sargeanb

I spent a good amount of my 20s at Riddle. I had no clue what I was getting into...I knew no one in the industry, and had no family in it. Got my Bachelors there, all of my ratings, and I instructed there for 3 years. As a full-time employee, they paid for my MBA, as well as my wife's, though neither of us have had an opportunity to use it. I will say the training and equipment was top-notch. I started a lot of life-long friendships there, and a lot of my friends and colleagues that I met there helped my career progression later.

That being said, if I had a chance to do it over again, I'd say get to your first 121 job with the least amount of debt possible. Period. That most likely means get a useful degree at a state school, and get your ratings at a mom and pop school, a flying club, or even planeshare with some others looking to do the same thing. I enjoyed my time at Riddle, but it just wasn't worth the first few years of crushing debt while trying to get this career started.

Quarryman

Spoken with the wisdom and experience of having been there and done that. You mentioned plane sharing which I think is a great idea. And, one has an asset or a share thereof to sell when it's served its purpose. Can't do that with an overpriced and undervalued college degree (mine included, and I have a STEM degree from a state school).

Bravix

If you're up to the task, you don't have to choose between a aviation degree and a different degree. Depending on the program you selected, it'd be incredibly easy to get an aviation related management degree as well as whatever flying degree they offer. It would also be possible, though probably require an extra semesters worth of classes, to get two degrees. Would depend on how much curriculum overlap there is.

SonicFlyer

ERAU is a great education and has a great alumni network. But the price is not worth it. If your parents are well off, then cost doesn't matter.

If your goal is to be an airline pilot, get your parents to pay for your flight training up to CFII/MEII and get to the airlines as soon as possible so that you can get seniority. Then get a degree on the side in something other than aviation while at the regionals so you'll be able to move to the majors (and other job options). Having a 40 year career as a pilot will make you a millionaire.

mark hughes

Hi, my son is currently a student at ERAU, although not in the aviation program. One thing that was very beneficial was, when he applied, the school offered a $10000 scholarship. He didn't even request a scholarship on the application. I then thought, "If they are offering this without even asking, I wonder what they'll offer if I ask?"

They doubled the scholarship offer. After the first year, I asked again, and, based on his academic record, they offered more scholarship money.

A B average or better can go a long way toward defraying high tuition costs!

ImperialxRat

This post was a good one. I also went to Riddle and didn't know any better. Looking back I would have gone to a state school, majored in a non aviation major and done my flying at the local airport. Would have been much cheaper and that non flying degree might have been useful when I got furloughed. The contacts you meet at Riddle are going through the same path as you, which means you're all trudging around in the same mud. The contacts you would meet at a local school would be people who own planes there or move on to corporate / charter etc, get a local job fueling planes and network network network.

Don't listen to all the negative comments about Riddle and whatnot online though... I have NEVER once had anyone treat me different after learning I went to Riddle and honestly 90% of the people I've flown with you don't even ask where or how they got into aviation. It just doesn't matter.

Good luck and enjoy it