Old 09-16-2014, 08:01 PM
  #3  
JamesNoBrakes
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Joined APC: Nov 2011
Position: Volleyball Player
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I'll buck the trend and say UND, ERAU, and any similar schools are often "the best", they'll give you lots of knowledge about transport category aircraft and systems, navigation, etc. Their flight schools actually uphold the standards and they have a vested interest to keep people moving through the programs. The maintenance and equipment is usually top notch. They try to prepare you flying a big jet.

The real problem is that this and a fancy paper degree doesn't really get you jack, you start off at the same crappy flight instructing job, go to the same crappy regional airline, spend 7-10 years there before getting a shot at the "real" airlines, if you are lucky. If taking the financial hit of going to these schools somehow catapulted you to higher earnings, it might be worth it, but it doesn't and it isn't.

The full program at these schools costs well upwards of $200K these days, and that doesn't include the interest if you take out any loans. With how flight instruction works and how poor regional airlines treat pilots, it can be a decade before you somewhat start to get back on your feet, this while friends in other industry are well into enjoying the fruits of their efforts.

Those "professional pilot" degrees are toilet paper. Get an engineering degree and go take flight lessons on your own spare time and dollar. You'll be so far ahead of most everyone else it won't even be funny, you could even work towards a test pilot type position with that kind of background.
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