Please help me plan for my 14 year old who is interested in a career as an aircraft mechanic.

My 16 year old is interested in flying professionally as a commercial airline pilot, preferably for a legacy (United, American, Delta). He is already pursuing that aggressively.

After a Discovery Flight, my 14 year old said, “I like it, but it wasn’t all that fun.” Later, he told me the flight was “Like the most terrifying roll coaster ever.”

He loves playing hockey, video games, fishing, his family, and his dogs. He’s pretty much an All-American boy. People love him because he is kind, smart, and honest.

After our discovery flights, we decided to join the Civil Air Patrol. This was about March. I had joined it as a kid, but my life’s path lead me to a career as a firefighter/paramedic.

Right now, my younger son had said he’s not a “school kid”, even though he is. He scored in the 90th percentile on his high school entrance exam (A competitive college prep school that I also attended.) and they put him in three honors classes as a freshman. He starts high school in August.

Right now, his plan is to get his Mitchell Award through CAP, and join the Air Force as an E-3. Then he wants to score well on the ASVAB, get trained on his A&P and AMT, do his four years and be flexible when he comes out. Go anywhere and hopefully work for a major.

What should I be doing to help him? I’m already planning visiting an aviation school. I’m a firefighter in Chicago and was previously stationed at O’Hare. I have a close buddy who is a Lt. at the fire house at Midway. I’m sure I can get access to the hangars on either, as I previously did a tour through the entire airside of O’Hare with a buddy. It was about 5-7 years ago.

What about travel, salaries, and certs? I know these questions have been asked a hundred times on these forums, but after two to three hours of reading relatively random posts, I don’t feel as though I am finding the information distilled down in just one place.

Thanks in advance…..