1. It depends on a lot of things. If you're able to meet all their course minimums then you'll have relatively few hours at graduation. Not many people do, and the average is a little over 200. If you finish your flight instructor ratings before graduating (which are not part of the degree curriculum), then you can instruct part time while finishing classes. You'll have a LOT of hours at graduation if you did that. One of my instructors was on the verge of getting hired by a regional by the time he graduated. That's pretty rare.

2. You'll have to get special permission if it's part of your degree program (aero sci) or if you're minoring in flight. Of course, you can also show up to ERAU with some ratings already finished and save money that way. Maybe save up and knock your private out between soph/junior year, and instrument between junior/senior.

3. Not sure about that one...someone else can do better. There is something called Joint Specialized Undergraduate Pilot Training in the Air Force, but I think most USAFA cadets start their flight training after graduation.

I have to disagree with that, although it may be meaningless to the airline, the quality of your training, it really is not meaningless. The quality of your training, especially your initial training, will out itself, usually in the most inconvient of times.

To have poor quality entry level training, is like building a house on a poor foundation, yea it may stand, but it could topple, and will it stand against when the weather gets bad??? Everything is built ontop of your entry level (private and instrument) training. The further along you go with poor training, the worse it will be and the harder it is to change your ways.

It may not mean alot when you are applying for a job, but it is most certainly not meaningless. Just because you have more hours, does not make you a better pilot, it is the one with the better quality training, and the quality of the hours they have. (i.e. spent boring holes in the sky on the weekends, or working on upgrades, etc.)

2. You can probably train at a local airport, as long as your major is like Aerospace Engineering or something like that, but I doubt it if you major in their Pilot Program.

From what I hear on the AFA, its only after the four years that you will begin flight training (as long as you meet the reqs. and they need pilots, etc.)

USAFA students usually participate in flight training while in school. However this is essentially civilian-style (FAA) training in GA aircraft (painted USAF colors). UPT is military flight school. The "undergraduate" in UPT really refers to your training prior to being awarded military wings. It has nothing to do with being in college. UPT training always begins after college graduation (unless you're an enlisted army helo pilot).

I agree in some respects. But as it turns out, the FAA and their DPE's do a pretty good job of ensuring baseline quality in newly certificated pilots. This is what airlines want, because their training program (also FAA approved) is designed to build on an FAA standard CMEL. The sort of "quality" I was referring to before was big-name flight school "glossy brochure" quality. This sort of "quality" usually means training on airline operations, advanced aircraft systems, and jet training in a non-motion sim. These same schools then turn around and forbid their students and CFI's to fly in IMC! They hype all this crappola about preparing you to be an airline pilot, but they don't do any more to prepare you to be a CMEL pilot than less costly alternatives.

None of that "quality" is likely to be worth it to someone who, at age 30, is still trying to to pay off an extra $100K+ in student loans, while supporting a wife and child on regional pay.

As I've said before, if you have unlimited financial resources, then a big name school could be fun and interesting. But many folks can't really afford $100K+ to be entertained for a few years.


Can you give me some examples of how much of your extra "quality" training has actually applied in the cockpit of your airliner...and if so didn't your airline teach you that stuff anyway???

Well I am not an airline pilot, but I was just making a comment about quality, but I do agree that places do stop their students from flying in IMC and things like that, are not the best routes.

Just thought it was kind of odd to say that quality of training was meaningless. But now I better understand what you are saying and what you mean.

I do know of someone (not personally) who did mention about his extra "quality" training, when flying for American Eagle (I believe), and how it helped him to cope with an emergency (some type of rudder failure), he, along with the captain, won the APA Airmanship Award, and he cited his flight training (not the training with the Airline) to what helped him in ending the flight safely. I believe the video is on the internet somewhere, not sure, just remember watching it.

Skip Riddle. If you decide to go to college, get a degree that you can get money out of if you lose your medical or just your job.

Save your money, ERAU's training is not all that wonderful and an aviation degree is useless.

Good point. The one item of non-required training that every commercial pilot really should go do is an aerobatic intro and upset recovery training. Usually can be done for a few hundred $$$. CFIs get some of this in spin training.

i was looking at UND and i am impressed. at looked at them before but didnt pay much attention. It is a lot cheaper and you meet 3 times a week with your instructor. this seems like a neat concept. is there any schedule like this at ERAU?

Ok so Im sure im the only one here defending Riddle but oh well. I say this and take it for what you want. I just graduated from ERAU prescott. I cant say enough about it. I learned so much there and not just from the CFI's. The faculty is top notch almost all ex military/airlines and very knowedgeable.I also found many of the students to be knowedgeable and helpfull. The classes are interesting and difficult at times. I am now out of school and working as a CFI in So Cal. I am literally shocked on almost a daily basis with the amount of idiot pilots out there. Sadly enough most of them have thousands of hours. I am now working on my Masters in Crash investigation and human factors, which is a huge push at riddle "safety". I am convinced that Riddle grads are armed with a knowedge that most other flight schools do not posses. I still to date talk with some friends of mine who are now flying for regionals and a few years older than me and I am shocked when they dont know crap about their own industry. However, I do have to say Riddle dose have some down sides. One It is expensive and as it was when I left the going rate was around 800 a unit, do the math. this dose not include flying costs. Also I too have to be honest I was very much Riddleized when I graduated. Meaning I was and to some degree still am very procederal. riddle gears pilot for the airlines not GA flying so I had my own work ahead for me. ERAU has a huge ROTC program and from what I know is well known, and they do some cool stuff. Well with all this said I personally would go back , but this is just me. now I will sit back and take all your belly ackin about how much Riddle sucks.... Good luck.