Leaving Riddle
I am currently a student at Riddle looking to get out. Its just too much money for me. Im looking to go to a public school here in Florida so the state can cover the bill of a degree. Ive been looking at FBOs near these schools im considering and im getting disheartened. I must say that while the flight training at an FBO would differ little from Riddle, I am impressed with how there are recruiters from ASA and other airlines here every couple of months sitting down to countless interviews and snatching up pilots with little to no hours and I know this will not be the case if I go the FBO route.
Are there any pilots out there who went the FBO route who can share how long it took you to get to an airline and how many hours you had? If I go the FBO route, am I going to have a difficult time and need more flight hours to compete against Riddle, DCA, ATP, and pilots from other professional schools? Keep in mind that I will not have an aviation degree but rather a UF or FSU Business degree for a backup (maybe).
Sorry for the loaded question but im at a big fork in the road and need some opinions to help me make my own decision. Thanks for your insight