Embry Riddle.....the Harvard of flight schools

[Flying Ninja]

Graduated CAPT 10/2005 - Summa Cum Laude, Highest Time (459TT/101ME) of any graduate! No Job, Big Debt!
Tip: Stay away from CAPT!

Wow-459hrs! and you expected what? For them to Hand you a flying job? Wake up and smell the fresh air, I think your Ninja face cover is blocking O2 to the brain!:smash:

Exactly my point! I bought into the program that promised guaranteed interviews. That totally was a sack of lies. And no, I didn't expect them to hand me a flying job. I knew going in that NO ONE could guarantee me a job. CAPT promised:

* Program Completion in 10-12 months
* Guaranteed Interviews with several airlines (which they had none when I signed up)

And they didn't live up to either.

 

[V-STALL]

Exactly my point! I bought into the program that promised guaranteed interviews. That totally was a sack of lies. And no, I didn't expect them to hand me a flying job. I knew going in that NO ONE could guarantee me a job. CAPT promised:

* Program Completion in 10-12 months
* Guaranteed Interviews with several airlines (which they had none when I signed up)

And they didn't live up to either.

Just curious- was that "Guarantee" in writing?:erm:

 

[CaptainMark]

Time magazine once dubbed Embry-Riddle "The Harvard of the Skies." To those who know Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, this comes as no surprise. No other private school has contributed more to aviation and aerospace


look what i found...if TIME said it..it must be true...

 

[Flying Ninja]

Just curious- was that "Guarantee" in writing?:erm:

Nothing was in writing with the CAPT program when I signed up. Basically, it was on their web site, which, if you look on the Internet, you can pull up old versions of their site which says they have guaranteed interview agreements with airlines.

CAPT FAQ Page

I reported to class after my loan cleared with Riddle and the folks at CAPT didn't even ask me for ID. No contracts, nothing. Yep, it was all based on my faith that Embry-Riddle would not f*ck me because of their "Harvard of Aviation" reputation. Suffice to say that's one huge lesson learned (re: contract). They're a shady bunch. I suspected they didn't want a contract because then they can't be easily sued. I already spoke to a lawyer about it and that's what he told me.

They got me on these items:

#5: One Uniform (Actual: they gave us one shirt, everything else we had to pay for to complete the uniform), Charts (Actual: after the initial set, you're on your own...when asked, they dodged the question/request)
#7: 10-12 Months (Actual: 17 Months)
#9: 550 Hours of Flight Experience (225 Actual Loggable Hours)
#12: Several guaranteed interview agreements (Actually no agreements until December of 2004 with Focus Air, their first agreement)

They lied to us about many other things like glass DA40s and the DA42 for multi training, etc. It's too much to go into. I'm still trying to figure out all the lies and documenting them all.

 

[gkrangers]

This all sounds like you didn't do your homework and expected too much.

 

[Flying Ninja]

This all sounds like you didn't do your homework and expected too much.

I did what I thought was due dilligence. I asked a TWA pilot about it. I spoke to a LearJet Captain that I met at Bradley, CT on a X-Country flight I did. I spoke to a couple maintenance guys that worked out of KLGA and KJFK as well as my PVT CFI. They all dropped hints that I shouldn't do it but I believed in the Riddle reputation.

What I did not find was these forums which would have definitely prevented me from signing up with CAPT. That's why I'm here to make sure those who do come on to these forums learn of my story and steer away from CAPT.

 

[CaptainMark]

What I did not find was these forums which would have definitely prevented me from signing up with CAPT. That's why I'm here to make sure those who do come on to these forums learn of my story and steer away from CAPT.

that is what we call.."live and learn"....it sucks u paid so much for what u could have gotten at your local FBO for 1/3 the cost...so step away from your computer and go get an instructor job...welcome to the real world...

 

[Flying Ninja]

Yeah, it's definitely a live and learn. And it is too bad that the debt has crippled me. I really have no interest in going further with certifications (at least for now). I'm pretty turned off by my experience with CAPT. I'm just here to help educate the public from spending an obscene amount of money with CAPT with the very real possibility of them hanging you out to dry.

 

[gkrangers]

http://www.erau.edu/capt/phaseout.html

 

[Flying Ninja]

I know all about the Phase Out...they're trying to sell it to some company right now. And once that happens, they'll be back in business trying to swindle others.

