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Thread: Is Embry Riddle Worth It?

  1. #11

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    Quote Originally Posted by Ryan Hornback View Post
    So I have posted several times on here about colleges and other things of the such. I really like Embry Riddle Aeronautical University, but as many of you know, it is not the cheapest college around by any means. Right now I am looking into professional flight (Pilot) with another degree in possibly engineering or business (The second degree I am not sure on, but I know I want something to fall back on incase the airlines take a turn for the worst.) Back to the point though, I was wondering if ERAU was really worth all of the expenses that come with it. Will going to ERAU increase my chances of getting hired on by an airline? Would ERAU look better than other well known colleges with aviation programs such as University of North Dakota or Purdue? Any advice or ideas will be greatly appreciated!
    Could you give an update on your present position and how things are working out. I would have recommended Univ of North Dakota over Emery Riddle. ER has good acadamic cources but I was not impressed with the flight program. To expensive and local FBO could do as well or possibley better flight training. No direct experiance with U of ND but I have heard many good things.

  2. #12

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    If his goal is airlines then yes it is good, they are taught to think as an airline pilot. as in not much at all, follow checklists, follow company procedure, call dispatch if anything not on the list happens. if he wants to fly charter or corporate then stay away

  3. #13

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    It is still best to learn to fly first. Airline procedures are best learned after you know how to fly. Several recent airline incidents support this concept. Colgin Air is just one example.
    Ultralights are the best pilot training tool available for basic flying skills.

  4. #14
    crusty old aviator's Avatar
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    So...this goomer should have his BS or BA by now, wherever he ended up. Does that make any more comments to this string...purely academic???

  5. #15
    Anymouse's Avatar
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    More like post academic I would think.
    Someday I'll come up with something profound to put here.

  6. #16

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    WKOPF,
    I concur sir!

  7. #17

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    Nov 2018
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    You don’t need ERAU or any other high priced college if your goal is to be a pilot. I went to ERAU and regret it, and many do after trying to pay the cost on a CFI or commuter pilot salary. I left there after first year as I realized it would take me 4 years to even finish my commercial pilots ME ....at a cost twice what I could do for elsewhere. Within 1 year after leaving I had all my ratings and about 350 hours working as a cfi (finished degree at local college for a lot less and got credits for my ratings). Within 2 years I was on a commuter, an ATP type rated capt as soon as I turned 23 (could of upgraded earlier but min age for ATP is 23), and at 25 I was flying B727 for a major. My friends who stayed at Riddle were still flight instructing or just getting on with the commuters by the time I was flying jets and had a seniority number. I have ran into several of them over the years and all are way behind me in career progression... some more than 15 years behind due to the ups and downs of economy and furloughs and even a few airline bankruptcies.

    another point, I knew two guys that couldn’t fly for medical reasons later in life and had to change professions which their expensive aviation degrees held little value.

    you asked for opinions, so here’s mine: start flight training at a well established school that you can finish all your ratings within 1 year and offer cfi job to grads.... some of these CFIs are logging 80-100 hrs/month! It’s expensive, but a lot less than Riddle. Start online degree program with an accredited school (don’t show up for a job interview with a degree from some fake, unaccredited university), and maybe get a 2 year degree ASAP if they offer it.... many schools give you credits for FAA certificates. Important thing is you can say you are working on degree at same time as flying and instructing. Build flight time as fast as you can. Four years later you have, or close to having a Bach degree, all ratings, and an ATP......
    when all your ERAU peers will have only 250 hours and about 10 years worth of school loans to pay. One more thing, airlines now place little influence on your degree major, and I don’t recommend putting all your eggs in one basket in this profession.. the 250 or so hours decrease for ATP mins a flight degree saves you will only require additional 3-4 months. You will save a lot of money and advance quicker.

    one more thing, while you are in flight school, contact the air national guard units in the area. When I looked into thin in the 1980s they only took previously military pilots and rarely put anyone through flight school. Now they do, and you won’t have a 10-12 year commitment before applying to the airlines.

    Hope this helps.

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