Dear All,
I have always wanted to become a pilot and in particular learn to fly my favorite type of planes, Gulfstreams. Right now, I am in college, in Atlanta, but have no idea what path to take or where to go to focus on a path that will eventually lead me to flying these jets. In fact, I don’t even know any pilots, so here is the first place I have sought advice. Please help with any information you may have or any contacts.
Thank you for your time,
Frederick Miller
welcome to FA
im sure i speak for everyone that as pilots we are all excited to see a new person taking an interest in flying!!
There are many avenues to take to earn your cerfiticates; you could take private lessons at an FBO on weekends and school breaks. Or you could dive in head first and enrol in a part 141 cerfified school that like your college takes up most of your time. the possibilities are numerous. Id say start researching local flight schools and take an exploration flight at your local airport. I know there is an ATP school campus at FTY and LZU near Atlanta. Then there is the issue of price, learning to fly is expensive and time consuming. there is a lot of research to be done on choosing a path of flight training and we all wish you the best of luck on your endeavor. and we would all like to be of some help in your choice.
Good luck and again Welcome
And start saving about $30k for your G type rating
Make your boss pay for your type rating!
Good luck! 
Welcome to Flight Aware Frederick.
Like anything else in life, you will start small in your aspiring flight career starting with a Cessna 172 or like model. It will take quite some time before you saddle up behind a Gulfstream. Others can give you a better idea on how much time it takes to commandeer a jet as I fly a single engine plane.
I would suggest a trip to your local airport and sit down and talk with a flight instructor. Sign up for a discovery flight and take on the thrill of flight. Be forewarned, it is addictive, and expensive to go along with it.
Generally speaking, expect 10 to 12K for your private license, another 6 to 10K to get your instrument rating. For me, took 1 year to get my visual flight rule (VFR) license and another year for my instrument flight rule (IFR). This will all be done most likely in a single engine plane.
There are possibilities on taking “accelerated courses” to shorten the time for each component and any flight instructor or pilot who have been through these type of courses (here in the forums or at your local airport) can give you better guidance then myself.
Allen
Fredrick, All good advice. Don’t expect to have to buy your own training by the time you get into business jets, let the owner spend the money. You can shell out, of course, but it’s big $$$$. Build your time and experience one step at a time. Your initial path most likely will be >learn to fly> flight instruct> light airplane charter> twin engine charter. Don’t throw out one business card. Keep in touch with the biz jet pilots you do meet, without being a pain…lol. Getting hired at that level is 90% who you know and 10% experience. Unless you are really lucky your first jet job won’t be on a Gulfstream.
My first trip to Flight Safety was for the Lear 35 initial class. I had a little jet time and, I guess, about 1500 hours total time. I was warned that by the time the two weeks was up I would feel like somebody had opened up the top of my skull, stuck a fire hose in and swirled things around. That’s about right. There is a saying that when the boss buys a bigger airplane the crew needs to buy bigger suitcases. Also true, I’m on a 15 day trip right now.
good luck,
John in Saudi
Well said John, I absolutly refused to pay for my type or ATP simply because i had spent so much of my own money to get to this point, then once hired the negotiations started. like you said they hired you to fly THEIR airplane, they should pay for the training to fly the specific AC But yes there will be years of paying your dues, and kissing some but at the same time, meet lots of people and be friendly and polite, make as many contacts as you can, then one day, someone will move on to another job, a guy will move from right to left, then you will move right in. Its a fantastic career and i hope you decide to persue a passion
All great advice…also as you are in college, dont forget the idea of Uncle Sam picking up the ticket. there are many avenues these days via the military that will take you to your gaol and then some. After spending the better part of my life in the Navy, I would recommend the Coast Guard…thier aircraft dont have tailhooks. And they fly some really nice Dessault Falcons. Nice little “bridge” to the gulfstream. Food for thought. Good luck to you.
They also fly Gulfstreams I might add.
Really? I didnt know that. So much the better then!
**
Actually, they will soon start to phase out the Falcons, replacing them with the CASA CN-235, a twin turboprop cargo/multirole aircraft. They do operate a single G-V aircraft for the Commandant. Great service, great folks, amazing job that they do. But you have a much better chance of ending up flying a helicopter around in the North Pacific, North Atlantic, etc...than you do of ending up in their single Gulfstream.
Also, if your sole motivation in wanting to be a pilot is so that you can fly a Gulfstream, you might want to reconsider the effort. Perhaps put a nice straight back chair at the end of a hallway and sit in it for 7, 8, or 12 hours, only getting up to walk to the bathroom at the other end of the hall, grab a cup of coffee, and then return to sit in the seat for another few hours. :wink:**
FlyNYC…just curious, are you really a QC for Sam Adams? If you are I must say…your doing your job well. And I’ve been investing (every weekend) in your company. If your not …well here’s to you anyway.
OOH- I hope He’s not QC for Sam Adams The mayor of Portland OR
JUST KIDDING FlyNYC 
Go into the military then after 20 years, if GAC is still in business, apply for a job with them.
I’m friendly with some folks at some breweries around the county, both big and small. I’m not employed by Sam, but I sure as hell spend time in the tasting room checking the latest goodies!
…Always a good decision.
Hey the pacific northwest has some AWESOME local brews. p-town to bend to eugene. my favorite beer anywhere is from right here in eugene. they do a damn good job in the breweries in this area and i say i love trying them all out. Im not crazy about the local politics here on the left coast but ill sure drink their beer
Preachin’ to the choir bro- This cat was born and raised in Portland.
I love Oregon Micro so much that I use to sell it wholesale.
My joke was about P-towns Gay mayor Sam Adams
And ejericson who do you fly for in zoogene?
I don’t fly out of Eugene, i.e. hippy-ville, i commute to Medford where i fly for an “un named” individual. my wife has a great job here that she doesn’t want to leave. I did apply with LANZ, PAPE’ (ick) and you name it, till i got the connection through my step father.