Is ERAU worth it?!?

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Nowadays, I often tell people that they should go Aerospace Studies and do their flying at North-Aire. In fact, I just finished my CFI there.


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I am fully aware that you switched majors and went to north-aire. I am completely bewildered as to why you would continue paying the riddle prices (I am also aware that you are grand-fathered into the older prices) when you could go somewhere else. You must really like prescott.

Nobody is "coming out swinging" here. You've obviously had a change in thinking since you started at riddle.

I guess if money isn't a big issue, it is easier to stay where you are. For me, every cent counts. I've punched more than a couple holes in my drywall when my loan payments show up in the mail from that worthless school.
 
I'm actually still AeroSci...I finished my Private-Commercial there before leaving. I might have left if I had switched to Aerospace Studies, but I'm not sure there. Trust me though...I'll probably need to buy stock in drywall once I graduate.
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MikeD: The change for me was very slow...partly due to what I was seeing, and partly from discussions on this board. I was very happy while I was doing my instrument rating, which is about when I started coming on this board. The instructors were good, my progress was good, and I was having a good time in the process.

The real change started when I began my commercial training. Not only did I have to spend a ridiculous amount of time in a simulator (6-8 hours that could have been put forth to real multi time), the Riddle propaganda really started rolling in. I was constantly getting in trouble for breaking some inane new policy. When I got called into the flight supervisor's office one day after a flight due to my instructor's scheduling screw-up, I about had it. I even almost earned a 'lil Notice of Disapproval on my CSEL ride for not bringing my In-Flight Guide to the checkride. If you're curious what that's all about, you can find it here: http://flight.pr.erau.edu/manuals/IFG.pdf (worthless)

Once I got out, I found myself at North-Aire doing my CFI. During training, I began to look back and pick out which instructors were good, and which ones were bad. I also found certain things at ERAU that were taught to me by instructors that didn't care, and things that were taught completely incorrectly. That was really the thing that turned me away from Riddle for good.

Seriously, I can't stand a lot of the pilots at Riddle nowadays, or their instructors. VFR pilots glued on gauges, apathetic instructors that demand mere memorization of facts, etc etc. Can't stand it.

Anyways, there's the long-winded answer.
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Whoahh, they almost failed you on a FAA checkride for not having THAT?! YGBSM! But then, on the other hand, I could 'legally' fail my recurrent check at Delta by not bringing the two required flashlights (even though we're flying a simulator).

Regs are regs I guess but that's simply assinine.
 
Woohoo, I am still a yung'un, since I am only 10 years out of Riddle, then, right?!
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Captainmatt, you might want to check who said it first. That cheesy stuff was definitely said by Riddle when I was in DAB in 1990-94.

Ah, Slick Sliwa. I haven't heard that name in a long time. He did get numerous buildings build in DAB, the only ones that were really needed were the dorms. That's when tuition went skyrocketing. They have a great gym now, though.
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Hmm... looks like what I have been saying all this time isn't wrong!
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Hey... how 'bout a quick update on my adventures since I graduated Riddle in December! I went to ATP, received my PVT-MEI in under 5 months... (this was after certain officials at the flight line told me I could not be a pilot). I am now instructing for ATP and most recently did a Cross Country from Jacksonville to Phoenix and back in 6 days, giving a new private pilot instrument instruction. Lots of fun, and lots of experience!
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Back to the question of whether ERAU is worth it... I really enjoyed the academic side of my education there. Would I pay what I paid again?... well the jury is still out of that. I had a lot of great experiences, but I'm not sure that they were all worth the price tag.

Best of luck to all!
 
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Captainmatt, you might want to check who said it first. That cheesy stuff was definitely said by Riddle when I was in DAB in 1990-94.


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I'm not questioning who said it first, and by all means it most likely was Riddle. It's just now Riddle has some competition from the North.
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Harvard of the skies was initially written about ERAU back in the late 1980's (early 90's?) from a college issue of "US News & World Report"
 
Is getting a degree more important than getting maximum flight hours when looking for an aviation career? I know some say that the larger airlines may look away from education and just look at the log hours. Is this true? If so, wouldn't it just be better to attend a normal flight school like Flight Safety Academy and try to get both JAA & FAA certficates at the same time and log many more hours than ERAU?!?

Both ERAU and FSA have very solid quality teaching. How is the job market looking like now? How would it be when I graduate? I wonder if airlines will be more open about accepting ab-initio pilots with no/minimal flight time placed on them as there will be a "shortage" of pilots. I mean is it EVEN proven that there will be a shortage of pilots in the future or am I just dreaming of this oppurtunity??

I heard that FSA also will be offering a direct track program for international students. It is fairly new and they still haven't made it public yet. But the training takes place in Vero Beach for FAA and then back to Europe, Spain for JAA certficates. It is certain that one logs many more flight hours at FSA than ERAU, so which brings back to my initial question. Does a degree really matter when applying for a job in the aviation sector?

Doug: I've read your input about a college degree and I thank you for explaining many of the unexplained things in the world of hiring in the aviation sector. I just want to see what other peoples' views are on this matter so I guess that's why i'm posing this question.

I really hope God's with me with whatever I do because it seems to me, whatever I choose there'll always some problems...
 
It's the "Big Picture" (tm) that the airlines look at hours, background, education, etc.

The has never been a pilot shortage and contrary to what Kit Darby/Air Inc preaches, there will never be a pilot shortage.
 
I thought Kit Darby was the most up date guy with the most inside information about pilot jobs. If no he's got one of the best scams running and getting paid to do it. I love inside information and what it really means.....absolutely nothing. Unless you are Martha Stewart
 
I hate to denigrate the poor guy, but anyone with any insider industry experience takes Kit's hiring/shortage predictions with a big grain of sea salt.

I bought into it hook, line and sinker after college and the shortage never came. And that was almost 12 years ago.
 
I thought that he helped get that dream job with a airline. I didnt think you getting hired had anything to do with your skills and hours you spent as a CFI. Kits the man you know.....hahaha
 
Lemme see, I met him one day back in 1994 and asked him about the national guard. He then showed me a book he wanted to sell me that would answer all of my questions about the guard.

"Is there an age limit, that's all I want to know".

"$29.95... I've got a whole box of 'em!"

"Thanks, have a nice day!"
 
Always the salesman. Nothing is free. I guess his retirement will be set for good because you know folks are still buying his stuff hook, line and sinker
 
Not I! Actually my experience there was one of the prime motivators for starting jetcareers.com
 
You know though some schools would be terrified of this site because there is such a range of pilots and that the truth can come out and scare folks off. The truth hurts and they know it
 
Hurts ad sales, but the ones that can pass 'muster' snap 'em up!
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So it's like a negative/positive.
 
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