Pilots and Fraternities

ROSWELL41

New Member
Doug (or anyone else),
How did your fraternity life in college influence your aviation career? Did you feel that it was good thing to put on your resume? Were you ever concerned that the stigma around fraternities could affect your pursuit of an aviation career. Just looking to see if these two things can be mixed with positive results. I'm in the flight program at Purdue by the way.
 
I am one of Doug's fraternity brothers, I know for a fact that the fraternity does help when it comes to networking. A lot of the brothers look out for one another. I know I had a brother who was helping me try for a job with NWA, and I am helping out a couple of brothers with openings in my company.

A big help in any quest for a job is knowing the right person within an organization. I'll stick my neck out for a fraternity brother that I know, because when you vouch for (recommend) someone, you are forever linked with that person; that is, when you recommend them, it's a reflection of your judgment, and if that person turns out to be a dud, it reflects poorly on you. So, I tend to stay in touch with many of my alumni brothers as well as the current active brothers in my chapter, because before I stick my neck out for them, I want to make sure I know that guy very well.

There might be some negative stigma associated with fraternities, but I haven't encountered it. One of the pluses is that it shows you are a social person, and depending on your role within the fraternity, it shows leadership (i.e., if you were chapter president, etc).

I think the networking opportunities are very valuable. But then again, my chapter was at ERAU, so the majority of brothers are all working in the airlines. I also think the leadership opportunities are very valuable, but that is like any organization - you get out of it what you put into it.
 
Any Alpha Eta Rho members here?????? My school has a chapter and i was curious if anyone has opinions on them.
 
I'm in a fraternity here at UND. When I came up here last year I didn't know one person, joining a fraternity was one of the better decisions I have made since I've been up here. I have met a lot of really cool guys that I can already say will be life long friends, and just as important life long contacts. There are a lot of guys that are not aviation majors but there are also a lot of guys that are doing aviation. Copa laid out all benefits and I agree with everything that he said. I too have yet to find a negative of being in a fraternity.

If I were you I would seriously consider it. Visit all the fraternities on campus and get a feel for the guys in each house. Then make your decision based on who you felt the most chemistry with. Good luck with it and keep us posted if you decide to do it!

Matt
 
Hey Matt,

which fraternity did you join and which house is it on Campus? Glad to see you like it.

Have you noticed all the crappy weather lately? I have been flying in it and finally building up my actual time. All I can say is, the arrows with HSI's are great. So much nicer than the warriors, though I like those too.
 
SAE, right behind the Sig Chi house on University.

Yea the weather has been amazing for actual. Kinda pissed I'm not flying this semester, cause all my buddies that are still in 221 are braggin about all the actual they're gettin...oh well. Are you in 323 or 24 this semester?
 
I pledged Alpha Eta Rho the first semester of my freshman year along with sopdan, who also posts here. I really enjoyed the plegding process, and got to meet some very cool folks. My second semester I was still kind of involved in AHP, but now being a junior I'm unfortunally completly disconnected from the orginization. The real problem for me is that I'm dating a girl that does not live here so my weekends are spent with her and I don't have time for AHP functions anymore. One day I keep telling myself I'll go to a meeting or...something, but I never end up having the time. It's too bad too 'cause the people I pledged with are now on the e-board, and it'd be nice to see the people I came in with running things. But at this point in life, work, the girlfriend, and countless other things get in the way.

I would recommend you look into the AHP chapter at your campus. Every chapter is different. From what I understand, the AHP chapter at ERAU in Daytona Beach is more like a regular greek frat than the one at Western is. When I pledged we were very not greek, and very much a group of people interested in flying. So see what the chapter is about, 'cause it could be what you're looking for and it could not be.

My experience with AHP was a positive one, albeit a short one thus far.

Cheers


John Herreshoff
 
Matt,

I am in 323 and 324. 323 is aerodynamics, which is the flying class and 324 is the systems class that has to be taken at the same time as 323. The arrow is pretty fun and I can't wait for 325 and the seminole.
 
I was in AHP. Pi Rho chapter. ERAU-Prescott. 1981-82. We didn't have a house or anything but, just by chance, I wound up living in the same dorm as several of the officers...so it was natural for me to get involved. It was a social frat and was a great diversion from the drag and mundaneity (I just made up a word) of university life at a female-challenged college.

Honestly...it was a load of fun and I'd highly recommend it to anyone.
 
well I just graduated and am part of Sigma Nu. As of yet it hasnt had any impact on aviation for me, but it was fun anyway.
 
I'd looooooove to join a frat..........
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I'd looooooove to join a frat..........
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Pleast don't call a fraternity a frat, you dont call your country a .....
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Can anyone name that moive?
 
Pi Kappa Alpha "PIKE" from Mississippi State University...I have a couple of fraternity brothers that are pilots but no one to really network with. One of them flies a cropduster...cool stuff.

Fraternity life is great...it is one of the only things I miss from college. Besides...chicks dig Fraternity pilots
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Hey DE727UPS, What is AHP? I attend riddle and havent heard of that one. Just curious
 
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]


I'd looooooove to join a frat..........
laugh.gif


[/ QUOTE ]

Pleast don't call a fraternity a frat, you dont call your country a .....
shocked.gif



Can anyone name that moive?

[/ QUOTE ]

I believe that would be Animal House.
 
I'm an active member of Lambda Chi Alpha at Kansas State, and, as many other people on here already said, I would definitly recommend joining a fraternity. My first semester of college, I went to Oklahoma State, and I pledged Kappa Sigma (transfered before initiation). I liked that house a lot, and all of the people in it, but when I transfered, I found out that I was more comfortable with Lambda Chi than KSU Kappa Sig. So like someone said already, if you decided to join one, look into all of'em on campus and find were you fit in best.

There were 5 other pilots in the house when I was a Kappa Sig pledge, and that helped me more than anything. When I didn't understand something, there was always someone a room away with answers.
 
I have a friend that is in Lambda Chi down at Jacksonville State University. He's a great guy, says everyone else at Lambda Chi in Jacksonville is pretty laid back also. Don't really have any experience with them up here, though.

My room mate from last year did pledge Sigma Chi. The year before he pledged, the chapter here was suspended because one of their members went to his house, got blasted and then took off driving down I-94. He got to the interchange of I-94 and I-69 and started heading north; in the southbound lane. He collidied head on with some girl with a closure rate of something like 160 mph. She's dead, and I think this guy is in jail now. The university held the frat responsible for letting him get in his car and what not. Well these guys are back at it again only this time at the University of Michigan. Turns out they managed to get a pledges kidney's to fail. You can read about it here...

http://www.freep.com/news/mich/haze24_20030924.htm

I don't want to go bash Sigma Chi, or any other frat; but I would do your research before you pledge.

Cheers


John Herreshoff
 
Agreed, Hazing is still a very real thing. Although a fraternity may have a "no hazing" policy, doesn't mean follow it.
My chapter of Lambda Chi just happened to be the first chapter of any fraternity to adopt the "associate program" instead of the pledge system. New Associates have every right as an active. We joke that ther only kind of hazing that goes on is reverse hazing (when they mess with the older guys).

Some other houses have curfews, duties, pledge tests, extra fines, for the pledges and supposedly that isn't considered hazing some how. I don't know why anyone would want to go through with that.
 
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