Originally Posted by
sigep_nm
Okay so I finally went through all the paper work and such and came up with some figures as to what it cost me to go to the "real" Havard of the sky.
4 years tuition = 16000
Flight Training = 32000
Total = 48000
Outcome = 4 year college degree (yes in aviaiton, i'll explain later) Commercial multi, single, instrument, CFI, CFII, MEI
UND
So why does it benefit getting a college degree in aviation? You want to be a pilot right? Being a pilot is a matter of lifestyle, and experience. I can guarantee that my experience level is vastly higher than most if not all ATP grads. Why? Because I was emersed in it for four years, and you cant take that away nor replace it. In my four years at school I took two classes based solely on regional aircraft. The class was based off the same curriculumn that Horizon uses for the dash 8, and flight safety uses for the CRJ. I also have a strong background in gas turbine engines and advanced aerodynamics. That is just to name a few. I will be the first to admit that I dont know a whole lot about ATP's course work, but i think i can safely assume that there is a huge discrepency between the two. A college degree is not for everyone but it is an integral part of being a professional pilot. Some people believe and will say that piloting is a trade, but being a PROFESSIONAL requires you to emerse yourself in the career and make the effort to utilize all available resources to learn as much as you possibly can. Thats my 2 cents, prove me wrong if you would like, I am always open for INTELIGENT dialogue.
That is a reasonable price for all those ratings AND a 4 year degree.
But don't kid yourself, all that aviation emersion doesn't really matter when you get to the airlines. It is only available because it is interesting and fun, so schools can get students to pay for it. It is NOT driven by industry demand...airlines care about your flight experience, not where you went to school (unless it was ivy league or US service academy...you get a few points for that). Engineering programs, for example, are driven by industry demand...there are high-paying jobs available, but you have to graduate from an accredited program to get one.
I would still recommend a non-aviation degree as a fallback position (or areo engineering).