Flight Time Credits question...

I was shocked that a student with an official "FAA pilot license" (as you so put it Jace) was unable to decode a TAF or determine the winds/temps aloft.

Oh, I do apologise. "FAA issued Private Pilot Certificate in Airplane Single Engine Land." ;)
 
Nobody cares that you don't like it here. If it's so bad, please just leave.
Very true for those that do like it here. You guys don't care if we like it or not 'cause it won't change your perspective of how much you love this place. I absolutely agree with you feeling that way. However, there ARE perspective students that might not like this town when they get here, and that's why we share our opinions. We hate it, we share it. You love it, you should share it too, and then the final decision is on the student itself by observing the pros and cons as reported by UND students. Capisce? ;)
 
Very true for those that do like it here. You guys don't care if we like it or not 'cause it won't change your perspective of how much you love this place. I absolutely agree with you feeling that way. However, there ARE perspective students that might not like this town when they get here, and that's why we share our opinions. We hate it, we share it. You love it, you should share it too, and then the final decision is on the student itself by observing the pros and cons as reported by UND students. Capisce? ;)

It's not so much that I love it or hate it here. But I can deal with it without constantly complaining. Get over it. You'll spend what, 6 years here max (4 year degree and maybe a couple years of instructing)? You guys weighed your options and decided to go to school here. How about you stop complaining so much about it?

Perspective students: UND Aerospace is fantastic (won't find too many arguments about that). ND is cold (duh) and not at all similar to NYC/SoCal/insert other major metropolitan area here. This is pretty much common sense but it seems to have escaped some of you.
 
Perspective students: UND Aerospace is fantastic (won't find too many arguments about that). ND is cold (duh) and not at all similar to NYC/SoCal/insert other major metropolitan area here. This is pretty much common sense but it seems to have escaped some of you.

grand forks is also very dissimilar to other small towns which i have lived in, so in my experience, the grand forks level of suck was in fact unexpected.

prospective students: DEFINITELY come here and stay for a week or so, if possible, to see if you really want to spend 4 years here.
 
Majority of 105/112 students are less than stellar. You'll occasionally find one that knows their stuff, but that is an exception and not the norm.

I know this because I work here and give stage checks to these pilots. Trust me, I've flown with some who shouldn't have been given a certificate.

As for this place, it is what you make it. It isn't the greatest place in the world, but certainly isn't the worst.
 
As someone who had to take the test course, I'd have to say that I don't neccessarily agree with it's implimentation either. Sure, make them re-take private ground school at least. I got my private junior year of high school. After about a year of doing nothing but flying locally with friends, some of the knowlege just escapes you from not applying it.

I think that if you've got your private already, take the ground school only at the very least. The flight course was a total joke and waste of time. For me at least coming from already flying piper products. I can see how it would MAYBE be benificial for someone who's only flown other airplanes. But 14 lessons and a stage check, please. I'm thinking before they make you shell out 4 grand on a potentially BS flight course, you should get a checkride first. That's just my opinion.

My advice to he OP is if you want to go have some fun before you start "training mode" for the next four years, go ahead and get your private. You'll have a nice chunk of flight time by the time you graduate. Not that 100 more hours is that much in the grand scheme of things. Just be ready to pay about 4 grand to take the test course. I don't regret it at all. I have lots of good memories from those days.
 
I didn't even notice you were already in college. Unless you're planning to take a year off or something. I'd just recommend waiting until you get here to get your private.
 
Majority of 105/112 students are less than stellar. You'll occasionally find one that knows their stuff, but that is an exception and not the norm.

I know this because I work here and give stage checks to these pilots. Trust me, I've flown with some who shouldn't have been given a certificate.

As for this place, it is what you make it. It isn't the greatest place in the world, but certainly isn't the worst.

then why wouldnt this be treated like any other college course, where if you are seeking advanced placement or credit, you are given an examination to evaluate whether you meet this institutions standards?

those who dont pass, but have their license, would be assigned an instructor and have to pay as they go until they are ready to take the exam (i suppose like a stage 30, 102 style check)
 
then why wouldnt this be treated like any other college course, where if you are seeking advanced placement or credit, you are given an examination to evaluate whether you meet this institutions standards?

those who dont pass, but have their license, would be assigned an instructor and have to pay as they go until they are ready to take the exam (i suppose like a stage 30, 102 style check)
:yeahthat:

Now THAT is how it should be done. If students are not proficient, figure that out through a placement exam, then train them to standards followed by the stage 30-style stage check.

