Advice on making career decisions

[Flyguy5432H]

i'm also new to the board, but i do have recent experience as i recently graduated from the daytona campus last year.

alot changed from the point that i started back in 1998 to the present. when i started pilot jobs were good, and you were almost guaranteed a position as a CFI/I at riddle if you wanted to do so. with the current state of the industry thats no longer true.

in my last two years i saw alot of friends and younger students changing from the aeronautical science degree, airline pilot area of concentration, to aeronautical science, aviation studies. in the aviation studies area of concentration your required to pick up a minor as a graduating requirement. there are many good minor at the school including ATC, meteorology, applied psychology, and a bunch of others. these will give you a background in something else, but still with the core of aeronautical science.

as for the flight training there, i did not do my private certificate there. i did it part 61 out of a small grass airstrip in pennsylvania. i saw alot of pilots come out of riddle that never flew outside of the riddle bubble and had very little experience in other areas of the country. the accelerated training is good, but it's just that, accellerated. take any chance you get to fly other places.

i had alot of fun at the school in my 4 years there, and you do get the education and training that would be expected from a school of that caliber. i'd definitely recommend the aviation studies area of concentration and a minor in a field that you enjoy. good luck!

 

[Country Wild]

Aviation is a wicked and winding road, one day you are the king of the hill, next day your company is bankrupt. Listen Kid, I was young when I started and things seemed to have fallen into place for me some way some how through all the layoffs furlough cycles..etc...etc..., but I never chased aviation. I always did what made me happy. In the end it all worked out. Get a degree, but fly because you enjoy, don't try to plan your whole life right away, cause before you know it you will retiring soon...

 

[KingAirKiddo]

My $.02...

I can understand your dilemna...been there, done that says the cliche.

I too am from a middle class family with limited resources. I graduated from Riddle in 2000 with a degree in Aeronautical Science, though most of my flying was completed off campus (they didn't change that rule until after I graduated). I am now burdened with debt that will take a long time to pay off.

I can only offer this. If you are committed to pursuing your goals in aviation and stay focused it will pay off, no matter which path you choose. My first two jobs in aviation (first flight instructing, then flying corporate Barons and King Airs) were obtained through contacts that I made outside the Riddle bubble. The networking that I accomplished in DAB enabled me to land an interview at ACA, where I am presently employed as a CRJ FO (and ecstatic to be here).

Looking back, I don't think I'd change anything of significance. My advice is to simply work hard, keep a positive attitude (yes, it is hard at times), network your brains out, and stick with it. If you take all these steps, it will pay off for you no matter which option you decide to pursue. I'll echo Falcon Capt's advice...make sure you get the degree whether it's a Riddle one or not. Education is going to be the key, whether it's at a major, a Fortune 500 corporate flight department, or some job outside of aviation.

Best of luck to you. Keep your chin up...it'll all work out for you in the end.

KAK

 

[embdrvr]

Pilots at any airline have degrees from all over. I know some of the folks on our hiring committee and I have never heard them mention where someone got their degree influencing the decision on whether or not to hire that person. Most airlines are looking for someone that is pleasant enough to spend 4 days flying with and is reasonably safe and competent.
There are many excellent community college flight programs out there that would cost a fraction of ERAU. You could go through one of those and then work on your BS degree while flight instructing or flying traffic watch, cargo, or whatever.
A couple of the best pilots I've flown with graduated from a state university with an aviation degree. There are some awesome pilots out there with a HS education. It's a shame that their lack of an education is preventing them from moving to a major because they would be an asset to any flight department.

 

[pilotshan]

my 2 cents

According to the US Department of Education web site (Income Chart) for a 25 year old male with only a High School Diploma the Median income in 1999 was $33,184 the same person with a 4 year college degree was $52,985 a difference of $19,801 or a 59.7% increase in income over a high-school graduate...

According to these figures, someone owes me about $30,000!!

Aside from that, there are plenty of other aviation colleges out there that provide a quality aviation education. Hopefully,by the time you're out of school, the industry will be on the upswing, but I'd hate to have $120,000 in student loans to pay off now that I'm out of school and flight instructing. Luckily, I graduated with only about $40,000 in student loans. That included all of my ratings (through CFI) and a bachelor's degree. I had a little bit of scholarship money that helped but it only totaled about $8,000. Riddle is a good school, but is it worth it to be that much in debt afterwards, even worse, is it worth it to be comitted to the military when you really don't want to be there?

Based on what you're saying, you may want to consider another school with an aviation program. There are plenty out there where you can get an associate's or bachelor's degree without ending up with an enormous debt load. Some important things to look for are bridge programs with regionals and internship opportunities. You want to make as many connections as you can as early as you can. It's also worth considering getting a non-aviation degree or having a double major so you have something to fall back on.

Hopefully this was helpful to you. Feel free to PM me with any questions.

 

[Maxwell Smart]

PUNT! PUNT