Purdue and lack of publicity

ROSWELL41

ROSWELL41

New Member
Why is it that most people researching aviation colleges overlook Purdue? We all know Purdue is probably the best aviation university in the country but why is the publicity just not there? I heard an AAL pilot who was here over alumni weekend say that Purdue doesnt do a good enough job promoting itself to the industry like ERAU and UND. Does it not actively seek applicants vigorously enough or does Purdue want to remain the best kept secret in collegiate aviation? We all know how good the quality of our training is. I'm on a rant, maybe its good that things are small and quiet here.
 
First, Purdue is expensive to go too for out of state tuition. Second, the professional pilot progrom has a limited number of students that can enroll which makes it hard to get into.
 
Purdue doesn't need to advertise... they get a consistent number of applicants each year, and have a hard enough time accepting 10% of the applicants.

IMO, it IS the best kept secret in aviation training... but I think that there is really no need to advertise.

Students here are top notch, best of the best, creme of the crop... its like Miramar, right here in Indiana
smile.gif
.. minus the F14s

Cheers,
 
[ QUOTE ]
Students here are top notch, best of the best, creme of the crop... its like Miramar, right here in Indiana .. minus the F14s

Cheers,

[/ QUOTE ]


They may look like that on paper, but on real life it is a different story. I am sure Purdue has great students, but so does every other school in the U.S. To label your students the best of the best is just plain ignorant, especially since you have probably only attended one university.


I hope your post is just a joke, cause then I will retract what I said.
grin.gif
 
[ QUOTE ]
I'm not joking.

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C'mon dude. It's really not a big deal if they advertise or not. You are enrolled in a very respectable program. Who gives a sh*t if they advertise or not. Part of the reason is probably that the University is perfectly happy with the direction and numbers that the program is producing currently. Just be happy with what you have.

I'll be perfectly honest with you. I didn't attend Purdue not because of lack of advertising but because there is no way in hell I would have gotten in with my grades out of high school. So I went to UND, not because they advertised but because they have a great program as well.

I guess the moral of the story is that when I considered my choices for colligiate aviation I had the same amount of information about both schools plus five others. Furthermore, any high school student and his/her parents that are considering a college aviation program and spending the amount of time and money it demands, would be ignorant fools not to do their homework and consider ALL choices, regardless of whether or not they advertise.

/rant
grin.gif


Matt
 
I just wanted to see what responses I would get by seeming like a hard ass. Its cool. Purdue is a good place. I'd like to come and visit UND to see how things are done up there.
 
What up Matt

I just got home from a party so bear with me. I second what you said. There are so many choices it would be stupid for an incoming student not to research potential schools.

About UND too, I am probably one of the first persons that will come out and openly complain about the program. Yes, it is a good program, but there are many parts to it that I would like to see changed, but why would they listen to young adult. I tried to speak my mind, and the only arguement I got from the faculty was, "You aren't in the industry and you have no grounds to say what you are saying." I wanted to kick that guys ass because it was such a weak arguement, and exactly what I expected from a blinded person who thinks they are the best and nothing can improve their program. I am an open minded person, so when someone is so one sided to their program (ie. Roswell) it tends to piss me off. Do I think there are better programs than UND? Yes, I certainly do, one that comes to mind is ATP. All of it comes from the satisfied customers off of jetcareers.

You know, not sure what the jist of my post is, but just take the sh*t you are fed from the faculty with a grain of salt, because it is usually one sided.
 
What makes Purdue so great, besides the fac that it's Purdue? Which isn't even the best school in the world. A good school to be sure, but it's not the be all and end all of everything out there. What puts Purdue head and shoulders above my Western Michigan University education? Aviation or otherwise? I'll tell you what boys.

Hype

Western Michigan has one of "the best" aviation program's in the country, but it's a bunch of BS. They hype themselves up and honestly have very little to show for it.

So what makes Purdue so great, other than it being...Purdue?

If you can answer me honestly I'll drop the sarcasm, but I have not seen anyone come at me with a real good answer as of yet (same for the people that go to Michigan because...it's Michigan).

Cheers


John Herreshoff
 
Lets see:
(1) 727-100 Simulator
(1) 727-200 Level C Simulator
(2) Beech King Air 200s which all flight students get 10 hrs right seat time
(1) Raytheon Beechjet 400 which 10 flight students get to serve as copilot per year
(1) Boeing 737-800 Category 5 FTD which comes online Jan 2005 (all flight students)
-Competitive entry into the program
Add to that the oldest university owned airport and excellent faculty and I'd say you've got a program head and shoulders above the rest.
 
That's great and I'm happy that you get the opportunity for all of those experiences. You will definetely benefit from them. (seriously)

However, you still are not getting the big picture. No one here is trying to argue that Purdue doesn't have a great flight program, thats because they do. But to go out and say that it is the best in the counrty is a pretty bold statment. You have not experienced any of the other perfectly respectable flight schools around the country. So to go out and say that your program is "head and shoulders above the rest" is a pretty uninformed and biased statement.

The same thing goes for me, I can't sit here and say that UND is better than ERAU, WMU, Purdue, etc. because I have never been enrolled and experienced those particular programs.
 
