What is the best route for my 18 year old son to become a pilot with a major airline?
Look for a community college with an aviation program, they're quick and VERY affordable. I attended Iowa Lakes Community College, I was able to get my Private, Commercial, Instrument, Multi-Engine, and Instructor ratings in 2 years for $38k. DO NOT send him to a large university like UND, the programs are insanely overpriced and they take 4 years solid. At Iowa Lakes, you can get done as fast as you can, people have gone from student to instructor in a year, it all depends on you, at universities you HAVE to stay all 4 years which is a killer in an industry so heavily reliant on seniority. I have the exact same ratings as a kid coming out of UND only I have 1/4 his debt and I'm probably already a captain at a regional when he first gets to the airlines. Airlines are REALLY hurting for pilots, this is absolutely the best time to be a pilot.