flight Schools-Colleges in Louisiana
 

I hear there may be a new aviation program at LSU. Any information on that? What about other schools in LA?

Louisiana Tech is the only established aviation program in Louisiana. LSU-Alexandria is trying to start an aviation program next fall (2022). The flight lessons will be given at the Alexandria airport but handled by a private ( part 141) flight school out of Lafayette.

As far as non-university flight schools: there are only 4 I would give any attention to. One in Shreveport/Bossier City. One in New Orleans. One in Lafayette. One in Hammond.

I worked for the flight school in Hammond. Part 61. Hands down a great place. No complaints. Well maintained aircraft, aged planes, no fancy glass cockpits but probably the most reasonable prices you’ll find in the country. I’ve never had direct contact with the school in New Orleans but plenty of first hand contact with former students and instructors and unfortunately never heard anything good about that place.

I can’t speak from experience about the other two schools in Bossier or Lafayette. However I’ve been to the airport/FBO of the school in Bossier and they have decent facilities and decent looking, equipped planes from both the website and seeing them in person (for whatever that’s worth which may not be a darn thing lol).

Tech used to be a really good program. NOT the case right now. The current Dept. head is a "non-pilot", non-rated former USAF officer. He was the ROTC Detachment Commander. So, if your familiar with AETC types, then you know what you've got. That just is what it is is, but very odd. Word is a few squared away guys "passed" on the job. Tech wouldn't offer any money. The former head was supposed to take a temporary leave to get his PHD/Doctorate. But, when he got done, instead of resuming the healm, he passed and decided to just be an associate professor. There are only two actual licensed pilots in the program. One is the former head, and the other is the Chief instructor.

Tech has slipped from number 4 in the nation in the late 80's to somewhere around number 25. Likely that will drop further. Davison has donated tons of cash to this program and he doesn't want to hear any negative feedback. They need someone to pay 250 an hour for those 172's and pay that crazy state mandated insurance premium.
141 isn't all it's cracked up to be. Take into account quality of instruction, pedigree of the program, current value of the degree. Other factors should be like: how many instructors they got, and what is the student to instructor ratio. How many hours per week will I get, per month? Tech is not concerned about the pace or speed of training. That is a fact. Do they keep their flight ops/flight operation open and fully staffed on weekends? What is the pace of training? How many internships do they have? How many airline hiring program agreements do they have? Those two questions might hint at the current value of the degree among the industry insiders and hiring departments.

Thanks for info. We'll check out other options in Florida or Texas. Tech has down sized their program. Used to have over 25 airplanes. Now 12. Used to have 7 professors, now 5. Spoke to some parents there. Too hard to schedule. Program not designed for rapid or timely progress. Many Alumni sending their kids to other schools.

Did NSU’s and ULM’s programs shut down?

Yes. Not sure of timing, but related to the entire re-organization of colleges. NSU probably shut down due to poor airport access and aviation services in their swamp (back yard). You may recall that all of those smaller campuses all now referred to as "University of Louisiana" at Monroe, or at Shreveport, or at Lafayette, etc., They kept their mascots, like the rajun cajuns, etc. I think this was under Gov. Bobby Jindal. During the decade of doom, or whatever we're calling it - a few aviation programs that were financially stressed also went away. The overall push in Louisiana was something called "centers of excellence." The idea was to get colleges really good and accredited in specific disciplines and then focus that discipline at that college. In some respects it worked, as in some majors like engineering. But, Gov. Jindal wasn't around long enough to really get it done. Change in education is like turning a battleship. New Governor now, so likely new approach. No idea if Board of Regents in LA. has a plan for aviation in the state, but it seems that with two new programs opening up in the southern half of the state that that is where the assets and resources will be. Especially considering that is where the money is and the population density is. The northern part of LA. is very agricultural, so it makes sense to push aviation into the southern half--where the money is.

NSU shut down way back sometime between 08-12 during the recession during which then Gov. Jindal made massive cuts to all university funding in LA. If ULM has one I’ve never heard of it so that’s not a great sign.

You said 2 new programs? I’m only aware of LSU-Alexandria which isn’t in the “southern half”. Alexandria is in the middle of nowhere with no supporting industries. I give that program 0 chances in hell of gaining any traction. There shouldn’t even be a satellite university campus in Alex but that’s another topic of conversation.

Another in New Orleans. I think Embry Riddle and Liberty are now in NOLA. Making some calls to confirm. I am in Slidell so that would be closer.

I sorta draw the line on or about ALEX as far as the state population goes< but in reality likely btr. I believe the State has high hopes for it. Great airport. Great airspace, lots of approaches. Lots of room for growth. I can't remember, but I think that was the old "England AFB." I seem to think that there was some airport reshuffling going on around Alexandria. I flew in there last summer and saw the LSU-A brochures while gassing up the plane. It seems like they are pushing it. Already got a PHD in charge of it, a Dr. Eamon I think his name is. In the 50 years that Tech has had an aviation program, never a PHD in charge of anything. Interesting, the push is called "Aviation Careers in Education. 3 way partnership between England Air Park, LSU, and Louisiana Technical Community College. It may take some time to develop and mature, but it looks like those pursuing this next year will have more options.

I know that you can go through Liberty’s online aviation program and then take lessons from the flight school in New Orleans as they are approved for 141 teaching. That doesn’t change the fact that all my former colleagues and students had nothing good to say about that school. I’m also not a fan of online degrees in certain fields, aviation being one of them. YMMV.

As far as Eamon- While he may be a Ph.D. Dr. Eamon Halpin is just another admin. He’s the Associate Vice Chancellor and Vice Provost for Academic Affairs. He has no aviation education experience. I pulled this straight from his bio- “ Dr. Halpin earned a Bachelor of Arts in English and Greek and Roman Civilization (1987) and a Master of Arts in Modern English and American Literature (1988) from University College Dublin, Ireland. He enrolled in LSU’s graduate program in English in 1989 and received his Ph.D. in English in 1995.”

I can’t wait to see who the “qualified professors” will be that LSU-A was able to hire to move to the middle of nowhere Alex to start a new aviation program in a state where the new football coach at LSU-BR is worth 95 million and Middleton Library, for example, should be condemned and completely rebuilt. If I come across as jaded I am and I have the experience to back that up. I have a PhD and I’ve taught at several universities in Louisiana and I have 0 doubt that LSU-A’s aviation program will be another lame attempt at “higher education” in this state. I sincerely hope I’m wrong, especially when aviation is literally a matter of life and death. Time will tell...