need advice....

shortguy16

New Member
hello everybody, i just joined this forum and i am looking for advice about flight training. i am 18 yrs. old and will be graduating from high school this spring and i am looking to become a professional pilot. i have been looking at different schools that would allow me to achieve my dream. I have already been accepted to embry-riddle but after reading posts and really lookin at finances, it seems embry-riddle may not be the best way
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. i do wish to receive flight training and a degree of some sort since many airlines require a degree when hiring. does anyone know of any schools or academies that provide both flight training and an education at a reasonable price?
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i have also been looking at programs through ATP, DCA, PanAm, and Arizona State... i am basically just looking for advice on which route is best and the ways others have gone. thanks and i hope to hear from someone soon!
brandon
 
If you've been acepted to Embery-Riddle hell I mean your not gunna get a much better program than that. Though I wouldnt major in a aviation study (thought it sounds like you will) with the aviation market like it is right now. Does Riddle have a metorology program? That would be a cool thing to major in...
 
Stay away from the big schools and their deceptive ads. I'd recommend a non-aviation degree in an area you are interested in and getting your ratings at a flight school. That said, I think ASU has a good program and SJSU, being in your neck of the woods, would be a consideration.
 
As I am sure you will hear from many people on this forum, the best route seems to be getting a degree in something non-aviation (broadens your scope and allows for a fallback while still making the airlines happy) and working on your ratings at an FBO or smaller school.

Really no reason that I can see to rack up $80,000 worth of loans - especially when your first gigs will probably be as an instructor and regional FO making $20,000/yr or less.

As a recent prospective student, I can tell you to visit, visit, visit. Find a training center that matches your needs, personality, budget, and style. Some offer interviews, special programs, and more . . . for some they might be perfect, but not for all. Take everything with a grain of salt and remember that it's YOUR money and YOU'RE the customer. The important thing is that you be happy: there are no short cuts or magic pills but there are regrets and rewards. Find the place that has more of the latter.

Check your PMs.

-PhotoPilot
 
I was in your shoes 2 or 3 years ago. I can only tell you what I've done and that it is working out GREAT for me, but you have to decide what is best for you:

-Community College: it's CHEAP and in a few years I'll have the same 4 year degree that everyone else has from a big-name school (by transfering after getting an AS degree)

-Local flight school: get to know the people, do all or most of your ratings there, get hired as a CFI, make contacts, etc.

I also considered ERAU, WMU, UND, etc. and decided that none of that was for me in part beacuse it didn't seem like the flight programs were any better than what I could do here for 1/3 the cost. Plus it's COLD up there
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in North Dakota
 
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Plus it's COLD up there in North Dakota

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It's cold here. I wish someone would have told my parents that before they had me!
 
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Plus it's COLD up there in North Dakota

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It's cold here. I wish someone would have told my parents that before they had me!

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Right now I am following the summer round - HA HA 18 months of spring/summer not bad!
 
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Really no reason that I can see to rack up $80,000 worth of loans - especially when your first gigs will probably be as an instructor and regional FO making $20,000/yr or less.


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In most cases, much, MUCH less.
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Go to UC-Santa Cruz, have a good time, and get your ratings at an FBO...hell, contact Josh here on the boards, he flys out of Watsonville and he'll be looking for students soon.
 
John Jones- yes ERAU Daytona has a metorology program, along with many other different programs even to dispatcher, not to mention many others.

The way I did it, I went to a community college for awhile, got a 2yr degree while working with the admissions office at ERAU-DAB, to make sure most of my credits would transfer for the 4yr degree at ERAU. This was my 1st semister at Embry-Riddle Daytona Beach. Where I'm standing now, I can be done in about a year and a half with the 4yr degree. At the same time I was working on flight certificates away from school for 2 reasons. 1. The FBO/Small flt school route was cheaper for me (money was an issue in my case to). 2. At Riddle, as an Aeronautical Science major, you must complete the rest of your ratings AT RIDDLE FROM THE TIME YOU ENROLL TO THE END OF YOUR COMMERCIAL/MULTI. If you come in with nothing, you have to do everything else with them. This is pretty expensive going the riddle way. One of my good friends at school was forced to stop flying in the middle of the semister because of money problems. I would recommend at least getting your private certificate away from school and see if you really like flying enough to work on it for a good period of time, and to make sure it is worth the money to you. I have heard of many Riddle students who started with no flying experience and finished or quit their flying and said that it just wasn't for them. To do that at school is to waste alot of money, but if you can find another place to at least start, you can find out for sure if it is for you before getting wound up in financial aid, etc. If you want to go to Riddle you can pick another degree major while you are working on your certificates, then when you are done, just switch majors to Aero Science. The school is great and would not trade it for any other, most of the teachers are very good. The only thing that bothers me and know a few others can agree with is that we could use a few changes in the flight department.
Hope this helps, and if I can answer anything just let me know.
 
well thanks everyone for your help. i guess it's now just up to me to decide on what's the best way for me... there are sooo many different ways to go and they're all pretty good with their own advantages. i'll keep everyone posted and if you have any more advice, feel free! thanks again
brandon
 
If not Riddle I'd go with the Mesa program if I didn't already have ratings. You get a college degree and there partnered with an airline. If not that then I'd go the FBO route.


Matthew
 
First off go to college, anywhere, get a 4-year degree in anything.

Consider the military. After college you could join the military (I'd recommend Air Force) and you are young enough that you could have an long, exciting military career, and then have plenty of time to persue an airline career. The best part is you'd save a butt load of debt, and you'd be flying state-of-the art aircraft shorly after learning to fly. In the Air Force you'd have a ten year commitment after earning your wings so if you go in right after college, you'd be out by the time you are about 33, have about 4000 turbine hours, debt free, and still be younger than the average new hire at the majors. You may even choose to stay in the military, as many pilots do.

If the military is not an option for you or does not appeal to you, rather than going Embry or some other college with an avaition degree program, consider majoring in something else you are interrested in so that you can have a back-up career if flying does not work out. While in college get a good part-time job, save up some money and learn to fly in your spare time so you can begin building hours.
 
One more thing, If you are still stuck on an aviation degree, Denver Metro offers one. I don't know how it compares to the other schools/programs out there but I know of it, and its one more option for you to put on the table.
 
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