Is ERAU worth it???

[Horizon]

Please, this is not intended to be flamebait. I have a serious question.

If I go to state school, and just get all my ratings at small, local flight-schools, will I be at a disadvantage compared to someone who went to ERAU???

 

[Resocha]

Please, this is not intended to be flamebait. I have a serious question.

If I go to state school, and just get all my ratings at small, local flight-schools, will I be at a disadvantage compared to someone who went to ERAU???

Don't waste your time with ERAU. I did, and now that the industry is continuing in instability, I wish I had a degree in something with value outside the cockpit. The training is good, and education is valuable, but as there's a likelihood that you'll get furloughed or otherwise choose to seek employment elsewhere, a degree in flying airplanes will only land you a job at Home Depot, or selling real estate. Get a college degree somewhere else, and get your flight training at the local FBO.

 

[rjacobs]

isnt ERAU the Harvard of aviation schools? Or was it Purdue? i could swear those guys knew the airplane in class before anybody else, hell we didnt even have our books yet and they knew everything.

 

[gringo]

Besides blowing $150k on something that should maybe cost 1/3 of that, besides getting a degree that's pretty much worthless, besides being the butt of every joke for the rest of your career, besides not getting laid for the next 4 years, it's a great place to go.

Years ago, whilst I was still in high school, I contemplated going there, but then I decided to join the Marines instead. The best move I ever made.

Don't let the recruiters fool you- I have yet to see a single employer really give a darn that someone went to ERAU. (In fact, most people I fly with pretty much can't stand ERAU grads, except the ERAU grads themselves, who keep trying to justify their school loans every time we fly together) It's overhyped, over priced and waaaay too undersexed. This is college- they could be some of the most fun years of your life. Go to ERAU and you'll be regretting it for the rest of your life, especially when that time of the month comes around to pay your student loans.

A degree is a degree is a degree- the airlines and the military don't care what it's in. Find something you're interested in, either it be art history or accounting or tax law, whatever, and learn that. You can fly at the same time, and learn something useful or interesting while you're at it. Nothing as useless an an "Aviation Science" degree, whatever that is.

And if you still need any convincing, just search these threads for a few days. If all the negatives written about the place don't change your mind... well, it's probably daddy's money anyway, so who cares, right?

 

[stearnst]

I'll throw in a word for Riddle here. Having gone through their program and seen the connections you are able to make through the school, as well as the number of friends that, even with the industry in the downtrodden state it is currently in, still get hired by a regional right out of school, I am happy with the choice in college I have made. No, Riddle is not your typical "college experience", if drinking and getting laid every weekend is your idea of what college should be (especially the Prescott campus that I attended). However, you would be hard pressed to find a university that trains to the degree of preparation for a career in aviation that this school does, and most of my students will mention at one time or another that they are happy that Riddle doesn't have the amount of distractions that a typical university would offer. I'm thick-skinned, I can handle the ribbing that comes along with carrying a degree from this school, it doesn't bother me. The four years I spent as a student here were still the best in my life, I am making the student loan payments easily (with my parents taking $0 in loans, I might add), and am happy with the education and experience I had at the school.

What I will say to anyone thinking about attending is try to get your private pilot rating at a local FBO before coming to the school. Admissions and the higher-ups in the flight department will always tell new students that have already started flight training that they are better off coming into the school's flight program with 0 experience, but since the vast majority of the wash-outs occur trying to attain the private pilot certificate here, I'd recommend getting a step up on the incoming freshmen and save yourself some time/money. Other than that, I'm more than happy to recommend Riddle, I wouldn't have changed my decision to come here.

 

[stearnst]

A degree is a degree is a degree- the airlines and the military don't care what it's in. quote]

One thing I forgot to mention. If you have aspirations to go into the military, particularly the Air Force, I know this campus (Prescott) has one of the top ROTC programs in the country, and I have countless classmates who have taken that route and got their flight slot in the Air Force through the school, while having the majority of the bills paid by Uncle Sam. To say the military doesn't care about where you got your degree is only partially true, because I'm willing to bet that your local state university isn't going to have the sort of clout in getting you a flight slot as Riddle will, or help pay for your flight training costs in the process. Just my two cents.

 

[LearLove]

I thought we cleared this up awhile ago. Do you guys have to have it hammered into your mellon skulls with a sledge hammer or something?

College is an investment in YOU. Don't blow it on something thats is good for one thing. especially when that one thing can be had at local flight school cheaper. Go to the best college you can get into. Major in something useful that you like. While still in HS start your flight training and get your PVT and INST before HS graduation. The summer between college and HS get your Comm and CFI done. Then instruct or do traffic PT while your in college. You'll have fun (regular college), make contacts, get a return on your investment if you can't fly down the road and have some hours so when you graduate you can start applying to 121 airlines. Also look into the Air Guard after you graduate. Do not join prior. During college study, CFI and have fun.

The most rounded flying jobless protected guy I can think of is one who:

Gets a four year in something useful
bulids base time (time to ATP) while in college
gets a UPT slot in the guard
gets on with a 121 airline after graduation
goes to UPT
comes back from UPT to fly 121 and guard
take all his/her exp and get dream job
flies dream job and guard until 50 then builds retirement house and kicks back.

easier said than done.

Stay away from avaition schools.

 

[part61]

way too expensive...

if i could do it again i would get a degree in a non aviation field from a "regular" college and work on my ratings in during school. Maybe set a goal to have my CFI by the time i completed my A.S. and instruct while working on B.S.

I think this would be the most cost effective way to get it done. Although im NOT an ERAU grad, i thought about it a long time ago and decided not to do it.

 

[part61]

Right on learlove!

 

[gringo]

It all basically boils down to your comfort level. If you're comfortable paying Lamborgini prices for a Toyota, then go ahead.

Yes, ERAU might help you get into the regionals a bit faster, but that's about it. And we're only talking about maybe 6 months here (my last regional had kids with 300 hours total time, straight from Flight Safety) You could get into the regionals (or any other good entry level job that actually pays more) through good ol' fashioned networking, even if you're flying out of a little podunk airport. Aviation is a small world, and you never know when you're chatting it up with the chief pilot of a major brewing company's flight department.

As for the ROTC thing, I don't doubt that it's good. Most ROTC programs are. But with the attitudes I've delt with with the majority of ERAU grads, I'd suspect that these ROTC grads would be prime candidates for a good ol' fashioned fragging incident. (Think Nedelmeyer in "Animal House") That being said, I'm really trying to rack my brains here, but I don't think any of the guys I flew with in the Marines on the Herc were ERAU grads. They all had "normal" degrees from "normal" universities. MAYBE ERAU can help getting a guard slot, and maybe even in the real military (i.e., anything BUT the Air Force) but I personally haven't seen too much of it. Again, working with Herc, Harrier and Prowler guys, they pretty much all came from "normal" backgrounds.

Anyway, it's up to you. For me (and most everybody else out there), college is a time to explore other avenues in life, whether it be socially, academically, sexually or whatever. It's a time to learn who you really are, and it's a time to be free and have fun. It dosen't have to be all sex drugs and rock 'n' roll, but it need not be completely free of it, either. You're just as likely to end up where you want to be (in a regional, hating life ) and actually have had some interesting life experiences along the way.