Father of an Aspiring Female Pilot

M

Mottorpop

Filing Flight Plan
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Feb 4, 2024
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Uncle William
Good day everyone,

As the title suggests, my daughter (now 18 years old) has developed an interest in being a pilot (especially in the range of search and rescue). I find myself suddenly learning much about aviation, airplanes, and especially the mathematical end of things as I help her learn to make needed calculations. I enjoy many topics and themes, so this has become another one where I am even collecting aviation memes and comics (something I do on many topics).

Anyway, I am coming up with questions I cannot answer, so I found a forum. Sometimes forums become a home, sometimes they become a resource. I am curious which way this one will go. It certainly seems my daughter may have a long time in aviation, so I might stick around here too.
 
Welcome, and best of luck to your daughter!

I'd start your research in the Medical Topics forum, with an eye towards making sure she can pass the appropriate Medical before spending money on flight training. There are a number of very common prescription drugs which could end up being a significant hurdle, if they were ever prescribed for her. Also, her road to professional aviation will be much, much cheaper and simpler if she never, ever has a DUI. Not that there aren't plenty of other great reasons to never have one, but the FAA is particularly intolerant of drinking and driving.
 
What’s the question(s)?

The only advice I have is for her not to go into debt while chasing the dream. On the pro side, you’re always one medical application away from being unqualified.

Whether hobby or pro, if sweating the details, constantly learning (and retaining) new skills and information, and making critical decisions without all the information available, all while seeking to exceed the standards doesn’t sound interesting, flying may not he the right thing.
 
Find a local 99’s chapter…
www.ninety-nines.org

The Ninety-Nines, Inc., International Organization of Women...

The Ninety-Nines, Inc(R), International Organization of Women Pilots(R) is a non-profit organization established in 1929 and still going strong today.
www.ninety-nines.org www.ninety-nines.org
I know it was helpful in my daughter’s quest to be in Aviation.
 
GaryM said:
Welcome, and best of luck to your daughter!

I'd start your research in the Medical Topics forum, with an eye towards making sure she can pass the appropriate Medical before spending money on flight training. There are a number of very common prescription drugs which could end up being a significant hurdle, if they were ever prescribed for her. Also, her road to professional aviation will be much, much cheaper and simpler if she never, ever has a DUI. Not that there aren't plenty of other great reasons to never have one, but the FAA is particularly intolerant of drinking and driving.
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What GaryM said above.

A buddy of mine has a son that's showing the same interest. I also had the "dad conversation" with him. Pass along that advice. There are a couple years left of peer pressure ahead of her that will push her towards bad choices, and she's going to have to decide if being cool outweighs flying. It's her first lesson in being in command and it isn't always easy.
 
At 18, is she still in high school? College? Regardless, encourage her to attend college and get her bachelor's at a minimum. Some aviation jobs will require a degree; none prohibit having one. It will give her more options and provide a fallback if a flying career doesn't pan out.

The advice about a medical (above) is sound and very important. Spend a while reading POA's medical forum and you'll see why. Do not spend a bunch of money on pilot training until you know she can pass a medical, and do not get the medical exam until you know she can pass (if there's anything the least bit doubtful, have a consultation with an AME before doing the actual exam).

So - being a loving and generous father, what kind of airplane do you plan to buy for her? ;)
 
Lots of suggestions to sift through. So I'll add a few. Start early in life. Seems like she has a good start there. As said don;t go into debt. Learn to live frugally and be a gypsy. If she has the desire to help people and is of that personality. By all means look into the Coast Guard. Doesn't get much better than that for people who like search and rescue.
 
By some stroke of luck, does she happen to have a rich cattle baron uncle who owns a ranch out west and flies his own Cessna 310 and does lots of search-&-rescue type flights and could teach her to fly after you send her to live with him?


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Mottorpop said:
Good day everyone,

As the title suggests, my daughter (now 18 years old) has developed an interest in being a pilot (especially in the range of search and rescue). I find myself suddenly learning much about aviation, airplanes, and especially the mathematical end of things as I help her learn to make needed calculations. I enjoy many topics and themes, so this has become another one where I am even collecting aviation memes and comics (something I do on many topics).

