The Life of a Student Pilot
Andrew Low is a geography student at Colorado State, an airport employee, and a student pilot. With a rich family history in aviation, pursuing a career in the industry was a natural choice. As he finishes up his private pilot training, I sat down with him during a study session at the Northern Colorado Regional Airport to ask him about flight training and why now is a great time to earn your wings.
Noah: Let’s start with the basics, what made you want to become a pilot?
Andrew: My uncle is a United Airlines captain and I always went to the airport when I was little. I fell in love with flying and I just wanted to do what he does. I like to travel, which is one of the main aspects of flying.
Noah: Since you mentioned travelling, what are some of the places you’re hoping a flying career takes you?
Andrew: Early in my career, I’m hoping to see the continental United States. Later in my career, I want to go wherever the airlines take me. Specifically internationally, I really want to visit all over Europe and see what life is like over there.
Noah: Back to your uncle who flies for United, how does he inspire you to stay motivated in aviation?
Andrew: Because of where he is now in his piloting career, it’s easy to stay motivated. The seniority and the freedom is great. Also, any time I have any question about aviation he seems to know the answer spot on. He started where I am, flying the (Cessna) 172, which is what I fly now, and then worked his way to where he is now.
Noah: What are some of the benefits of getting into the industry nowadays?
Andrew: A lot of pilots who are baby boomers are starting to reach the mandatory retirement age of 65, so pilots are in high demand right now. For example, United has a goal of hiring 10,000 pilots within the next ten years roughly. The pay is going to be increased due to the pilot shortage and high demand, even though it’s already really high.
Noah: If you had it your way, who would you like to fly for?
Andrew: United Airlines for sure. Because of, not only what my uncle says about the company, but also from the passenger experience, it’s great company. My dad’s whole side of the family basically all worked for United, so there’s a natural pipeline for me into the airline.
Noah: What are some of the challenges and benefits of training to become a pilot?
Andrew: It definitely costs a lot of money to become a pilot, and overall, it’s very stressful physically and mentally. At my flying school, I can go my own pace, which is helpful. It’s fun though, because you get to open up your horizons to new experiences with new aircraft and smaller airports. During your training, you have the freedom to go from large controlled airports, to smaller dirt strips in the middle of nowhere. It’s a type of flying you don’t really get to do once you do get to the airlines, or a corporate gig if that’s the route you opt to take.
Noah: For students just getting into the flight training game now, can you think of one piece of advice that you wish someone had given you before you started?
Andrew: Three words. Trust the process. Nobody ever told me what it would really be like, so I was a little bit confused at first. But you do everything for a reason, it works. So you might as well just trust that the process in place that’s been working forever will work for you too.
