For UND Graduates

coa787

Unknown Member
Hello. This is a question for those of you that went to UND and graduated and are now flying for the airlines; When you were attending UND, what type of training did you do to prepare you for the airlines and did you need any type of flying experience prior to enrolling to UND and attending flight training? For example, say that I graduated from high school and got accepted to UND, but I have no flying experience, and I took some type of flight training and graduated with a four-year degree in something, would I be able to start flying as an FO for an airline such as ExpressJet or Comair after graduation? Thanks in advance.
 
The overall training at UND, the same kind of flight training you'd get at a local Part 61 FBO, helped prepared me for the airlines. But, in no way did it fully prepare me - being a low time airline pilot, I still have a lot to learn.

Would you start flying as an FO for ExpressJet or XYZ Airline after graduation? It depends on the state of the airline industry at that time. I got hired right after graduation at UND with an airline with only a Commercial-Multi-Instrument certificate and no CFI, but that was because of the state of the industry at that time - I think it's starting to turn around the other direction, and not in the job seeker's favor. But, getting hired by an airline right after graduation had little to do with me going to UND - it was just the state of the hiring situation at that time. People in my new hire class were from all flight training backgrounds and out of 19 people in the class the highest flight time was a little over 900, with most having around 250-400.

You may end up having to flight instruct or banner tow for 10 years, then fly Part 135 cargo for another 5 before getting an airline job after you graduate... or the hiring situation will be like it is now... you never know.
 
Hello. This is a question for those of you that went to UND and graduated and are now flying for the airlines; When you were attending UND, what type of training did you do to prepare you for the airlines and did you need any type of flying experience prior to enrolling to UND and attending flight training? For example, say that I graduated from high school and got accepted to UND, but I have no flying experience, and I took some type of flight training and graduated with a four-year degree in something, would I be able to start flying as an FO for an airline such as ExpressJet or Comair after graduation? Thanks in advance.


Flight training is flight training. Flying a Piper Warrior is much the same as flying a 747, pull back on the yoke, houses get smaller, push forward houses get bigger, pull back long enough houses start to get bigger again. UND does stress checklist usage (using a checklist as tool and not that annoying piece of paper on the floor) and flows. As funny as it sounds getting used to the concept of flows and how to use a checklist properly (of course the checklist must be well designed, don't get me started) is a big part of making it through your first airline training event.

The structure of UND training is similiar to airline training, specific lessons with specific tasks, certain standards need to be met to move on, etc.

All that being said, UND or any other school, be it part 61 or 141 will NOT fully prepare you on their own for any specific airline or that airline's training events. You will get the basics a few other "tools" you can use but it is ultimately up to you prepare yourself.

As for training before coming to UND, you don't need to and I would advise against it for the simple reason, UND does things a certain way and you will probably spend more money unlearning things and relearning things the UND way. That isn't to say UND's way is any better or worse, just like different airlines or any flight department there are multiple ways to skin that cat, UND does it a certain way.
 
Flight training is flight training. Flying a Piper Warrior is much the same as flying a 747, pull back on the yoke, houses get smaller, push forward houses get bigger, pull back long enough houses start to get bigger again. UND does stress checklist usage (using a checklist as tool and not that annoying piece of paper on the floor) and flows. As funny as it sounds getting used to the concept of flows and how to use a checklist properly (of course the checklist must be well designed, don't get me started) is a big part of making it through your first airline training event.

The structure of UND training is similiar to airline training, specific lessons with specific tasks, certain standards need to be met to move on, etc.

All that being said, UND or any other school, be it part 61 or 141 will NOT fully prepare you on their own for any specific airline or that airline's training events. You will get the basics a few other "tools" you can use but it is ultimately up to you prepare yourself.

As for training before coming to UND, you don't need to and I would advise against it for the simple reason, UND does things a certain way and you will probably spend more money unlearning things and relearning things the UND way. That isn't to say UND's way is any better or worse, just like different airlines or any flight department there are multiple ways to skin that cat, UND does it a certain way.

:yeahthat:

My FBO training did not stress flows at all. Even though it was part 141 training, it was still part 61 style in that we just kind of figured out what I needed to work on while we did the flight or briefing. We had a syllabus and kind of followed it, but there was still no REAL structure to it at all. Which is one of the big reasons I picked UND, structure.

The one thing I struggled with was the "extra" stuff UND had that my FBO didn't. Policies and procedures, standardization manuals, ect. Standardization was the big thing. Nothing of the sort existed. It was all the way the instructor taught how to do the maneuvers and there was some variation from instructor to instructor.

Take it for what it's worth. There's good FBOs and bad ones, but if you're set on going to UND, I'd advise to wait until you get here before doing any training.
 
As for training before coming to UND, you don't need to and I would advise against it for the simple reason, UND does things a certain way and you will probably spend more money unlearning things and relearning things the UND way. That isn't to say UND's way is any better or worse, just like different airlines or any flight department there are multiple ways to skin that cat, UND does it a certain way.

I like to call the special things UND does as the UND bubble. I trained there and did a little fight instructing there and after I left, my eyes were opened wide. UND has a way to hide the real aviation community at least thats how it seemed to me. Is UND worth it depends on where you want to do. If you want to go to any airline with the lowest hours than yea UND's pretty good. It still has a great name and many airlines look for it. For an non crappy regional like Republic or Skywest, your going to need the hours anyways and UND might or might not help. My route wasn't for 121 though. I felt the starting pay was an insult and just the overall appearance of 121 was lacking so I went 135. UND helped me in no real way except for the experience.

UND was great for the overall college experience but was way over priced I felt. Theres many large flight schools that will give you your CFII, and MEI for free or next to nothing if you instruct with them and thats saving you tons of money. Just food for thought, I don't know if I answered your question or not.

More food for thought, I'm not a Metro III captain at 1400/500 hrs. When I instructed at UND, I was there for a semister and a half, busted my ass and got just under 200 hrs dual given, next instructing job was getting average 120hrs a month with a 5k monthly income. Things have changed there now but the weathers the same.

=Jason-
 
I like to call the special things UND does as the UND bubble. I trained there and did a little fight instructing there and after I left, my eyes were opened wide. UND has a way to hide the real aviation community at least thats how it seemed to me. Is UND worth it depends on where you want to do. If you want to go to any airline with the lowest hours than yea UND's pretty good. It still has a great name and many airlines look for it. For an non crappy regional like Republic or Skywest, your going to need the hours anyways and UND might or might not help. My route wasn't for 121 though. I felt the starting pay was an insult and just the overall appearance of 121 was lacking so I went 135. UND helped me in no real way except for the experience.

UND was great for the overall college experience but was way over priced I felt. Theres many large flight schools that will give you your CFII, and MEI for free or next to nothing if you instruct with them and thats saving you tons of money. Just food for thought, I don't know if I answered your question or not.

More food for thought, I'm not a Metro III captain at 1400/500 hrs. When I instructed at UND, I was there for a semister and a half, busted my ass and got just under 200 hrs dual given, next instructing job was getting average 120hrs a month with a 5k monthly income. Things have changed there now but the weathers the same.

=Jason-

What's up Jason? You're done instructing in Norcal?

-Jason
 
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