College

[FL530]

What should I look for in an aviation college. I am probably going to Central Missouri State University. Is it any good? There website is www.cmsu.edu/aviation.

 

[OhioFlyO]

re:college

well for one, make sure they give you a degree! haha. I would check into their program and make sure they have enough aircraft for the amount of students. Internships or connections with airlines would also be nice. Maybe try talking to a current flight student and see what they think. I know some of the students at my school will tell you a lot more than the profs will. One final note....look into what happens to graduates of the program. See if the school will hire you as an instructor. Mine shafted me with more advanced students since I got my CFI, which means they did a lot of solo time and I didn't fly as much. Then when I tried to get a job with them I hear, well, you don't have enough flight time. It's not all their problem, but seriously, they're been no help when it came to finding a job. Enough of my ranting....good luck!

 

[mainah]

Make sure they have reasonable expectations for completion time of certificates. I would personally make sure you are guaranteed an interview if you do your CFI with them (ERAU does this). Their own maintenance or an FBO they operate through with their own mx. There are plenty of good schools out there. CMSU has nice, clean looking aircraft last I saw and I've heard they have a good flight program. Best of luck with your decision and have fun wherever you go!

 

[bobbysamd]

College choice

First of all, make sure the college is accredited. There are six accrediting bodies recognized by the Department of Education. Your school should be accredited by one of them. A degree from a non-accredited college is barely worth the paper on which it is printed.

Of course, cost is a big factor. The big-ticket schools, such as ERAU, certainly carry a name in the industry, and a price tag to boot. But plenty of state schools, such as Southeast Oklahoma State University, have great aviation programs that are known in the industry and at a fraction of the cost.

Maybe check out numbers of aircraft and numbers of flight students. When I first started instructing at ERAU in 1989, I was given a bunch of primary students. That was fine, but there weren't enough 172s available to accomodate them. That meant that neither they nor I were flying enough (and I wasn't making enough money). That impacted their training. Beware of airplane shortages.

I second the above about investigating instructing employment opportunities after graduating.

Last but not least, check out the school's contacts within the industry. Good internship opportunities are a major plus. That contact you meet through an internship could land you in the seat at the airline of your dreams.

Hope that helps. Good luck with school and with your training.

 

[mainah]

Check out Purdue. Was in Grand Forks a few weeks ago and interviewed flight students from various schools. Had to say the Purdue guys have some pretty interesting opportunities. Two guys I spoke with were flying the schools Beechjet through a school internship. They were sent off to school for the Beech type and then flew outside of classes in the right seat. They get around 200 hours in the right seat in one year plus a type. Not too bad at all. It sounds like very few get this internship but just think if you're applying along with a bunch of other low time guys/gals after graduation and you have some extra hours plus a type, how this could help. Oh and before you think I'm trying to pump up Purdue because I'm alumni, I'm not, I'm a Riddle grad.

 

[SDdriver]

Why dont you get your ratings and then get a degree in something else as a back up in case you wind up furloughed like so many people are now. Dedicating all of your skill and education to nothing but aviation is not leaving yourself an out if you can't fly. Just think about it. If you go out and spend all of that money on a 4 yr aviation degree then 1 yr into your professional flying, you lose your medical, what are you going to fall back on? Just helps to think ahead and be diversified in this career, cause you NEVER know when you will no longer be flying and have to go do something else for a living. Believe me, been there 3 times, and here again. Thanks goodness I didn't get an aviation degree and got it in something else that can allow me to build upon that if I chose. Cause right now, an aviation degree wouldn't do me any good, but hey the one I have now isn't really doing me any good either. haha..but at least I could go to grad school with this degree and get another god career not aviation related. JUst something to consider. Good Luck.

Sd