...Not force them to spend 3k-4k of money that is probably earning a bank some nice interest revenue (with education loans going above the prime rate of 8.5%) in the 15-20 years it takes them to pay it back.
 
It's not so much that I love it or hate it here. But I can deal with it without constantly complaining. Get over it. You'll spend what, 6 years here max (4 year degree and maybe a couple years of instructing)? You guys weighed your options and decided to go to school here. How about you stop complaining so much about it?

Perspective students: UND Aerospace is fantastic (won't find too many arguments about that). ND is cold (duh) and not at all similar to NYC/SoCal/insert other major metropolitan area here. This is pretty much common sense but it seems to have escaped some of you.

I think, if you were to play devil's advocate, one would have to consider that people from other locations who haven't lived in a place such as Grand Forks can't even imagine what it's like to not have the things that you take for granted. That is where it is not possible to use "common sense" in determining what this place would be like. Common sense would cover the cold (duh) which I knew about and took into account. For prospective students reading this, the cold really isn't unmanageable and it ended up being a lot better than I expected, which is what I tell people coming here from warmer climates.

But what a student should take note is that the things available to do for fun are disproportionately unavailable for the size of the town...along with things widely available that shouldn't be available (like the culture of binge drinking...come on people, drinking every night starting Wednesday and getting plastered drunk IS ALCOHOLISM). I do dig for things to do and I will find them (autocross, ghost town exploring, photography...etc).

Every student has their own expectations of a living environment. We are here on this message board to supply prospective students with our very own personal opinions about this place. We can't praise a location where praise is not due. So, in light of all this negativity, our flight training is excellent, our airplanes are maintained meticulously, the tuition is relatively cheap, you get to meet and network with some amazing individuals (the opportunities to network here are endless), the aviation professors here are extremely resourceful and probably the best in the world (i.e., Foltz)...etc.
 
ok so jace put it better than i could

yes, the level of suck was totally inconceivable for my feeble brain, before coming here.

dead serious.
 
then why wouldnt this be treated like any other college course, where if you are seeking advanced placement or credit, you are given an examination to evaluate whether you meet this institutions standards?

those who dont pass, but have their license, would be assigned an instructor and have to pay as they go until they are ready to take the exam (i suppose like a stage 30, 102 style check)

Tried in the past and DID NOT work.

If I were running things, the 105 course wouldn't be changed and 112 would.

-both would still take the 102 ground school
-get rid of day cross country in 112
-shorten up briefings
-no sim (I think there is one)
-still have stage check
-shorten to about 10 lessons with stage check

I agree $3,000 to $4,000 is a lot of extra money that should be cut down to $1,000-$2,000.

But trust me, includes you and everyone else from out of state that thinks they know it all, these courses are needed. I get 221's, 222's that are still struggling with things around here. You can't pick up things in one or two flights. Just a different world around here. Come find me when you have 1000 hours of dual and then we'll talk.
 
didnt say i knew more, i was unaware the aforementioned method was ever tried.

what did or didnt work about it?

and if we have kids here in 221/222 still not getting basic stick and rudder (my flight instructor today said he has a 221 who spent a full 3 lessons just getting a decent enough straight and level to even start THINKING about flying under the hood!).... why are we passing them from 102?

this is not an 'i know better than you' remark, its a "why isnt the system working, and what can be done better" remark.
 
I have made an observation in my 4+ years here. Most people I know who have come here, started flying, gave up and left have previous flying experience in the part 61 environment. To be honest, I can't even think of anyone I know personally who came in with previous experience and stayed.

Not ripping on GF here, just making an observation of sorts
 
I have made an observation in my 4+ years here. Most people I know who have come here, started flying, gave up and left have previous flying experience in the part 61 environment. To be honest, I can't even think of anyone I know personally who came in with previous experience and stayed.

Not ripping on GF here, just making an observation of sorts

I almost did. It wouldn't have been the towns fault though as I never tried to venture out into the city freshman year. I was just homesick as hell. The room mate I had freshman year made all the difference I think. I'm still good friends with him today actually. If I would have had the room mate I had sophomore year, I would have surely left. That was not a livalble situation at all. I moved out into an apartment the November of that year, so that helped. I can't possibly imagine what the rest of the school year would have been like living with that kid.
 
I have made an observation in my 4+ years here. Most people I know who have come here, started flying, gave up and left have previous flying experience in the part 61 environment. To be honest, I can't even think of anyone I know personally who came in with previous experience and stayed.

Not ripping on GF here, just making an observation of sorts

jeff palmer, kyle tucker
 
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