What Universitys Are Good for Future Pilots?? - Merged

[mrvmo]

If you want to be head deep in debt when you finish and eat, sleep, walk, talk, sh$# flying you might want to head to Riddle. If you want an all around great college experience then go to one one the state schools. You will enjoy it a whole lot more. SIU!

 

[GAcfi]

Mtsu

Take a look at MTSU (Middle Tennessee St. University). www.mtsu.edu It is located in Murfreesboro about 30 miles from Nashville. They have several aviation degree options like pro-pilot, aviation administration, aviation technology, and also are one of the few schools in the country that have an ATC program and can send someone for the FAA ATC test. That is where the money is! Too bad ATC was closed to hiring with only certain exceptions when i was in college. They are looking for people now and will be hiring big time in the next five years. That is what I would recommend to young people wanting to go into aviation. My buddies in ATC at ATL make almost three times what I bring in on the airport operations side of things. The ones that want to fly own an airplane! But I got off the point didn't I?

I went the aviation adminstration route and earned my license on the side at a local flight school. The university Pro-pilot program is Part 141. They fly a new fleet of katana's and have a few PA-44's. It is reasonable and you get a real university experience because there are other groups to get involved with outside of aviation organizations. Several southern states also qualify for in state tuition. There are lots of women (big teaching and nursing college) that go there which is a big positive, unlike aviation specific colleges.

 

[Sphincter Boy]

Check out Louisiana Tech University

 

[Jmmccutc]

go here, i'm sure everyone on this board will back you in your decision to get a quality education in wasting money...

http://www.gulfstreamacademy.com/

 

[check6]

Don't hard charge to an airline job. Get a degree in something other than aviation.

That way when you lose your medical and have to quit flying, or, like thousands of pilots today who don't have work because of the economy, you'll have something to fall back on.

As bad as that sounds, it could happen and will happen. I went to Nodak and they encouraged it.

 

[convair007]

Anyway you look at degree or no degree. All I can say is that you'll never regret getting a degree. As far as schools go, I went to Western Michigan University and was very satisfied with their program. Good Luck.

 

[convair007]

On another note, by taking a few more classes at WMU you can double major in Aviation Flight Science and Aviation Science and Administration, that way if the flying thing doesn't work you have a management degree to fall back on. That's what I did, I love flying but it's comforting to know I have that other degree just in case.

 

[Vne]

FWIW...At 14 get your ratings as cheap as you can from a good quality flight school. Get your CFI before college, its a lot cheaper. Instruct part time during college. Maybe for the university you attend and get a discount on tuition.
Get an engineering degree or what ever interest's you outside of aviation. Upon graduation you will be able to find a flying position and when things go off course as they will you will have a background to support your self.
Or you can do the smart thing and get into a field that pays enough for you to enjoy flying as a hobby and buy your own AC. Good luck.

 

[pilotyip]

Don't bank on the fall back value of a degree. I have BS and a Master's, but at age 53, I was making $250/wk loading cargo. After Zantop pretended to go out of went out of business in 1997, I had been a temporary High School Chemistry Teacher up until two weeks before the cargo job came along. However, they do not teach school in the summer. The value of an unused degree is highly over rated. 53 year old unemployed airline pilots are not eagerly greeted in any industry that I know of, even of having a couple degrees. Of course, I did not apply for many of the "College degree preferred jobs" such as apt manager, telephone direct sales, plumping floor manager at Home Depot, etc. If you get a college degree you have to use, the knowledge gained in college to develop a career or the degree is useless. After getting a degree, flying an airplane is not a knowledge expanding experience; it is skill development experience. Anyone care to chime in and share their experiences on entering the non-aviation job market after being out of college 20-30 years? Do the degree on the side and fly full time you will come out ahead

 

[Vne]

Just starting out 1) become a plumber 2) buy an aircraft and fly when you "feel" like it.