Anyway, I am coming up with questions I cannot answer, so I found a forum. Sometimes forums become a home, sometimes they become a resource. I am curious which way this one will go. It certainly seems my daughter may have a long time in aviation, so I might stick around here too.
Click to expand...
Search and rescue…is she specifically interested in rotor wing? If so, I’d highly encourage her to look into the military. Helicopters are expensive. Being a female will certainly help in regard to getting where she wants as aviation slots are very competitive and women make up a small percentage of candidates. A few other random thoughts:

#1 Get a four year degree, ideally in a STEM related area that is marketable if flying doesn’t pan out for whatever reason. Most jobs want to see the initiative needed to obtain a degree. Do it as cheap and fast as possible.

#2 Avoid (most) aviation schools. The cost of flight training is absurdly expensive at the fancy ERAU. If she does go the military route, getting a private pilot airplane certificate will be helpful; she’ll be trained the rest of the way from there. A local flight school is fine for that. As far as university aviation programs: regardless of your opinions Liberty Univerity from a theological perspective, they have probably one of the best run and reasonably priced aviation flight training programs. They also apparently partner with a billion 141 flight schools so if she is dead set on an aviation degree program she can do the training remotely.

#3 avoid debt. The aviation business is cyclical. It’s gang busters right now but might not be the case 5-10 years from now. Carrying $100k of student loan debt is a really bad idea for anyone, but especially so in aviation.

#4 Be ready to move to where the job is. I hope she doesn’t have strong ties to where she is now. There are limited jobs and they are where they are. No teleworking in the aviation biz.

#5 Develop related skills. If she’s not the college type, she may want to consider becoming an aviation mechanic. An A&P is a huge leg up to a small operator if she’s looking for non traditional aviation work. If it’s S&R, law enforcement, military, Fire/EMS are helpful (note: specific EMS training such as EMT and paramedic paradoxically offer very little value as HEMS operators generally don’t want pilots involved in the treatment side of the operation). If she wants to do aerial spraying, some ag background is helpful.

#6 She needs to talk to others in the field she’s in. Go to airports, wander into hangars. Folks in the business generally love talking to the youngins. Ask about their career path. Ask about the job and the operators- who’s good, who’s bad. They’ll tell her what it’s really like. They’ll know who’s employing, and who to hand a resume to to. Email, social media, etc. is great but at the end of the day it’s personal connections.

Good luck!
 
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Mottorpop said:
my daughter (now 18 years old) has developed an interest in being a pilot (especially in the range of search and rescue).
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Just to throw out there, SAR is a specialized niche in the industry with more of a lean to the rotorcraft side. However, given the reduction in the current enlistment recruitment numbers for the armed services, she may want to look into the opportunities offered by the Coast Guard and Air Force for these type flying positions. Good luck.

EDIT: Better?
 
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If there is an EAA Chapter near you, inquire about a Ray Scholarship. They provide $10000 toward a Private Pilot Certificate. My Chapter has sponsored four young people so far and they now have their certificates. One female is now flying Helos for the US Army and a second young lady is now in college pursuing both a STEM Degree and additional ratings.
 
The military can solve all of those problems (flight training, college education, debt free). But she must be prepared to kill, and die, for her country. The vast majority of citizens don’t have the moxie for that.
 
Brad Z said:
...If she does go the military route, getting a private pilot airplane will be helpful;...
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Just to clarify for @Mottorpop , this is referring to a private pilot airplane certificate (a type of pilot's license), not necessarily buying an airplane.
 
In addition to the 99s, there’s also the Women in Aviation wai.org
 
Half Fast said:
1 - Why do you feel the need to have a gender-identifying screen name?
2 - If he had said “son” instead of “daughter” would you have asked the same questions?
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Why do you think princess is gender identifying?
 
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Bell206 said:
Just to throw out there, SAR is a specialized niche in the industry with more of a lean to the rotorcraft side. However, given the reduction in the current enlistment numbers for the armed services, she may want to look into the opportunities offered by the Coast Guard and Air Force for these type flying positions. Good luck.
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You can fly (be a pilot) in the army without being an officer with the Warrant Officer program, but you can’t fly in the USAF without a degree & becoming an officer. In either case, enlisting isn’t the path.
 
