Anyone know anything about Daniel Webster College?
- Thread starter scramjet
- Start date
wheelsup
Well-Known Member
I went to ERAU while a guy I know went to DWC (I lived in Nashua, <1 mile from DWC campus).
When I graduated college (with commercial/multi/instrument CFI & -I) he had just finished the private-instrument.
When I had 1000 TT/100 multi, he just finished his commercial.
When I had 2000 TT and was working at an airline, he had just started instructing.
Their program is KNOWN for being painfully slooooooooooow. It's also incredibly expensive. Nashua is a nice city but it's not a "college" town by any stretch.
I was, however, hired to teach there but never got a chance to (ended up going other places with more flight time). Their CFI's fly an average of 350-400 hours PER YEAR. I did well over double that working at part 61 and 141 schools. They do have a great program though, they focus a lot more on academics and aerodynamics (with the addition of the glider rating) than pretty much any other school. I toured the facility and was impressed.
wheelsup
Well-Known Member
You weren't around back in 2000-2003 then.
Yes, I agree, the instructing gig is offset by other benefits such as paid additional ratings, guaranteed income, etc. HOWEVER, the goal of an instructor is to fly, IMO, and DWC doesn't offer that. We're talking two years to reach 1000 TT here.
Their program is slow. And expensive. I wouldn't recommend it. I also wouldn't recommend ERAU (what's that say!
).I do know quite a bit about the program. I am a sophomore at DWC.
Assuming you keep up and you do the work, you will have the same ratings as most other programs after four years, plus some glider time. However, it takes a while to get going and it is very expensive.
The aircraft are nice, mostly 1999 and 2001 C-172Rs. The curriculum also uses the Grob 109 Motorglider, and the Piper Arrow and seminole.
Most of the instructors are in their early to mid twenties. They are good but like most college programs, they are on their way to the airlines and that is the only reason they are there.
I got my private pilot's license last March. The practical test was the easiest part of the curriculum. The academic part of flying is very important and the ground school is very good. You have to know your stuff to get through it but it is not that bad.
The next course on the Pro Pilot curriculum is AF158, Extended Fundamentals of Flight. I have already finished the flying part of the curriculum which is mostly glider flight and exploring spins and stability in the C172. There is a ground school that goes along with this and it concentrates on micro meteorology and aerodynamics.
This January I will begin AF258 which is the beginning of the IFR rating. You also get checked out in the Arrow. Next Fall (fall of Junior year) I will finish my IFR rating in AF328. Then Spring of Junior year I will recieve my single and multiengine commercial. You also get your multiengine endorsement. That leaves senior year for your CFI and an extra semester if you fall behind or do an internship.
So it really takes a while to get going unless you fly during the summer. It is really expensive and I still ask my self whether the rates they charge are worth it. The groundschool is excellent and the airport is a five minute walk from anywhere on campus. Also, you will definately fly right when you get here.
I really like the flying here. I would say that this is a good place to go if you really know you want to fly and that is really all you want to do. However, if you would also like to do other things, it may not be the best choice. I would like to take languages and some liberal arts classes but I cannot because DWC is so small and aviation focused.
If you have any questions just ask them!
Kevin
Assuming you keep up and you do the work, you will have the same ratings as most other programs after four years, plus some glider time. However, it takes a while to get going and it is very expensive.
The aircraft are nice, mostly 1999 and 2001 C-172Rs. The curriculum also uses the Grob 109 Motorglider, and the Piper Arrow and seminole.
Most of the instructors are in their early to mid twenties. They are good but like most college programs, they are on their way to the airlines and that is the only reason they are there.
I got my private pilot's license last March. The practical test was the easiest part of the curriculum. The academic part of flying is very important and the ground school is very good. You have to know your stuff to get through it but it is not that bad.
The next course on the Pro Pilot curriculum is AF158, Extended Fundamentals of Flight. I have already finished the flying part of the curriculum which is mostly glider flight and exploring spins and stability in the C172. There is a ground school that goes along with this and it concentrates on micro meteorology and aerodynamics.
This January I will begin AF258 which is the beginning of the IFR rating. You also get checked out in the Arrow. Next Fall (fall of Junior year) I will finish my IFR rating in AF328. Then Spring of Junior year I will recieve my single and multiengine commercial. You also get your multiengine endorsement. That leaves senior year for your CFI and an extra semester if you fall behind or do an internship.
So it really takes a while to get going unless you fly during the summer. It is really expensive and I still ask my self whether the rates they charge are worth it. The groundschool is excellent and the airport is a five minute walk from anywhere on campus. Also, you will definately fly right when you get here.
I really like the flying here. I would say that this is a good place to go if you really know you want to fly and that is really all you want to do. However, if you would also like to do other things, it may not be the best choice. I would like to take languages and some liberal arts classes but I cannot because DWC is so small and aviation focused.
If you have any questions just ask them!
Kevin
JaceTheAce
Well-Known Member
I do know that at Daniel Webster what flying course can be done in less than a semester is required to be dragged out across a year. This allows the college to rape students with more money because they aren't refreshed continuously by not flying often. I'd avoid it.
Nick
Well-Known Member
I know someone who went to DWC and didn't really experience any of the above complaints. Started fall 2002 and was done with everything fall 2005 without flying one extra day in summers or on breaks.
Ended up paying just $500 above the advertised flight fee total after 200 hours of flying there and finished the program several hours under the alotted total time.
Four years and one month after starting the DWC flight program he has 875 total time and he did an FAA internship and one at a major airline too.
I don't know about the fees now though.
Ended up paying just $500 above the advertised flight fee total after 200 hours of flying there and finished the program several hours under the alotted total time.
Four years and one month after starting the DWC flight program he has 875 total time and he did an FAA internship and one at a major airline too.
I don't know about the fees now though.
It is a good school.
Like anything it depends on your priorities and what you want to get out of it.
As for the success of people graduating, I know a couple people who graduated last year and are already flying for the airlines. Many others are hired to instruct at DWC.
Like anything it depends on your priorities and what you want to get out of it.
As for the success of people graduating, I know a couple people who graduated last year and are already flying for the airlines. Many others are hired to instruct at DWC.
Nick
Well-Known Member
One just hired at ExpressJet today.
WolffPilot11
New Member
I got accepted to Daniel Webster College and I will be attending there this fall. I believe they have an excellent aviation program for all areas of aviation and especially to become an Airline Pilot which is my eventual goal. I visited the campus and immediately fell in love with it. It is very small (get to know professors much better), very educated professors with experience in that aviation field, great array or airplanes, internship opportunities, Nashua is a beautiful town, and only 45mins from Boston! I would highly recommend the school to anyone who wants to go into Aviation as a career.
-Nick
-Nick
Andrew_VT
Well-Known Member
I have a close relative in the ATC program there and he loves it. He also has his private and inst ratings which he used the family airplane for. Because he is so knowledgeable about the real world of aviation (not the delusional academy world) he will often help his friends 'see the light' and do their training at off campus FBO's. If you have any questions about the ATC program PM me and I can put you in touch with him.