Would it be stupid to accept an offer to a college with zero flight experience

[HenoKai]

I've started to get slightly paranoid about going to college for aviation when I don't have any flight experience. I'm totally up for it but I've never even been in a plane. I'm scared that I'll get motion sickness that I won't be able to get over. That I might get sick the first time in the air. If I don't go to college for aviation I'll have to go for something else and I'll have no money for getting experience on my own, I don't have the money for it now. If I do it through college OSAP will cover most of it and my parents are up to helping me with school expenses. It will turn out being very little payment from me. I don't want money to go towards an aviation program only to find out that flying isn't agreeable to me but I don't want to study something else and not be able to pay for training outside for school. Am I worrying too much? Should I just go into it deal with any problems that arise then?

[North Shore]

Are you trolling?

Scrape together $100, go to your local flight school, and buy a discovery flight..

Why the heck would you even consider getting into a career that you have no knowledge of, or connection to?

Maybe I have been successfully trolled...

[Beefitarian]

Does the college have a pool? Go use the diving board as much as you can. Ta-da no more motion sickness.

[youhavecontrol]

Am I worrying too much?

Your concerns are definitely valid. Many people go into the aviation program only to learn later that it's not for them. Even people that absolutely love flying and don't get motion sickness later discover they don't have the multi-tasking ability to advance in aviation towards a career. I'm pretty sure every pilot has 'counted the cost' in some way before choosing this path.

For your worries about motion sickness, I'd suggest going on a familiarization flight (which may be hard to orchestrate if you are coming here to learn from another country). Going with an instructor for a demo flight on a hot day with lots of puffy clouds would be a great trial test. If you can make it on a day like that, you should be ok.

For what it's worth, I've dealt with many motion sick students in the past who are now flying aircraft much nicer than mine. I recommend eating ginger (or taking ginger capsules) and always making sure at least something is in your stomach before you go flying. Hunger can trigger sickness really, really easily. Also, make sure you are well hydrated before the flight (but not too much... there's not bathroom on board!) If you get sick, let the instructor know right away and they'll help you further. No shame in feeling sick!

I had a student that I taught through PPL and CPL that got sick at least once every two flights we did. He would eat raw ginger like an apple to help him.. it was amazing. Every time he did get sick, I would notice his performance start to slide and ask, "you ok?" To which he'd respond, "yep, just give me a second.. you have control." Then he would use the sick bag, pause for a moment and say, "ok I'm good, can I have control?"

[HansDietrich]

I've been obsessed about planes and aviation since I was a little kid. In high-school, my friends would make fun of me for knowing every type of (civilian) aircraft that flew. I always wanted to be a pilot and I worked my ass off to be a pilot, not to mention the sacrifices.

I think one needs a lot of passion to make it in this industry, because, even when you make it, you'll start losing that passion a bit...

[PilotDAR]

I think one needs a lot of passion to make it in this industry

Yup! I suppose you can succeed without the interest, but the passion sure helps your success!

When I was ten, I used to play in a C-185 wreck, pretending to be a master bush pilot. 15 years later, I was flying them for real.

If your passion is not developed yet, take the discovery flight, and see if it sparks, before launching head long into mediocrity...

[5x5]

I'm totally up for it but I've never even been in a plane.

Maybe I have been successfully trolled...

Chances are good you have, I'd say.

To the OP - do it for the glory and the chicks!! (no, wait a minute that sounds chauvinistic, maybe it should be dudes, or wait, that's pretty binary, maybe it should both, but that's really limiting, maybe something in-between???!?!) I'm soooo confused!

Perhaps just settle on doing it for the glory and see what happens.