Advice

[ericpj14]

I am 18 and just graduated high school. I am going to Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University next year and want to be an airline pilot I am majoring in Aeronautical Science and getting a minor in air traffic control to fall back on. I have approx. 200 hours and will have my instrument rating soon. I have a good amount of PIC XC time and I always seem to be ahead of my training syllabus. Does anyone have any advice on what I should concentrate on or do to help my self out? I would appreciate and advice anyone has to give. Thanks in advance.

 

[PTWOB]

FLY - get your degree - FLY - stay out of trouble - FLY - have fun.

FLYFLYFLY

 

[BradG]

I am almost in your situation, 18, just graduated, but i have my Multi-Commercial and will have my CFI in the next few weeks. I was going to go to an "aviation" college, unitl i realized that if i lost my medical, id be screwed. Since your already a step ahead, i would just go get a business degree at somewhere less expensive, unless someone else is paying for it. Just go to a school close to you, and get s degree in something you can fall back on. Good luck with the instrument.

 

[chawbein]

How did you get all those ratings by 18 years?? How did you pay for it?

I never had that kind of jack or time when I was in hight school!!

If only I had decided sooner to get my ticket...

 

[bobbysamd]

Riddle

Which Riddle? I instructed at Prescott eleven years ago. PM me and I'll give you names of some good people if that's where you're going.

Other than that, study hard and walk the line. Plenty of people diss Riddle, myself included at times, but there's no question in my mind that ERAU provides a great education. Good choice of minor, by the way.

Good luck with school.

 

[BradG]

I worked my a$$ off at a grocery store, a computer store, and finally at the airport. 60 hr weeks. Overtime rocks

 

[de727ups]

Nice job BradG

I didn't get my CFI till I was 20...multi long after that....so you're way ahead of me. Your advice and ideas about good reasons for NOT getting an aviation degree are right on. I went to Riddle and would do things differently if I could do it over....didn't know any better at the time, though. The only way I'd recommend an aviation degree is if the person truly has no outside or secondary interests beyond flying. I developed a secondary interest in counseling/youth ministry/working with kids, but not until well after Riddle.

 

[flywithruss]

Good job!

Great job working hard on those ratings! Keep up the work.

Like Bobby, I'm a Riddle alum so I'll say (and I diss the place too!) the education is first-rate! The ATC minor is outstanding, and I found it to be an excellent addition to my Aero. Sci. degree! One word of caution, though, is that if you are considering ATC as a back-up career to flying, that can be problematic. If you lose your medical, you are as much an ATC pumpkin as a flying one! Many people don't realize it, but controllers have to keep Class II physicals just like we do. Don't let that dissuade you from the minor, though; I think really knowing how the other half lives makes you a much better pilot! (And Keith Parkman has some really intense scenarios in the computer ... I put 40 airplanes on the MCO 18R localizer in an hour one day.)

Personally, I went to the DAB campus, but if I had it to do over again, I would seriously consider PRC ... I think that Arizona is just a nicer place to live than central Florida.

If you want an aviation degree, get it! If you can't do aviation later in life for whatever reason, the bachelor's degree (in any field) will open doors for you, and if you decide you want to, you can always get another degree later in life! (I myself toy with the notion of an MBA or J.D. from time to time, just for the challenge.)

In any case, I think everyone joins me in wishing you the very best of luck. If you have questions or problems, post them and you'll get a lot of great feedback! There is a wealth of experience on this board.

Good luck!

R

 

[SigTauPilot]

I attend riddle, and i dont know if you have talked with them yet about your ratings...i came in here with my private and they basically make you redo your training over to get up to there standards...i also had a friend who came here with his ppl and mult, and they made him go through riddles ppl course and multi course...if i was you i would check into what flight courses the're going to want you to take (this could cost you more money), since you will already be instrument rated....also take into consideration of going to a junior college for two years and then transfering into riddle (that could safe you money).....a lot of people talk trash on riddle and i sometimes do to myself, however if you cam put up with it you will by far get the best training around.