University of Alaska Anchorage

ASpilot2be

Qbicle seat warmer
I am currently enrolled in the Professional Piloting Program here at UAA, so I thought I would point out some pros and cons of the school for those looking at going to college to professional piloting.

Pros:
  • Small class sizes.
  • The teachers are amazing. They are very experienced, and love to get to know the students. They love to help the student succeed.
  • Great facility.
  • Helping develop new technology. UAA helped test ADS-B, and has the very first CAPSTONE unit in one of its aircraft.
  • Location. Being is Alaska you get to actually make weather decisions, experience all sorts of weather, and learn mountain flying. Plus it rarely dips below 0, unlike ND;)
  • The ability to start the program with a PPL and be thrown right into Instrument training. No need to take PPL classes over again.
  • Cheap. Right now it is about 42 grand PPL-CFI.
Cons:
  • Shortage of instructors.
That is the only con I can think of so far.

UAA is a great alternative to those high priced programs down south. I will see if I can get an ATC student on here to give their opinion of the program because there are alot of people up here in that program.
 
What type of aircraft, and how many flight hours?
Im in USAF right now, my wife is an accountant, are there plenty of jobs in "A" town?
 
UAA has an all around pretty good aviation program'(s)...they are also one of the few places in the world let alone universities that has an ATC simulator... I hear their CTI program is pretty good in that area... I work with the guy who help develop the piloting program and all I have heard are good things. Please correct me if I am wrong but I think they are using diamonds for their flight training but. . . those aren't bad planes to fly.
 
What type of aircraft, and how many flight hours?
Im in USAF right now, my wife is an accountant, are there plenty of jobs in "A" town?

Menarda; I dont know your current situation but for a recommendation I would finish as much schooling as you can while you are active. The Air Force TA pays 100% of your school and that money isn't truly burnt up...resets every fiscal year...If you were to use your GI bill yes that may be 100% tuition but that money has a time limit factor to it and shrinks as you use it...you will still have flight training to do and that is still expensive so you want to be able to use as much of that GI bill on flying as you can...yes I do use my GI bill for flight training and school but about 90% of my school was paid for with TA and I have used GI bill for all my flight training...I still have a good size in my pot...ready to be used for masters and PHD if I so choose to go that route... Also I would recommend going through ERAU while you are in if you aren't already...if anything it will keep your degree program in aviation and UAA might take more of their credits...I dont know that for a fact so you will have to check with both universities and I recommend you get in contact with UAA well before you separate.

one las thing I wanted to add if you dont already have this I suggest you finish up that CCAF...it cant hurt having a second degree right? and there isn't much to it... I think you can CLEP a majority of the classes... if not then just double dip on ERAU...
 
UAA has an all around pretty good aviation program'(s)...they are also one of the few places in the world let alone universities that has an ATC simulator... I hear their CTI program is pretty good in that area... I work with the guy who help develop the piloting program and all I have heard are good things. Please correct me if I am wrong but I think they are using diamonds for their flight training but. . . those aren't bad planes to fly.
Their simulators are amazing, top of the line.

We use Diamonds, Cessna 172s, and Piper PA-30s.:)
 
Their simulators are amazing, top of the line.

We use Diamonds, Cessna 172s, and Piper PA-30s.:)


yeah that's what I hear.. I remember going into their ATC sim a few years back and I was impressed... while I was in there they were working on a simulation to train the controllers to abort takeoff's or landings if there were birds off the end of the runway...what they ended up doing was making the simulated helicopters look like birds so if the controller landed the plane with birds (really a helicopter) at the end of the runways they would get a crash. The birds would look like they were flying in as group but like I said it was just a heli flying around and landing...
 
I am currently enrolled in the Professional Piloting Program here at UAA, so I thought I would point out some pros and cons of the school for those looking at going to college to professional piloting.


Pros:
  • Small class sizes.
  • The teachers are amazing. They are very experienced, and love to get to know the students. They love to help the student succeed.
  • Great facility.
  • Helping develop new technology. UAA helped test ADS-B, and has the very first CAPSTONE unit in one of its aircraft.
  • Location. Being is Alaska you get to actually make weather decisions, experience all sorts of weather, and learn mountain flying. Plus it rarely dips below 0, unlike ND;)
  • The ability to start the program with a PPL and be thrown right into Instrument training. No need to take PPL classes over again.
  • Cheap. Right now it is about 42 grand PPL-CFI.
Cons:
  • Shortage of instructors.
That is the only con I can think of so far.

UAA is a great alternative to those high priced programs down south. I will see if I can get an ATC student on here to give their opinion of the program because there are alot of people up here in that program.


I go to UAA in the Math department, the school has its pros and cons, its cheap, for the most part class sizes are small (though my BA151 class has 95 people in it), and all the aviation professors I've met here (I've taken a class or few there) are really good, however, if you're coming here just for a piloting degree, I might look elsewhere, UVSC would be my first advice, just because I know more than a few people who aren't flying very much due to the sheer lack of instructors, and UVSC would let you live anywhere and get your flight training as cheap as possible. Instructor pay is pretty lousy too from what I here, that being said, their equipment is good.

As for Maintenance, when I was in highschool I took Av Maintenance classes through the university and thoroughly enjoyed them. Its an incredibly good program, and all of the teachers are old codgers who've been wrenching for 10 years or so at least, I was impressed, and enjoyed the experience.

-Pat
 
I go to UAA in the Math department, the school has its pros and cons, its cheap, for the most part class sizes are small (though my BA151 class has 95 people in it), and all the aviation professors I've met here (I've taken a class or few there) are really good, however, if you're coming here just for a piloting degree, I might look elsewhere, UVSC would be my first advice, just because I know more than a few people who aren't flying very much due to the sheer lack of instructors, and UVSC would let you live anywhere and get your flight training as cheap as possible. Instructor pay is pretty lousy too from what I here, that being said, their equipment is good.

As for Maintenance, when I was in highschool I took Av Maintenance classes through the university and thoroughly enjoyed them. Its an incredibly good program, and all of the teachers are old codgers who've been wrenching for 10 years or so at least, I was impressed, and enjoyed the experience.

-Pat
Once you become a resident of Alaska you can get the tuition waiver so all you have to pay for is the flight and lab fees:bandit: That is another advantage.
 
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