 

[gkrangers]

It sounds like plenty of people have gotten jobs, why didn't you?

 

[Flying Ninja]

They hung my class out to dry. The class that graduated a month after my class got placed before us (granted Pinnacle but they got their resumes together real fast). I asked for help before graduation to get my resume put together. I was pretty much ignored. Why did the class behind mine get preferential treatment? At the time, ASA was not hiring anyone and that was my first choice. My resume was finally sent to them after 5 weeks from graduation (so I think since ASA never called, which they called everyone that CAPT sent resumes to...except our class...which makes you wonder if they ever sent our resumes in to begin with). I was not going to Focus Air to be someone's b!tch for 2 years before I get to fly right seat. And going to Pinnacle was about as thrilling as getting all my teeth kicked out of my jaw. CAPT finally sent out my resume to ASA after over 5 weeks of trying to get them to get my resume completed. By the way, they promised a job placement course which they never gave us. When they offered to send my resume in to Air Wisconsin, I told them to do so, only to find out a MONTH later that they were going to mail it to them. So they delayed the crap out of me as I got closer to the end of my loan grace period. Hung out to dry, without an income, no less a possibility of a flying job.

One guy in my class decided after giving up on ASA to go to Focus. Two other guys are finally in Pinnacle initial training after waiting 7 months from graduation. The other two in my class are pretty much in my situation. So 3 out of 6. And I have to say the other three didn't have the financial burden that us 3 have.

The other classes got lucky with timing, but there have been other people that waited 6-9 months to get a call. I just didn't have the funds to sit and wait. I got loans to pay off. CAPT is famous with their delays. Time isn't valuable to them.

Bottom line, I ran out of money and couldn't sit around waiting for CAPT to pull their head out of their a$$ to help me. And I didn't have sugar moms to support me like some other cadets.

 

[gkrangers]

Did you get a chance to go to Pinnacle and said no?

 

[Flying Ninja]

I'm not quite sure. I decided against Pinnacle because of the whole NWA mess that was blowing up. No sense going to a regional when you might be on the streets very shortly. At my age, stability is important. I wanted to get in with an airline that I could put down 5-10 years with before I move over to a major. Pinnacle was not instilling that confidence in me. ASA was the only real choice.

 

[gkrangers]

So Riddle could have got you a job with Pinnacle is what you are saying....

 

[mesaba2425]

I thought UND's motto was "Harvard at 30,000ft." I can't find it on thier site anymore though.

It's actually 35,000 ft.

http://ftc.aero.und.edu/lumberton/index.php

 

[CoolSidePillow]

Did all Part 61 training. Worked a full time job and paid as I went. Pvt - CFII in 14 months. Instructed as soon as I had CFI. Flew 135 a year later when had the hours. Flew corporate from a contact I made at FBO where I taught. Now a Captain for 121. NO SCHOOL LOANS and good experience teaching, 135, and corporate. Who has been selling all that academy kool aid. It took 5 years from intro flight to left seat 121. Shortcuts usually arent worth the time you save. NO SCHOOL LOANS. Just my opinion and I know it isnt for everyone but the only people I see happy about going to those "expensive promise to get a job paying 200,000 a year" programs are a few of the ER kiddies who arent old enough to have the life experience to please a woman or know what a bad decision is. FLAME ON

 

["TheBigPicture"]

I have heard it said (by a grad) that Embry Riddle is the "Harvard" of flight schools. What do you think?

You forgot the most important saying "Harvard is the Embry-Riddle of Law"

To the "Ninja":

You're bragging about how you graduated (if you can call it that from CAPT)
with the higest time ever....hmmmm do you think that had something to do with you finishing the program in 17 months instead of 10-12?? Just an observation.

 

[V-STALL]

They hung my class out to dry. The class that graduated a month after my class got placed before us (granted Pinnacle but they got their resumes together real fast). I asked for help before graduation to get my resume put together. I was pretty much ignored. Why did the class behind mine get preferential treatment? At the time, ASA was not hiring anyone and that was my first choice. My resume was finally sent to them after 5 weeks from graduation (so I think since ASA never called, which they called everyone that CAPT sent resumes to...except our class...which makes you wonder if they ever sent our resumes in to begin with). I was not going to Focus Air to be someone's b!tch for 2 years before I get to fly right seat. And going to Pinnacle was about as thrilling as getting all my teeth kicked out of my jaw. CAPT finally sent out my resume to ASA after over 5 weeks of trying to get them to get my resume completed. By the way, they promised a job placement course which they never gave us. When they offered to send my resume in to Air Wisconsin, I told them to do so, only to find out a MONTH later that they were going to mail it to them. So they delayed the crap out of me as I got closer to the end of my loan grace period. Hung out to dry, without an income, no less a possibility of a flying job.