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The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) has a wealth of info on becoming a pilot whether it be for recreation or a career: https://aopa.org/training-and-safety/learn-to-fly Also if you can swing it, I highly recommend attending EAA's AirVenture annual fly-in convention in Oshkosh WI, July 22-28 https://www.eaa.org/airventure or to Sun-n-Fun in Lakeland FL, April 9-14, https://flysnf.org/. AirVenture is by far the larger of the 2 events, but you can learn about all aspects of aviation at either event.
 
Half Fast said:
1 - Why do you feel the need to have a gender-identifying screen name?
2 - If he had said “son” instead of “daughter” would you have asked the same questions?
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While I appreciate the irony of princess pilot making the post, I also think that the father of an 18-year-old planning to learn everything about aviation so that he can help his adult daughter do her homework is quite helicopter parentish. Pun intended.
 
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EvilEagle said:
You can fly (be a pilot) in the army without being an officer with the Warrant Officer program, but you can’t fly in the USAF without a degree & becoming an officer. In either case, enlisting isn’t the path.
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Agreed - although it is the normal path for Army WOCS helicopter flight school candidates. I would have done it myself if I had good enough eyesight.

Then again, if I had good enough eyesight, I would have pursued a Navy commission and flight school to begin with.
 
EvilEagle said:
You can fly (be a pilot) in the army without being an officer with the Warrant Officer program, but you can’t fly in the USAF without a degree & becoming an officer. In either case, enlisting isn’t the path.
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Not necessarily. Often times, enlisting is the path. For a Warrant Officer in the Army, while it doesn’t require a degree, the days of “high school to flight school” were 50 years ago. The WO selection is generally competing with E5/E6 and even E7, now WO1.

I joined the Army to fly helicopters. I initially enlisted as a Crew Chief, got my degree, then went on to flight school, albeit as an RLO. Retired after 26 years as a LTC. The Army paid for all of my RW flight training, and paid for undergrad and graduate degree. Now I fly jets for a living. I’d say it worked out pretty good.
 
Half Fast said:
At 18, is she still in high school? College? Regardless, encourage her to attend college and get her bachelor's at a minimum. Some aviation jobs will require a degree; none prohibit having one. It will give her more options and provide a fallback if a flying career doesn't pan out.

The advice about a medical (above) is sound and very important. Spend a while reading POA's medical forum and you'll see why. Do not spend a bunch of money on pilot training until you know she can pass a medical, and do not get the medical exam until you know she can pass (if there's anything the least bit doubtful, have a consultation with an AME before doing the actual exam).

So - being a loving and generous father, what kind of airplane do you plan to buy for her? ;)
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I would like to get her a stunt plane coming off the show circuit ... well ... I can dream can't I?
 
Lindberg said:
While I appreciate the irony of princess pilot making the post, I also think that the father of an 18-year-old planning to learn everything about aviation so that he can help his adult daughter do her homework is quite helicopter parentish. Pun intended.
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Oh, I dunno - maybe, maybe not. Don't know details and the circumstance.

At 18, she may still be a high school senior. Coaching a kid with homework or checking homework isn't that terribly unusual and doesn't really rise to the level of helo parenting. And I can see how doing so might create an interest in learning more about aviation. It doesn't sound like he's making all her life decisions for her.
 
kep5niner said:
Not necessarily. Often times, enlisting is the path. For a Warrant Officer in the Army, while it doesn’t require a degree, the days of “high school to flight school” were 50 years ago. The WO selection is generally competing with E5/E6 and even E7, now WO1.

I joined the Army to fly helicopters. I initially enlisted as a Crew Chief, got my degree, then went on to flight school, albeit as an RLO. Retired after 26 years as a LTC. The Army paid for all of my RW flight training, and paid for undergrad and graduate degree. Now I fly jets for a living. I’d say it worked out pretty good.
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I actually enlisted in the Army not with the intention of flying helicopters, but at the time I had two years of college, and I intended on pursuing a direct commissioning program where I could get a commission (as an RCO) and complete the next two years of college on their time. Others have done it. I think if I would have chose any other MOS than Infantry I might have stuck it out, but you know as well as anyone else, at some point you get too old for that s***t. I completed my four year active duty stint as an E5, and actually did about six months more of active duty while I was on reserve status as a volunteer instructor at a reserve training center in Wisconsin. I ran a land navigation course.

