New twist in my situation

eRiCdWoNg

New Member
Alright I got a new twist of events. Ill quickly recap my situation. I'm 22, I have an associates degree in Business and have a few engineering courses as well. Anyway I'm working on my private pilots license now. At first I thought about taking a satellite program at Catonsville Comm. College (who partners with Univ. of Md Eastern shore), with about an hours drive, to work on the ratings after the PPL. Then I thought about going to the actual University of MD Eastern shore. At first my parents were not going to be supportive at all, but now they went on their own and researched the various schools and want to send me to Embry-Riddle in FL since its a large and arguably best civilian flight school. And they will be providing support- with a catch. If I screw up then I am to pay. If I do well, then they'll contribute to flight and living expenses.

I realize people say not to get a degree in aviation, but if I were to take straight up flight schools my parents would NOT pay for it. So I plan to do the aviation and then finish my business degree sometime before I am 30, so I have something to fall back on. And this way I'll have the flight time as soon as possible.

Another question- if I fly 5 times a week starting now is getting my PPL by the end of December a reasonable goal? I work 20 hours a week and I am not attending classes now.
 
So uh, why not get a business or management or even engineering degree at Riddle and fly there too?

Then you get the best of three worlds: 1.) Good Riddle name on your degree 2.) Screwed over by the flight department in the same manner you would as an AeroSci student, and 3.) A degree in something more useful than AeroSci.

Just my $.02. Personally, I wish I had done that over the AeroSci route.
 
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Another question- if I fly 5 times a week starting now is getting my PPL by the end of December a reasonable goal? I work 20 hours a week and I am not attending classes now.

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What part of the country do you live in? For a lot of people, weather starts to become a big factor as we get later into the fall and winter. So theoretically speaking, if you did fly 5x a week, probably so. But for a lot of students, there is the bigger factor (Mother Nature) that is out of everyone's control.
 
i like the way your parents set up the situation for you...do good, we pay...screw up, you pay! i've seen so many people with free rides just screw off because they had nothing to lose. cool thing, my ma is getting her masters paid for because shes a Federal worker...they pay for the whole thing, but if you don't graduate they charge you three times what it cost to pay for the Masters degree. talk about incentive to do well.
 
If you're willing to bust your butt, a PPL can happen fairly quickly. I got mine in 4 weeks from first flight to checkride. I flew twice a day for 4 days a week for 4 weeks. That gave me three days a week to study, and I reviewed material on the way to the airport everyday. (My dad was the director of maintenance at the school I trained at, so we car-pooled the two hour drive.) If I got weathered out of one day, I could make it up on one of the three I was supposed to not fly. Oh, and this was in November in Wisconsin!

On the other hand, if my parents were willing to send me to Embry (or any other aviation college for that matter) I'd be on it like a fly on sh*t! If it weren't for my then-boyfriend now-husband, I wouldn't have even been able to even get my PPL.
 
This sounds like a no-brainer. They are paying. You are well motivated at this point in your life. Study business at Embry Riddle and learn to fly. All on their dime (or $70,000)

They aren't looking to adopt are they? I am already housebroken...
 
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Study business at Embry Riddle and learn to fly.

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*seconds the advice* That's quite generous of them. I'd go for it before they change their mind.
 
Eric. Let me ask you a question. Are you capable of going to ERAU for four years and not screwing up? Your answer will determine your path. I never recommend ERAU but if you can go there without screwing up.....then go for it. Your parents must have done a search, seen the website, and bought off on ERAU as being the only way to a successful aviation career. Your parents must be loaded, too.
 
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Just my $.02. Personally, I wish I had done that over the AeroSci route.

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You don't like your poli sci degree with flying on the side?
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I got bilked that way to at Riddle.
 
I know the director of UMES--Ron Levy. He posts quite a bit on the AOPA forum. You might want to check out that program (since it is nearby AND has a good rep). By all accounts, Ron is a great teacher, and the program there is solid.
 
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So uh, why not get a business or management or even engineering degree at Riddle and fly there too?