One guy in my class decided after giving up on ASA to go to Focus. Two other guys are finally in Pinnacle initial training after waiting 7 months from graduation. The other two in my class are pretty much in my situation. So 3 out of 6. And I have to say the other three didn't have the financial burden that us 3 have.

The other classes got lucky with timing, but there have been other people that waited 6-9 months to get a call. I just didn't have the funds to sit and wait. I got loans to pay off. CAPT is famous with their delays. Time isn't valuable to them.

Bottom line, I ran out of money and couldn't sit around waiting for CAPT to pull their head out of their a$$ to help me. And I didn't have sugar moms to support me like some other cadets.

So the truth comes out- your to good to be someone's gear handle beotch like everyone before you did. To good for us pathetic commuter pilots huh? It sounds like you didn't get an interviews because of you "ATTITUDE" problem. And not for nothing- I know for a fact that they had something set up with COEX for pref interviews. What's your excuse there? You have alot to learn grasshopper! :crying:

 

[Flying Ninja]

gkrangers,

At the time, I didn't consider Pinnacle an option, but technically, I might have been able to. But considering that ASA or Air Wisco didn't call, who the hell knows if CAPT ever even sent my resumes in.

TheBigPicture,

I had the highest time because I walked into CAPT with 170.7 hours before hand. I then flew C152 outside of the program to add more time to the measly 225 hours that they give you. So I worked hard to build time. What's wrong with that? The delays in training was due to their mismanagement and incompentence. They promised full time training with flight and academic classes and potentially weekends. The weekend thing never materialized while I was training. As for full time training, well, I can recall having ONE class for 2-3 hours for the day and that's it! With all the bullsh!t classes they wanted you to take like Aviation History and Human Factors (which could have been combined with their CRM class because for the most part the materials they gave us is one of the same), etc. it really slowed things down. They had instructor shortage and equipment shortage, along with the weather issues which, for some reason, these FL folk didn't factor into their timeline is beyond me. Oh, and for our advanced avionics course, we had 4 different instructors teaching us the same exact thing and not covering everything. So that took 2 additional weeks (3 weeks total for a one week course) because they couldn't figure out who taught what and when we got the final exam, we all looked at each other like where did all this astrolabe questions, etc. come from.

V-Stall,

I wasn't too good for anyone. Frankly, I wasn't 100% confident about my training at CAPT because they pushed us through just so that they can get their reports to look good. I had some problems with some training and I asked for help. Their response: "you'll do better next lesson". That is, until the lessons ran out and I probably scraped by. So no, I don't feel like I'm better than anyone. They only had something set up with ASA, Pinnacle, and Focus Air at the time of graduation. And they certainly weren't "guaranteed interviews." A guaranteed interview to me is, when I graduate, someone at ASA interviews me within the month. I don't give a crap if they NEVER get back to me or flat out tell me no. Give me my frackin' guaranteed interview. The fact is, there was really never anything set up between CAPT and these airlines for anything that resembled guaranteed interviews. ASA and Pinnacle needed pilots, and here was a source for them to get pilots. Because at the end, the airlines decided if they wanted to interview or not. Where's the guarantee in that? I could have trained ANYWHERE and submitted my resume to them like everyone else to get that treatment. I didn't need to drop all that money into CAPT with hopes that CAPT likes me and does me the inside favor. Because clearly there's favoritism at CAPT, not professionalism or ethical business practices. They were more concerned about their face in the eyes of the airlines and wanted to you to know they got your balls in their hands. Who knew going in? I certainly didn't. I just saw an opportunity to get in the flying career quick because I'm not in my 20's and age is a factor.

I don't know who COEX is and I've never heard of them while I was at CAPT. I still don't know who they are. I'm not quite sure where this COEX came from but I went through CAPT, I think I know what options were available to me. And again, I didn't go knocking down Pinnacle's door not because of any other reason than the fact that NWA was having major issues.