Please provide advice to father...

[pilotyip]

The college flying programs do not prepare a pilot for an entry-level job, except maybe CFI. The college grad has to go out and built time. When the college graduate starts building time he is four years behind the HS grad. The college grad may know more about Greek Literature but his pilot skills are indistinguishable from the HS grad. Just to add, since you are looking into flying as a career and want to get a degree in anything to cover all the boxes. Get a degree in business by going through the community college or on line degree route while building flight time. It is a degree that you can use throughout your life. It is essential to understand how to manage your life and your household as it though it was a business. Knowledge of budgeting, cash flow and finance will assist you making sound decisions. The pilot shortage will return in the future, those with flight time will the first hired.

 

[Caveman]

I think the only advantage to a degree from Riddle is the alumni network. As time passes more and more Riddle grads are working at the majors and all else being equal a fellow alumni will get the nod. Military pilots have been helping each other get hired for years and to some degree the large Riddle alumni network is starting to do the same thing.

Pilotyip has been banging the drum regarding flight hours vs degree for years and I basically agree with him. If your son knows he wants to fly then start flying now. The most important attribute on a pilot resume is experience. That means experience measured in years and hours in his logbook. Get his ratings as soon as possible and get started as a working commercial pilot. Then have him get to work on his degree while he is getting paid to fly. Almost all college kids have to work while in school. He might as well work in his chosen career. When he's done with college he'll have a couple thousand hours and 4-5 years experience as a pro pilot. That puts him well ahead of a college based aviation graduate IMO.

 

[UndauntedFlyer]

I think the only advantage to a degree from Riddle is the alumni network. As time passes more and more Riddle grads are working at the majors and all else being equal a fellow alumni will get the nod. Military pilots have been helping each other get hired for years and to some degree the large Riddle alumni network is starting to do the same thing.

Pilotyip has been banging the drum regarding flight hours vs degree for years and I basically agree with him. If your son knows he wants to fly then start flying now. The most important attribute on a pilot resume is experience. That means experience measured in years and hours in his logbook. Get his ratings as soon as possible and get started as a working commercial pilot. Then have him get to work on his degree while he is getting paid to fly. Almost all college kids have to work while in school. He might as well work in his chosen career. When he's done with college he'll have a couple thousand hours and 4-5 years experience as a pro pilot. That puts him well ahead of a college based aviation graduate IMO.

The above is great advice. Well said....and accurate too. That is the only advantage of an aviation schools: The networking opportunities that pay off sooner or later.

 

[Rez O. Lewshun]

The above is great advice. Well said....and accurate too. That is the only advantage of an aviation schools: The networking opportunities that pay off sooner or later.

I never afforded myself the priveldge of dumping large buckets of cash and intrests to an aviation school.....

Networking is important and I got all my jobs due to it.. Air Inc... didn't do anything.....

Perhaps if someone wasn't the networking type... but there are plenty of organizations to get involved with to network without having to pay the money to a UND or ERAU school......

 

[JettBoii]

Send him to law school.

 

[Amish RakeFight]

Send him to law school.

I'd say ANYTHING BUT LAW.

Trust me.

 

[CMI]

Tell your son to get a college degree. The robots and computers will take over piloting jobs in the next 20-30 years. Look at how fast unmanned vehicles are taking over the military flying. I am not saying all piloting jobs will be gone, but the industry will change.
http://www.aviationtoday.com/av/iss...-Unmanned-Aircraft-Can-They-Coexist_6115.html
Checkout the last sentence in the article.
"And while it may take somewhat longer for FedEx founder Fred Smith to realize his long held dream of unmanned intercontinental air freighters, that too can no longer be seriously discounted."

 

[pilotyip]

Fly because you like to. I am always high, high on my chosen profession, every day in this business a happy day. It goes back to the days of sitting in the Howard Johnson's in Belleville Michigan back in 1964. Listening to the Zantop pilots talk about their adventure in their C-46's. Having one of their pilots, 'Firecan Haddock" solo me in the C-172 at YIP in 1965. I am still living the dream, and cannot believe I have been so lucky to be where I am today. I guess there is not much of that anymore, particularly on this site. I would change little and looking back am happy I did it this way.

 

[FLYHY]

The most important thing for your son to do is go to college and get a degree. It does not matter what field of study he pursues, and with time he will be able to acquire his licenses and ratings, but if he does not go to college right after high school he may never get there.

 

[nosehair]

Fly because you like to. I am always high, high on my chosen profession, every day in this business a happy day

I will second that emotion !

I am in my retirement years, and am very greatful that I have lived my dream, and am still doing so.

I didn't finish college. I started flying first, then worked my way thru a couple years of college, but never finished.

Of course, there was some down times during the 50 years of flying, and I might have changed careers somewhere along the way, if I had been able to make another profession,...but I really don't think I would have arrived at this point in my life with a complete head full of wonderful life experience memories if I had been in an office somewhere.

Do it for the passion, not for the money. In the end, it is worth it. You can't buy what I have.