Uncle Bose

Hey, I like MBAs. Especially free ones. Tuition wavers for ERAU employees are a fantastic deal.

Even so, I'd recommend against planning for the route you've taken to anyone reading this. A bachelor's and MBA at UCLA combined costs $20K less than a bachelor's alone at ERAU. The same thing at UF is $75K less than a bachelor's alone at ERAU.
I knew a few CFIs there who were graduates of other colleges. That's a good way to do it...a bachelors at a state school, CFI at ERAU, and have them pay for your MBA.

So what are your plans after graduating? I know you said you want to stick with flying, but do all these new possibilities get you thinking otherwise?

sflpilot

There are many different ways to become a pilot. Riddle is a problem because it's just not a very enjoyable place to be. They run it like the military, but the problem with that is people in the military get paid to be there. At riddle you are paying to be there. All private schools are expensive. Paying the loans is difficult when you are a CFI or regional pilot.

9999

I am in the same boat as you. I completed all of my Riddle courses while on active duty Army and have been surprised by the animosity shown on this site towards the school. After reading some of the posts, I can understand the feeling, though it was not my experience.

sargeanb

After graduation I'll probably take the standard route and head for the regionals. I've got an ex-roommate who flies Lears our of NJ, and a former CFI buddy who works part 135 cargo (connections are another advantage of being here), and they both enjoy it, but I'm married and would like to be home more often. But I can't see myself flying a desk...I want to fly for the airlines, and maybe when I'm 50ish start searching for management positions (might be the only option to have a decent retirement by that time the way things are going). My dream is to start a Part 135 operation in FL or the Carribean, but, sadly, that's highly unlikely For now, the future looks pretty good for us here, until the industry takes the inevitable downturn again...I've been through one already, and could barely get hired as a CFI, but things are looking better for the moment.

I've been cruising various forums for a long time...and I've seen the general dislike for alot of us from Riddle, mainly because our predecessors were arrogant (nice way of putting it). I knew a few of those types while I was here. But people shouldn't judge the whole group just based on that.

-Sargeanb

MBApilot

these young guys and gals should go to a school like Purdue, UND, SIU, or something like that......and get an excellent aviation education, while doing other things as well. Make yourself a hot commodity.

I can say from experience that NOTHING is guaranteed when you get of college. Heck, you might think that you want to be a regional pilot...but 6 months of actually doing will give you a better idea of the life.

ERAU may be a great aviation school....but it was awful nice getting a four-year degree from Purdue, King Air time, 120 hours in 727-100/-200 sim, crazy partying, lots of girls, and some awesome networking for doing other things.

(Want to get a job in something other than aviation? ...having a degree from a school that everybody thinks is "Ivy League" is pretty darn nice. Purdue's a state school.)

TankerDriver

Your instructor was an idiot for putting you on the schedule without actually talking to you. When I got a new student, I would arrange an informal meeting as an introduction so that I could "interview" the student and break the ice, so to speak. I would not charge them for it. This is when I'd go over the rules of engagement, operations manual, etc...

The fact that you no-showed out after getting a new instructor leads me to believe you were a problem child. In the 4 years I was there, I had 1 no-show and it was from a similar situation to yours above, so it was retracted. Other than that, I wanted to fly, so I didn't have a problem with not showing up to my flights.

TankerDriver

Explain what exactly is run like the military? The flight training? Do you have any military flying experience? I don't recall ever making my students at ERAU stand at attention in front of me and 20 other students while reciting bold face procedures from memory to a given inflight emergency, only to scream at them, humiliate them and tell them to sit down when they got it wrong. Trust me, ERAU flight training is not run like the military. At least not like the Air Force. Not even close. A little discepline in a flight training program never hurt anyone.

crewdawg

Who the heck thinks Purdue is an Ivy League scool?!?!

palgia841

Actually, I have seen it happen at ERAU. There was a certain training manager who worked at the USAF program who started doing that.
And actually you don't get to sit down until you get it right... you stay standing while being humiliated/yelled at in front of the whole class.

(I'll agree it was the exception, not the rule)

LAfrequentflyer

...I tried to do memory items while looking in a mirror and any hesitation / fumble is so clearly visible its scary how something you know can change when you're being scrutinized...

-LAFF