Seven Left

Or flight attendant school - they actually have one of those at DAB.

Ottopilot

I'm curious. Anyone know the enrollment at the ERAU schools? Has it suffered with the high cost and bad economy/industry?

ERAUdude

My roommate works over there and he said that enrollment isn't necessarily down. A lot of students just can't get loans so they're not flying.

flyandive

As a Riddle grad, I don't regret my decision to go there one bit, it was a great experience but it is what you make of it. With that said yes you can still learn to fly on campus no matter your degree. When I was an instructor there I had an engineering student as well as an air traffic student. Although, I would never recommend training on campus unless you wanted to fly airline and/or unless your degree required it.

The type of training done on campus is very specific and more geared to an airline environment than most anywhere else (It's still a far cry from good CRM in the cockpit). If you just intend to fly personally or just want to have the experience, you will get far more applicable training off campus. Even if you did ignore my advice, and I especially encouraged this of my students, is get some experience off campus. I mean in a Part 61 environment in an old airplane where you are FORCED to learn pilotage. Not in a GPS, G1000 equipped Cessna with someone telling you this is the only way to fly an airplane. The best way to learn after a student is comfortable is to introduce diversity, keep pushing the envelope of what is comfortable and learn as much as you can. Be a jack of all trades, then pick an area to master.

inky13

Well, are you planning on going to the airlines? I know on many of these forums here most people tell you to major in something else and do flying on the side. Seems like you're taking that advice, if you're going to the airlines that is.

Yes, you can fly at ERAU as a non-flight student. I had an engineering student observe one of my flights and afterwards, he asked me how he could go about getting training done. I advised him to go across the field to an FBO and do it but took him to a training manager so he could get information on how to start. Low and behold, that manager advised him the same thing. Unfortuneately, the on-campus non-aero science classes are not tailored to the flight training program (I ran into that problem when getting my math minor, the classes [mostly tailored towards the engineers] always conflicted with my flying schedule some how] so getting an engineering degree while flying at ERAU would be difficult. At least at an FBO you can go more at your own pace.

Someone mentioned to get experience, no matter what route you go, at an FBO. I agree full-heartedly, I preach to my students to get checked out in a steam-gauged Cessna across the field. And I'm also one who "fails" the G1000's MFD/PFD on my students on flights. When they B**** and moan, I tell them, "You'll thank me later."

As for the enrollment/costs for ERAU flying: enrollment hasn't been bad at all. Apparently, 270 ERAU students took their Private Pilot FAA Written here in the last week. I've had a couple students stop for financial reasons. Although costs seem to be starting to go down a little, now that fuel prices are going down...flight time is charged on a dry rate plus a fuel surcharge (plus the instructor, as appropriate, currently at $51/hr). Fuel surcharge rate is currently at $34.25/hr. The "dry" rate plus the instructor is $148.00/hr. So $182.25/hr total [$132.25/hr without instructor, which is pretty good for a G1000], and for my student today, a 1.0 flight with a .5 of pre-brief/post-brief came out to around $207. In the beginning of the semester, the same 1.0 flight cost him about $40 more.

Anyway, I don't preach to people to go to ERAU or go to an FBO, each person's needs/capabilities are different. Yes I am glad I went to ERAU, but I won't tell you that you should go. Do your research and figure out what's best for you.

ERAU-PRC December 2007 graduate.

flyandive

My favorite G1000 moment: I inherited a student from another instructor and she had never flown a round dial before. I failed her PFD on her and told her to maintain 2000.' She stared at the backup altimeter and exclaimed, "I don't know how to read that!"

After I managed to pick my jaw up from off the floor I explained to her that it was like reading a clock and to her defense she responded, "Oh, that's easy, what's all the fuss about then?"

"Nothing, just remind me to smack your old instructor across the backside of his head."

atpwannabe

It's amazing that youngsters these days are only familiar with glass technology. Glass presents the same info as steam gauges....only in a different format/way.

I'm glad that I grew up around steam gauge instrumentation cockpits. To me, it actually makes glass technology easier.



atp

Zayghami

That is ridiculously expensive to rent a plane.

El Scorcho

Those planes are quite nice though...

inky13

It is, but relatively, that's pretty cheap. Across the field, their G1000 goes for $150/hr plus $5/hr fuel surcharge plus $50/hr for instructor [based on July 2008 rates]. If it wasn't an instructional flight, an additional 8.35% sales tax is added. Although, their G1000 has an autopilot, which is nice to have sometimes. One more thing to know on the checkride though.