Embry Riddle Life style
12-21-2008, 07:16 AM
#41
Super Moderator
Joined APC: Jul 2006
Posts: 5,558
My friends that went to ERAU say the same thing all my Air Force Acdemy friends say, "I wish I had went to a normal college."
Went to a normal University with a 141 program attached to it and had a blast. It was a small program, one where you pretty much knew everyone. This is good and bad, but mostly good. One of the great things about going to a normal college is making friends in all different majors. Ya, it's great to make a bunch of contacts in aviation but it's great having contacts in careers outside of aviation. Like I said I went to a small university (prolly 150 people at any one time) and I have contacts at most all the regionals, 2 majors a few corporate departments and tons of us are military. On top of all that I have numerous contacts in all sorts of other career fields (possible backup, should my medical go south).
As far as frats go, depends on where you go. My buddies that went to small private college tended to be greek as pretty much everyone was there, or so I'm told. I went to a big state university and if you have to join a frat to find things to do, your either socially inept or stay in your dorm room all the time. Not to mention I could barely pay for college, even with the Guard footing alot of the bill, let alone, pay to join a frat. Also, there was no way I was going to ask my parent for money to join a frat, but hey if you have the money then by all means...enjoy.
Goodluck with whatever you choose.
Went to a normal University with a 141 program attached to it and had a blast. It was a small program, one where you pretty much knew everyone. This is good and bad, but mostly good. One of the great things about going to a normal college is making friends in all different majors. Ya, it's great to make a bunch of contacts in aviation but it's great having contacts in careers outside of aviation. Like I said I went to a small university (prolly 150 people at any one time) and I have contacts at most all the regionals, 2 majors a few corporate departments and tons of us are military. On top of all that I have numerous contacts in all sorts of other career fields (possible backup, should my medical go south).
As far as frats go, depends on where you go. My buddies that went to small private college tended to be greek as pretty much everyone was there, or so I'm told. I went to a big state university and if you have to join a frat to find things to do, your either socially inept or stay in your dorm room all the time. Not to mention I could barely pay for college, even with the Guard footing alot of the bill, let alone, pay to join a frat. Also, there was no way I was going to ask my parent for money to join a frat, but hey if you have the money then by all means...enjoy.
Goodluck with whatever you choose.
12-21-2008, 11:32 AM
#42
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Jul 2008
Position: 88 Gunner
Posts: 516
Originally Posted by ERAU08
I am an intern right now in Houston. Will be graduating this December. I did ERAU in 3 years also which is not a bad way to do it when it comes to cost savings. I did my private and instrument and some basic classes before I got there and have probably spent about half as much as a 4 year guy who does all his ratings at Riddle.
I do have to admit...they rip you off on the flight training. They claim its the best anywhere but when you get down to it...why pay so much more for the same thing that some other guy you might fly with got for half the price at an FBO? Having both instructed and flown at 4 other flight schools, I can tell you that ERAU is not perfect and there are many advantages at other flight training facilities. They go to extremes on their checkrides to...most of the check pilots are ridiculously meticulous when compared to a DE and Riddle has an extremely high overall fail rate for checkrides. I guess they still havent figured out that this really hurts their students later on. Even better...I have found it to be quite hillarious that the 737 checklist at the airline I am interning with is shorter than Riddle's Cessna 172 checklist as well as the 737 flows are less complicated, and has much fewer emergency memory items than the 737. I never realized how complex and difficult it must be to fly a Cessna.
The degree is great, you learn alot from your aero. science classes, and they help you out alot with internships and such. I really enjoyed the classes and professors. Just do as much as you can before you get there and don't let them sell you their "amazing" flight trainnig department. Its overrated.
I do have to admit...they rip you off on the flight training. They claim its the best anywhere but when you get down to it...why pay so much more for the same thing that some other guy you might fly with got for half the price at an FBO? Having both instructed and flown at 4 other flight schools, I can tell you that ERAU is not perfect and there are many advantages at other flight training facilities. They go to extremes on their checkrides to...most of the check pilots are ridiculously meticulous when compared to a DE and Riddle has an extremely high overall fail rate for checkrides. I guess they still havent figured out that this really hurts their students later on. Even better...I have found it to be quite hillarious that the 737 checklist at the airline I am interning with is shorter than Riddle's Cessna 172 checklist as well as the 737 flows are less complicated, and has much fewer emergency memory items than the 737. I never realized how complex and difficult it must be to fly a Cessna.
