get from Fort Morgan and the remaining equity in my home, I am left with being short of half the tuition of about $40,000.
The last resort is to go to ATP. They work with Sallie Mae and do not have an aggregate. Unfortunately, Sallie Mae does not work with Aeroguard. I do not feel as though ATP has a structure that gives me the best chance to succeed like Aeroguard does. That is why I am trying absolutely everything I can to attend Aeroguard. I have started a Go Fund Me in the hopes of getting help. I would totally be willing to take the loans and have no problem with paying them back. But the problem that institutions will not lend is a big one. I also do not have friends or family with the means or ability to lend me that kind of money.
Watching channels such as 74Gear, the first aviation channel I subscribed to, Mike Patey and Trent Palmer have all fueled my passion and desire to pursue this career path. Be sure to check out their channels. I will put links to them in the description.
So, if you can help out, that’d be more than awesome. If you can’t help but want to, giving a like to my videos and subscribing to my channel also helps a little and it does not cost you anything.
Thank you for taking the time to listen and in the words of Mike Patey, Back to Work!
Organizer
Mike Welch
Organizer
Phoenix, AZ