All good answers!
Civil Air Patrol is definitely an awesome idea. I joined 7 years ago and never regretted it. I received FULL funding to and beyond my PPL thru flight academy and scholarships. Absolutely worth the $31/year membership!
As to helping you get to USAFA...it helps (how could it hurt?), but GPA, SAT/ACT scores, fitness ability, and basically everything else is MUCH more important! I had my PPL when I applied, and I was not accepted (did get a full AFROTC scholarship, though!). It was nice to say I had it, but I definitely did not bank on it.
When it comes to convincing parents, I sort of/kind of understand. My parents were never hesitant about me flying, but when it came time for my solo cross-country flights, my mom got just a little nervous. My instructor assured her he wouldn't let anyone go solo whom he didn't trust his kids to fly with. That's probably one of your best options: make connections with flight instructors/aviation people (impossible NOT to do if you're in CAP), and they can help educate your parents on the safety of flying. CAP gives you 5 free flights with an experienced, usually search & rescue mission qualified pilot. Hard for parents to say no to that; if they see how much it means to you, and how safe it can be and is, they might change their minds.
Personally, like mentioned above, I feel safer (in some ways) in the air than on the freeway. Yes, flying is more complicated and therefore one can screw up easier, but the fact is that the average pilot is considerably better trained than the average driver, and we are held to a MUCH, MUCH higher standard. People are safer and smarter in the air.
Yes, flying is potentially hazardous, but so is driving, walking on the sidewalk next to a busy street, or swimming. Stuff happens. You just have to do the best you can to be safe.
The Southwest Airlines flight that had an engine explode is a good example: the pilot was an exceptionally well-trained, former Navy fighter pilot (one of the first female F-18 pilots). She was trained to fly the 737, and she handled the emergency with absolute calm. Just listen to the radio recording on LiveATC.net
Okay, you'll start in a Cessna or something, not a 737, but you will trained, just like her, to deal with any emergency calmly and quickly. And most of the time an instructor will be with you anyway (only 10/40 required hours are solo).
Some stats: 2016 was apparently the 2nd safest year in aviation history, and it's only going to get better. The FAA website has a lot of good info, such as the fact that aviation accidents have decreased 41% since 2001. Additionally, they outline a plethora of ideas/plans to improve safety. Tie that with the fact that GPS, better radios, and ADS-B are available now and only getting better. I don't remember the full regulation, but ADS-B (a system that tracks almost every aircraft in the air on your GPS) will soon be mandatory on all aircraft (with some exceptions). And the Cirrus aircraft with parachutes are cool, too!
thanks ders_dad!
Another thing: the one person safety relies on most is YOU. My parents and my instructor trusted me to take a plane worth hundreds of thousands of dollars, ensure that it was airworthy, fuel it, fly it safely and responsibly, and bring it back without smashing it, someone else's plane, or myself. If your parents trust you to handle serious stuff, then hopefully they'll see that you can be trustworthy to fly safely.
Sorry for this ridiculously long reply...I think I broke a PR! It's just my passion, so that's my excuse!
Finally: if you want to be a pilot, NEVER, EVER, give up. Respect and obey your parents, definitely. They're doing what they think is good for you. But show them that you can be safe, and find people to help them learn about how safe flying is. Then go for that license! Aim high, and have fun!
