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martinlodijo 10-16-2018 11:19 PM

BS in Aeronautics or Flight School?
 
Hello everyone, I recently enrolled in Embry Riddle where I'm taking 3 online courses to get a feel for college. I know that aside from getting my Bachelors Degree in Aeronautics that I'll need to log in flight time starting with my Privates and working my way up to Instrumental, Multi-engine then finally Commercial.

My goal is to try to achieve all this within the next three years instead of the traditional four years by going to school full time including summer with the end game of becoming an expat Flight Officer for either Xiamen Air or Juneyao Airlines based off in China, where I know their starting salaries for FOs is $10k/month.

My question is should I focus my attention on racking debt in Embry Riddle for my Bachelors Degree or should I pursue a more direct approach and just go to flight school? Is so, which flight school would you recommend and why?

I've done some research of my own on PPRuNe on the experience's of being a foreign pilot in China and I'm up for the challenge but before that, I would like to create a roadmap on how to get there.

EDIT: I'm willing to get into maximum $100k in student loan debt, which is something I'm not looking forward to, but will do in a heartbeat if it'll guarantee my chances of getting hired in China.

misterpretzel 10-17-2018 01:01 AM

Why do you want to go to China? Also I don't think they are looking for wet commercials

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JohnBurke 10-17-2018 02:04 AM

An aviation degree is scarcely worth the paper its printed on. The expense you'll go to at riddle is most definitely not worth it, and it will not give you any advantage or leg up.

Get the aviation degree if you want, and go to ERAU if you want. If you have money to burn, why not.

If you have other priorities than burn money and gain a reputation as a trust fund kid, you might consider other options.

As for flying in China...you haven't done the research that you think you've done.

Airbum 10-17-2018 03:29 AM

I think your plan of being hired by airline in China with a wet commercial and BS degree is ill informed.

Are you a USA citizen?

Please research the requirements for employment overseas more thoroughly before going into debt.

Skyjumper 10-17-2018 07:26 AM


Originally Posted by martinlodijo (Post 2692599)

...with the end game of becoming an expat Flight Officer for either Xiamen Air or Juneyao Airlines based off in China, where I know their starting salaries for FOs is $10k/month...

I think you should probably look at the CNY to USD and HKD to USD conversion rates before making this decision

JamesNoBrakes 10-17-2018 07:40 AM


Originally Posted by martinlodijo (Post 2692599)

EDIT: I'm willing to get into maximum $100k in student loan debt, which is something I'm not looking forward to, but will do in a heartbeat if it'll guarantee my chances of getting hired in China.

Do you have any idea how much interest you'd be paying over the life of that loan?

PT6 Flyer 10-17-2018 02:31 PM

If you were thinking about flying for a US airline:

Someone on this forum suggesting getting the flight training first, getting to a regional, then get your four-year degree online while working at the regional. It is an idea worth considering.

If you were thinking about flying for a Mainland China airline:

You MUST talk this over with those airlines first. If not, you may be making a terrible mistake.

Many Mainland Chinese airlines train their pilots at Aeroguard Flight Training in the Phoenix, Arizona area. I even saw a photo on the wall inside the Aeroguard Flight Training building of the time the Chinese FAA paid them a visit. It might help you a lot to talk to those people.

JohnBurke 10-17-2018 02:53 PM

Many of the chinese students training in the US show up with a 99 year contract to their airline, whether they make it as a pilot or not.

Macchi30 10-17-2018 03:56 PM


Originally Posted by JohnBurke (Post 2692605)
An aviation degree is scarcely worth the paper its printed on. .

wouldn’t it still be valid in other places in the aviation industry? I’d assume so at least. I know the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency is hiring graduates and is accepting Aeronautical and Professional Pilot degrees to be an Aeronautical Intel analyst

PT6 Flyer 10-17-2018 05:25 PM


Originally Posted by Macchi30 (Post 2693141)
wouldn’t it still be valid in other places in the aviation industry?

It is all up to the company that hires you. I believe UPS and FedEx require it. But other airlines do not. Decide which airline you want to work for (for example, China Eastern) and then find out if they require a four-year degree. (I would be shocked if China Eastern or Xiamen hired you without a four-year degree.)

Do you speak fluent Chinese? If not, then I think an airline like China Eastern will only hire you if are already a qualified pilot on a large airliner.


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