I did have a pretty healthy college fund, and was able to get my UG mechanical engineering degree completed under that, and later a masters in civil engineering. Started as a staff engineer for a utility, then went to work for an international consulting firm. Ended up in a partnership with a startup CE consulting firm and I'm still there.

I've always been interested in aviation, but my eyesight didn't play well with military requirements. I since had Lasik surgery and improved my eyesight to 20/15 (still stands today) and had a project in Napa, right next to the Napa County airport. I decided to go in one lunch time to check it out, ended up in a plane on my first lesson, and well, and it progressed from there.
 
The fact that a father is trying to understand aviation and the process is ultimately a wonderful thing. It was easy for me and my daughter because I had a military background and even though I had a couple of GA aircraft I was clueless on the civilian side how certification worked. Anyone who seems to have issue probably has no kids or rather than be a father, they are just a sperm donor…it’s far from being a helicopter parent.
 
kep5niner said:
Not necessarily. Often times, enlisting is the path. For a Warrant Officer in the Army, while it doesn’t require a degree, the days of “high school to flight school” were 50 years ago. The WO selection is generally competing with E5/E6 and even E7, now WO1.

I joined the Army to fly helicopters. I initially enlisted as a Crew Chief, got my degree, then went on to flight school, albeit as an RLO. Retired after 26 years as a LTC. The Army paid for all of my RW flight training, and paid for undergrad and graduate degree. Now I fly jets for a living. I’d say it worked out pretty good.
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Fair enough. I wasn’t Army so I’m just passing on second hand knowledge from friends; you obviously have a better idea of the Army path.

Similarly, the path to get hired in an ANG unit has changed. 20 years ago everyone said you had to enlist, get to know the pilots, etc. That path can still work but VERY rarely. Now it’s get a competitive package together before graduation and hit the rush circuit to get hired ASAP after college.

Active duty hasn’t changed other than I’d say it’s easier to get a fighter on AD than getting hired at a fighter ANG unit these days.
 
Post Vietnam, even at the height of High School to flight school with the Army Warrant Officer program you might have one or two per class…The pool was always from active duty enlisted in my experience…spent five years as a Warrant so have a little background, then the Army learned my parents were married so I had to accept a regular commission.
 
1 - second the advice to reach out to 99's.
2 - Just based on age only, if she's ever been on adhd or any other medication, read a LOT on here and other places before doing anything wrt a medical. Even if not, get a consult first. Some decisions or paths with the medical have incredibly long term consequences, and they're not always obvious.
3 - Just based on age and being cautious, suggest she have a backup set of skills or two, like a business or engineering degree and an ability to weld. Perhaps being paranoid/cautious with that one.
 
Lindberg said:
While I appreciate the irony of princess pilot making the post, I also think that the father of an 18-year-old planning to learn everything about aviation so that he can help his adult daughter do her homework is quite helicopter parentish. Pun intended.
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While I actually appreciate the pun, I guess I will make it plain that I am on here wrangling with the legal side of things.
I am new here so I cannot post a link, but you can see one of our issues in my first forum question 'Question on Needing Photo Identification' under the 'training' sub-forum.
A decision on aviation, the interest in search and rescue, etc. are hers.

Thanks for all the advice so far everyone.
 
Too bad she made this decision later. Otherwise I would point the two of you to Civil Air Patrol. They do aerospace education and have programs to provide a free path to flying, even getting your PP. But the age limit for cadets to join is 12 - 18.
 
Mottorpop said:
While I actually appreciate the pun, I guess I will make it plain that I am on here wrangling with the legal side of things.
I am new here so I cannot post a link, but you can see one of our issues in my first forum question 'Question on Needing Photo Identification' under the 'training' sub-forum.
A decision on aviation, the interest in search and rescue, etc. are hers.

Thanks for all the advice so far everyone.
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Someone above mentioned the 99s. Having a mentor is a pretty good way to get through a lot of things, including flight training.
 
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