@Creekrat,
I think it is most excellent that you two want to fly! Becoming a professional-paid pilot is great job, and kinda wonky for a career. I have been an airline pilot since 2000, and fly 737's today. I have been a
professional pilot since I started flying (for the ones arguing over how to define
professional). I started getting paid very shortly after getting my commercial license. My
professional advice is based off of my path to where I am now. I strongly suggest getting a 4 year degree in whatever gets the best grades. I have a degree in Geology - which I use every day gazing out of the office window. I used it
professionally as well, editing environmental impact statements, while flying for a regional (and earning about 17k a year). I also got all my ratings from a non 141 flight school. So, mostly the part 61 flight school with many planes and pilots, and a few independent instructors and planes. I got the college thing done as fast as I could, and mostly flew to slowly advance my ratings. Then hit the flying hard after graduation, and got to the airlines asap.
Paying for it. I was blessed with a supportive family that helped out a lot. About 400 hours were flown in our plane, and all of it was applicable to getting hired somewhere. I did need to "take a loan" from the bank of Parents and Grand Parents (not FDIC insured). I did pay it back in 10 years, and paid off when I was 32, and a captain at a regional, building time for the majors. The rest is history, as some say. Take the loan, get the college out of the way, buy the ratings with a loan if needed so he can understand:
THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IN AN AIRLINE PILOT'S CAREER IS SENIORITY. I WILL HOLLER THAT AGAIN. THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IN AN AIRLINE PILOT'S CAREER IS SENIORITY.
Please re-read the hollered above sentences.
K, good, thanks. The only way to get seniority is to get hired by an airline before the next guy. One number can make a major difference. I missed a captain upgrade by 1 number once. I also didn't get furloughed by a handful of numbers (furlough lasted 2.5 years iirc). If I didn't take the loan, I may have missed the hiring boom back then, got furloughed, and missed captain upgrade (and maybe would be a Delta captain now?, it's wonky for sure). If your son wants to get to the majors and earn $600k (rare) a year somewhere, he needs to get a seniority number ASAP. He needs to get on an airline that has either or both, a clear path from the regional subsidiary to the mainline, or have a fast upgrade to get the jet/airline PIC numbers up as fast as possible.
If the airline route is not a requirement for the career, there are literally 1000's of flying jobs right now. All of them need pilots yesterday, because everyone is hiring everywhere today and tomorrow. There are some incredible jobs up here in AK, fwiw.
Balance is important. What worked best for me is college first. I flew in the summers to bang out a rating, and during the school year enough to stay current and kinda proficient. Go buy that Mooney (or get a Bo' cuz everyone sez its better)
Links to start you off:
https://clearedtodream.org/
https://rodmachado.com/blogs/learning-to-fly/your-airline-career
https://valeri-aviation.thinkific.com/