Then you get the best of three worlds: 1.) Good Riddle name on your degree 2.) Screwed over by the flight department in the same manner you would as an AeroSci student, and 3.) A degree in something more useful than AeroSci.

Just my $.02. Personally, I wish I had done that over the AeroSci route.

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Hmm, they have business but aviation business. Would you recommend aviation business? Also what do you mean you were screwed over by the flight department as an aero sci student??
 
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Another question- if I fly 5 times a week starting now is getting my PPL by the end of December a reasonable goal? I work 20 hours a week and I am not attending classes now.

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What part of the country do you live in? For a lot of people, weather starts to become a big factor as we get later into the fall and winter. So theoretically speaking, if you did fly 5x a week, probably so. But for a lot of students, there is the bigger factor (Mother Nature) that is out of everyone's control.

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I live in MD. If I were to go to ERAU, I probbly will not try to get my PPL, cause the semester starts in Janurary and thats just not enough time between now and then to do it. They even told me if I dont get my PPL by then I'd have to start all over down there. Not to mention it DOES snow around here...
 
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So uh, why not get a business or management or even engineering degree at Riddle and fly there too?

Then you get the best of three worlds: 1.) Good Riddle name on your degree 2.) Screwed over by the flight department in the same manner you would as an AeroSci student, and 3.) A degree in something more useful than AeroSci.

Just my $.02. Personally, I wish I had done that over the AeroSci route.

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Hmm, they have business but aviation business. Would you recommend aviation business? Also what do you mean you were screwed over by the flight department as an aero sci student??

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For starters, the $$$ from the flight department: The 0.2 oral you were billed for and many times never given, the outrageous flight course costs.....
 
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I know the director of UMES--Ron Levy. He posts quite a bit on the AOPA forum. You might want to check out that program (since it is nearby AND has a good rep). By all accounts, Ron is a great teacher, and the program there is solid.

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Yes he presented himself to be a good person. I havent seen the school yet, so I might take a trip down just to see it, its about 2 hours away. Itll be much cheaper the ERAU. Do you have any more info/experience on that particular school?
 
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If I were to go to ERAU, I probbly will not try to get my PPL, cause the semester starts in Janurary and thats just not enough time between now and then to do it. They even told me if I dont get my PPL by then I'd have to start all over down there. Not to mention it DOES snow around here...

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Why would they make you start all over again? That's just plain stupid. Let's say you are getting ready to do a solo cross country by the time you get down there. Between now and January, I think that's reasonable if you go after it hard, even with weather delays.

So they're going to make you start like you're a zero hour student all over again? That makes no sense. It wastes your time, their time, and diverts resources away from a student who needs it.

And come on, it doesn't snow THAT much in Maryland. Yeah, there were the crazy blizzards of early this year, but before that, I don't recall very much snow. Enough to get the sky is falling types to go and stock up on enough TP and milk for a month, but you say 30 percent chance of snow flurries, and they'll do that!

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So they're going to make you start like you're a zero hour student all over again? That makes no sense. It wastes your time, their time, and diverts resources away from a student who needs it.


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Thats Riddle.
 
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So they're going to make you start like you're a zero hour student all over again? That makes no sense. It wastes your time, their time, and diverts resources away from a student who needs it.


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Thats Riddle.

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Jacksonville University does the same thing. Former student of mine is now at JU. She took her Private checkride 3 days before she left for college. She was a nervous wreck because if she didn't get it, she'd have had to start all over again. I've never heard a good explanation as to why this is the policy.

Ray
 
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Dude, stop being so naive, Start on your PPC now and get to it!! If your so unsure and confused about flying then maybe you shouldn't. I dont want to ride in a plane with a pilot who isn't sure if he should land or make a go around. GEEZ!!

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Yea but these choices can determine a good part of the rest of my life here. Right now the confused part is which school to go to and that determines what I should or should not do here in the meantime. Not to mention these chioces are expensive too. The way I see it, theres no point in trying to rush to get the PPL now (theres NO guarentees at all I'll get it by end of december) . if I'm gonna blow $5000+ only to have to start over again.
 
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