Those sims are great, but we've got the same thing here; as does U of I. So what sets you apart? It's hard to get into? Why does that matter? So you've got kids with good grades/test scores coming into your program. How is the faculty? Are they teachers? Do they really care about education and teaching kids how to fly airplanes? Western is a teaching school, that was it's original intent and I'm still thankfully feeilng the effects of this. The focus here is on learning, where in a lot of higher academic institutions it's on research, and the undergrads get crapped on. I don't know how Purdue is setup quite honestly. Is it a school that can teach you how to fly or is it a school that wants your money from flying so they can do research?

And if the flight training is that good, where are you guys at SAFECON? Why are UND, WMU and ERAU always on top? If you've got the best pilots, you should be scoring well in this event.

Now personally, and this is me, Western's flight program didn't work for me. Does that mean it sucks? For me, yes. But we've got a few other people on these forums that had a good run with Western. For me, U of I's program looks like it really would have been ideal for me. Water under the brdige now. I recieved my primary training and instrument training from an 8,000 hour Master CFI that was dedicated to getting me my ratings. I can almost assure you that my training is head and shoulders above yours. NAFI does not give out that master CFI endorsement to just anyone. We're talking the best of the best. How much of your instruction has come from a Master CFI that is a dedicated teacher, with no aspirations beyond flight instructing?

Sounds to me like you bought the hype.

Cheers


John Herreshoff
 
John,
No, none of my training has been done by a master CFI. All of my instructors have been very young and I will be one of them in two months (18 yr old CFI). I can only compare Purdue to the schools I looked at during my college search: FIT, UND, ERAU. Oh, and I did my PPL back in CT, part 61, at a small FBO. I'm not entirely a Purdue product. But back to what was said. Purdue's flight program intends to train future airline and corporate pilots. The primary flight training is focused on attaining FAA ratings and nothing more (has its benefits and drawbacks). I presume all of the professional type flight training programs operate this way. I doubt any of these type of institutions can claim to be better than the other regarding primary training. Advanced training is where I've found Purdue to be strongest. With the heavy sims and the exposure to turbine flight ops, Purdue does give its graduates an advantage that many other institutions cannot. Imagine in an airline interview when it comes time for the sim ride, at least the Purdue grad can go in with the confidence that he/she has spent X00 hours in a heavy aircraft sim. As far as SAFECON, Purdue does participate. We do not offer a SAFECON class like many of the other institutions. Also remember that we are a much smaller program than UND and ERAU (65 freshman in flight, reaching a max of 72 in the junior yr).
 
not to pick on you in particular roswell, but i feel the need to play devils advocate here cause i think alot of this stuff in unecessary.

[ QUOTE ]
(1) 727-100 Simulator
(1) 727-200 Level C Simulator
(2) Beech King Air 200s which all flight students get 10 hrs right seat time
(1) Raytheon Beechjet 400 which 10 flight students get to serve as copilot per year
(1) Boeing 737-800 Category 5 FTD which comes online Jan 2005 (all flight students)
-Competitive entry into the program


[/ QUOTE ]

while all this stuff is really nifty and cool it wont give you much of an advantage in hiring versus a hometown FBO fellow who has seen nothing but pipers and cessnas. what will all this gee wizz stuff do for you? it will definalty teach you more on a personal level, but will it help at all in the job market or give you an advantage? doubtful

[ QUOTE ]
With the heavy sims and the exposure to turbine flight ops, Purdue does give its graduates an advantage that many other institutions cannot. Imagine in an airline interview when it comes time for the sim ride, at least the Purdue grad can go in with the confidence that he/she has spent X00 hours in a heavy aircraft sim.

[/ QUOTE ]


how many airline interviews have you participated in? my instructor an FBO guy just go hired at Mesa yet he didnt need all this gee whiz type of stuff.
 
Kelly went and said exactly what I was about to. What is your first job going to be once you're out of school? CFI. CFI on a 727? Nope, CFI in a Cessna 152. All that wizz-bangery is cool, and I'd love to get the chance to fly it; but it's not going to help you out. It's on par with Riddle advertising it's sims and saying "LOOK IT'S SO COOL AND IT WILL HELP YOU GET A JOB!" We know it crap when it comes out of Riddle, and it's crap when it comes out of Purdue.

So, all you've told me is that you've got cool wizz-bangery to toy around with. What makes Purdue pump out better PILOTS, that fly REAL aircraft that they are RATED in, not sims?
 
One other thing I failed to mention (which I'm sure all of you know) is that schools like Purdue have bridge programs which lower minimums for hire. This is another advantage that the little FBO does not have. Now I know you're going to say that no one is hiring now so the bridge programs are worthless. Well, TSA came to Purdue last month and interviewed 22 and hired 15. Guys off the street cant get an interview with under 1500 hrs tt, Purdue grads due to the bridge can interview with 500tt and 25 multi. As far as who makes better pilots, well that I cannot answer. I know some good and some not so good pilots here at Purdue. All I do know is that for someone who is motivated and willing to learn, Purdue has much to offer (especially in the last two years).
 
So since only 60 some people are allowed each year, what does it take to get accepted into Purdue and the program. I know one thing is Indiana resident really helps, so are there alot of Indiana residents there?
 
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