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  1. #1

    Goggles Aviation Colleges

    I am currently in High School and have a passion for aviation. I am a student pilot currently and know I want to go into aviation in my future. Right now I am looking at either aerospace engineering or a pilot. What are some reccomendations for colleges out there? Some I have looked at are Embry Ridde (The Daytona Beach Campus) and North Dakota University, what are some opinions on these? I live in Kentucky and would like to not go to far away for college so around there would be great!

    Thanks, can't wait to hear what everyone has to say!

  2. #2
    Matt Gonitzke's Avatar
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    I got both my Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Aerospace Engineering at ERAU Daytona, so I'd highly recommend that if you decide to pursue the engineering route. The low student/professor ratio makes all of the professors very available for questions, help, etc. You will not get that at larger schools. You would also be around many other people who are passionate about aviation. If you have any more specific questions about ERAU, feel free to send me a PM and I'll do my best to answer them.

  3. #3
    Mike Switzer's Avatar
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    For piloting, Southern Illinois University has an aviation program, so does Purdue.

    For engineering, (at least when I went there) Rose Hulman Institute of Technology (Terre Haute) had a BSME program in which you could concentrate in aerospace. (I just did the regular ME track as the advanced Aero courses take a lot of higher math that I wasn't so good at)

    (Purdue has an Aerospace engineering program also, but who wants to go to the second best engineering school in Indiana?? )

  4. #4
    University of Central Missouri.

    http://www.ucmo.edu/aviation/

  5. #5
    Jim Hann's Avatar
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    Call me the rain on the parade, but if you want to fly for a living (I'm a furloughed airline guy) get a degree in something other than aviation. I would say do the engineering degree and fly "on the side" to get your ratings. That way you have something to fall back on if you are grounded medically or are furloughed. I am a UND alumni, and my aviation degree and a buck will get me a cup of coffee ($.90 in the terminal with airline ID :-D). I was sort of warned but I didn't listen, so I try to spread that word.

    Flying is a great career, much better than sitting in a cubicle! That said, try to be realistic and think about how you will support yourself if you all of a sudden can't fly or get laid off or furloughed from an airline. Good luck!

    Jim
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  6. #6

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    I am an aerospace engineering graduate of Auburn University. Did all my flying on the side.

    Aero Eng is a good degree to have - but I agree with Jim that some diversity is nice too.
    Last edited by Antique Tower; 10-13-2011 at 07:08 PM.

  7. #7
    Anymouse's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Jim Hann View Post
    Call me the rain on the parade, but if you want to fly for a living (I'm a furloughed airline guy) get a degree in something other than aviation. I would say do the engineering degree and fly "on the side" to get your ratings. That way you have something to fall back on if you are grounded medically or are furloughed. I am a UND alumni, and my aviation degree and a buck will get me a cup of coffee ($.90 in the terminal with airline ID :-D). I was sort of warned but I didn't listen, so I try to spread that word.

    Flying is a great career, much better than sitting in a cubicle! That said, try to be realistic and think about how you will support yourself if you all of a sudden can't fly or get laid off or furloughed from an airline. Good luck!

    Jim
    ...and to add on to Jim's post...

    Nothing wrong with getting an aviation minor or emphasis for any degree you wish to pursue. Aeronautical Engineering? Go for Engineering and take the extra classes to get you familiar with the aeronautical side of it. Aviation Management? Go for Management (or even business) and take the Aviation Management class as an elective. Aviation Science? Go to the local FBO and get your ratings (cheaper and better taught) while you're getting a Liberal Arts degree.

    Aviation is my third career. I'm having a blast, but as Jim mentions, if you have something go wrong with your health or the economy turns south at a bad time for you (low seniority) you'll be out on the street with nothing to fall back on.

    Good luck whichever way you go. If you apply yourself, you'll do good.


    (Oh, and this is coming from someone that got his Masters at Riddle.)
    Someday I'll come up with something profound to put here.

  8. #8
    MLents's Avatar
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    Where you go will depend on your interests. If you are looking at being a pilot, I recommend the University of North Dakota. I have both my Bachelors and Masters in Aviation from UND. As many have mentioned, the airline industry can be challenging, but don't limit your sights to airlines. Many of my colleagues are flying for corporations and UAS companies as well as ATC. UND is a liberal arts university with degree programs in education, law, medicine, engineering, psychology, etc.

    If you are looking specifically at engineering, UND does have an aerospace focus, but the engineering program at ERAU is excellent. I also have a friend that graduated from Florida Institute of Technology and worked for a contractor at NASA. A fellow UND engineering graduate went straight to Boeing after graduating.

    I wouldn't worry specifically about getting "stuck" with an aviation degree if that's the field you want to get into. I know plenty of people in all fields that find their calling outside their degree, but succeed by applying the professionalism and skills they learned earning it.

    I'm pulling for UND, but I've heard great things about SIU and the other schools mentioned. Good Luck!

  9. #9
    Thanks for all the information guys! I totally agree with you all about being diversified in my degrees. I live about an hour South of the UPS Worldport Hub in Louisville, KY. I have several friends that work there with the aircraft. One of them is a avionics technician which I think would be a pretty cool job also. I have considered going into a job working with the planes at UPS, but not specifically a pilot. Any ideas on other jobs like this would also be greatly appreciated. I had thought about doing the job at UPS, then if I had time to also try to fly with a smaller charter company or something similar, where I would still get to fly, meet people, and get paid to do it.

    Thanks again for all the information. As I am trying to narrow down my future career and colleges, any information I can get is useful and this is the best you can get, from people like you all!

  10. #10
    Matt Gonitzke's Avatar
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    Something else I don't think anyone has mentioned is becoming an A&P mechanic...the pay is pretty good, and you'll be able to work with your hands and directly with airplanes. That's a 2-year degree you can do almost anywhere. Something else I forgot to mention is for an engineering degree, you need pretty strong math skills. If that isn't your strong suit, the A&P would probably be more suitable for you. You could always do that first and then pursue an engineering degree after. The A&P would make you a better engineer. I had planned on getting my A&P and my Aero Engineering degree at the same time, but then a professor talked me into getting my Master's instead, but I still want to get my A&P and might very well do that in the spring.

    The engineering and technical fields are where most of the jobs are, so I'd stay away from a liberal arts degree. We may be in a recession, but there are many, many engineering jobs out there right now. The job market for that will probably be even better when you graduate in 4-5 years because a whole bunch of people are going to be retiring.

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