I\'m about to start flight training....need a little guidence please
After reading many of the posts here on this forum, I can see that everybody here is really helpful, mature, and educated about aviation. I especially like how Doug, a real airline pilot, participates like just one of the "guys"! I look forward to participating greatly here.
Before I ask my question, I should give a little background. I am 21 years old. For the past 4 years my dream has been to go to ERAU in Daytona. My plan was perfect: Get all my licences and a major in Aeronautical Science to go with it. After High School, I decided to go to a community college here in my city(Plano, a suburb of Dallas) for a couple of years before transfering to ERAU. This would save me some much needed money, plus it would give me time to move across the country to a new state.
2 years later, this is where I am at: I am working full time at a collections company which pays me more or less $2,000 a month, from 8:30 to 17:30 M-F. I squeeze in as much Community College as possible in the evenings(I do not want to give up my education for nothing in this world) and try to have a "life" on the weekends. Recently, I have begun having doubts about ever going to ERAU.
My logic is this: First of all, if I go there, I will major in Aeronautical Science, and learn to be a pilot...all aviation related. If ever, God forbid, I cannot fly for one reason or the other, what will I have to fall back on? An Aeronautical Science degree! See what I'm saying? So I thought maybe its better to go to the University of Texas in Dallas, which is just down the street from me, and major in Public Administration. As far as my flying goes, I will get all my certificates, PPL-Comercial with Multi and instructor ratings, at a flight school here in Addison airport, which has a reputation for being very good. So, I will be working full time, going to University full time in the evenings, and flying on the weekends! I don't mind...as long as all this gets me into the cockpit of a comercial jet one day.
So my question is this. Just how good are pilots who are trained in flight schools as opposed to flight acadamies and aviation colleges? If there even is a difference. Will I have the same opportunities as someone who went to an academy when it comes time for employment....or will I be a step behind for having been trained in a local flight school? I passed my first class medical last week, which by the way was a rush of happiness that had me smiling to myself all day.....imagine when I get my pilot's license! So I plan on starting my training next weekend, after I recieve my next paycheck. Before that, I would like to know if I am doing the right thing, and recieve any and all the advice I can get. Thank you ahead of time for all of your help. Believe me, you are doing a great thing for me!
After reading many of the posts here on this forum, I can see that everybody here is really helpful, mature, and educated about aviation. I especially like how Doug, a real airline pilot, participates like just one of the "guys"! I look forward to participating greatly here.
Before I ask my question, I should give a little background. I am 21 years old. For the past 4 years my dream has been to go to ERAU in Daytona. My plan was perfect: Get all my licences and a major in Aeronautical Science to go with it. After High School, I decided to go to a community college here in my city(Plano, a suburb of Dallas) for a couple of years before transfering to ERAU. This would save me some much needed money, plus it would give me time to move across the country to a new state.
2 years later, this is where I am at: I am working full time at a collections company which pays me more or less $2,000 a month, from 8:30 to 17:30 M-F. I squeeze in as much Community College as possible in the evenings(I do not want to give up my education for nothing in this world) and try to have a "life" on the weekends. Recently, I have begun having doubts about ever going to ERAU.
My logic is this: First of all, if I go there, I will major in Aeronautical Science, and learn to be a pilot...all aviation related. If ever, God forbid, I cannot fly for one reason or the other, what will I have to fall back on? An Aeronautical Science degree! See what I'm saying? So I thought maybe its better to go to the University of Texas in Dallas, which is just down the street from me, and major in Public Administration. As far as my flying goes, I will get all my certificates, PPL-Comercial with Multi and instructor ratings, at a flight school here in Addison airport, which has a reputation for being very good. So, I will be working full time, going to University full time in the evenings, and flying on the weekends! I don't mind...as long as all this gets me into the cockpit of a comercial jet one day.
So my question is this. Just how good are pilots who are trained in flight schools as opposed to flight acadamies and aviation colleges? If there even is a difference. Will I have the same opportunities as someone who went to an academy when it comes time for employment....or will I be a step behind for having been trained in a local flight school? I passed my first class medical last week, which by the way was a rush of happiness that had me smiling to myself all day.....imagine when I get my pilot's license! So I plan on starting my training next weekend, after I recieve my next paycheck. Before that, I would like to know if I am doing the right thing, and recieve any and all the advice I can get. Thank you ahead of time for all of your help. Believe me, you are doing a great thing for me!
