Originally Posted by inky13

Well, are you planning on going to the airlines? I know on many of these forums here most people tell you to major in something else and do flying on the side. Seems like you're taking that advice, if you're going to the airlines that is.

Yes, you can fly at ERAU as a non-flight student. I had an engineering student observe one of my flights and afterwards, he asked me how he could go about getting training done. I advised him to go across the field to an FBO and do it but took him to a training manager so he could get information on how to start. Low and behold, that manager advised him the same thing. Unfortuneately, the on-campus non-aero science classes are not tailored to the flight training program (I ran into that problem when getting my math minor, the classes [mostly tailored towards the engineers] always conflicted with my flying schedule some how] so getting an engineering degree while flying at ERAU would be difficult. At least at an FBO you can go more at your own pace.

Someone mentioned to get experience, no matter what route you go, at an FBO. I agree full-heartedly, I preach to my students to get checked out in a steam-gauged Cessna across the field. And I'm also one who "fails" the G1000's MFD/PFD on my students on flights. When they B**** and moan, I tell them, "You'll thank me later."

As for the enrollment/costs for ERAU flying: enrollment hasn't been bad at all. Apparently, 270 ERAU students took their Private Pilot FAA Written here in the last week. I've had a couple students stop for financial reasons. Although costs seem to be starting to go down a little, now that fuel prices are going down...flight time is charged on a dry rate plus a fuel surcharge (plus the instructor, as appropriate, currently at $51/hr). Fuel surcharge rate is currently at $34.25/hr. The "dry" rate plus the instructor is $148.00/hr. So $182.25/hr total [$132.25/hr without instructor, which is pretty good for a G1000], and for my student today, a 1.0 flight with a .5 of pre-brief/post-brief came out to around $207. In the beginning of the semester, the same 1.0 flight cost him about $40 more.

Anyway, I don't preach to people to go to ERAU or go to an FBO, each person's needs/capabilities are different. Yes I am glad I went to ERAU, but I won't tell you that you should go. Do your research and figure out what's best for you.

ERAU-PRC December 2007 graduate.