The degree is great, you learn alot from your aero. science classes, and they help you out alot with internships and such. I really enjoyed the classes and professors. Just do as much as you can before you get there and don't let them sell you their "amazing" flight trainnig department. Its overrated.
Last edited by ysslah; 12-21-2008 at 11:42 AM. Reason: added hockey
12-21-2008, 02:36 PM
#43
Super Moderator
Joined APC: Jul 2006
Posts: 5,558
With so much talk about the internships, I thought I'd throw in a piece of advice given to me when I was in college, from a Regional Chief Pilot. Do an internship at the airline you wish to retire with, not the one you wish to start your career with. Now, I did not do an internship as I could not afford to go a semester without pay but that advice has paid off for at least two or my friends so far.
Classic example. Two guys do internships, one with a regional and one with the mainline. The regional guy gets hired with lowered mins at the regional. The mainline guy gets hired 6 months later with the regular mins. Fast forward a little, the mainline starts hiring and the offers lowers mins to their interns but still the 1000 PIC for the non-interns. They mainline intern gets hired and the regional intern does not have the mins to apply. This is what happened to my friends.
Classic example. Two guys do internships, one with a regional and one with the mainline. The regional guy gets hired with lowered mins at the regional. The mainline guy gets hired 6 months later with the regular mins. Fast forward a little, the mainline starts hiring and the offers lowers mins to their interns but still the 1000 PIC for the non-interns. They mainline intern gets hired and the regional intern does not have the mins to apply. This is what happened to my friends.
Last edited by crewdawg; 12-21-2008 at 02:42 PM.
12-21-2008, 03:09 PM
#44
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Jul 2008
Position: 88 Gunner
Posts: 516
Originally Posted by crewdawg
With so much talk about the internships, I thought I'd throw in a piece of advice given to me when I was in college, from a Regional Chief Pilot. Do an internship at the airline you wish to retire with, not the one you wish to start your career with. Now, I did not do an internship as I could not afford to go a semester without pay but that advice has paid off for at least two or my friends so far.
Classic example. Two guys do internships, one with a regional and one with the mainline. The regional guy gets hired with lowered mins at the regional. The mainline guy gets hired 6 months later with the regular mins. Fast forward a little, the mainline starts hiring and the offers lowers mins to their interns but still the 1000 PIC for the non-interns. They mainline intern gets hired and the regional intern does not have the mins to apply. This is what happened to my friends.
Classic example. Two guys do internships, one with a regional and one with the mainline. The regional guy gets hired with lowered mins at the regional. The mainline guy gets hired 6 months later with the regular mins. Fast forward a little, the mainline starts hiring and the offers lowers mins to their interns but still the 1000 PIC for the non-interns. They mainline intern gets hired and the regional intern does not have the mins to apply. This is what happened to my friends.
12-21-2008, 04:14 PM
#45
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Oct 2008
Position: 1986 LeBaron Convertable
Posts: 439
Originally Posted by Ski Patrol
OK here goes not trying to flame here just some advice take it or leave it.
Save your/dad's money go get a real degree. Nobody cares where you went to school might as well get something you can fall back on. Get your ratings on the side. I repeat the only thing that matters is experience not what college you attended. If you want street cred go fly single pilot 135 for a-while.
Save your/dad's money go get a real degree. Nobody cares where you went to school might as well get something you can fall back on. Get your ratings on the side. I repeat the only thing that matters is experience not what college you attended. If you want street cred go fly single pilot 135 for a-while.
If you are serioulsy asking this question in the first place, then maybe you shouldn't consider ERAU at all. The girls are POOR! And that's being nice. I don't want to get booted off the site. If you want to fly, go to a local FBO. Get your education elsewhere and save $$$. ERAU is WAAAAY overpriced for what you get (other than all you can drink cool-aid).
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