mkrinn

I had a buddy I worked with that graduated ERAU and he wasn't even able to finnish his ratings. He still only has his PPL. He was forced to switch to their Admin degree the last year just to walk away with his overpriced piece of parchment. He told me he was thinking about writting a book about how bad ERAU is/was just to pay back his loans.

ERAU1978grad

I am a 1978 Air Science graduate from ERAU. I spent $32,000 back then and have no idea what the cost is now with fuel prices included. Reading the pots that say $37k per year just floors me. I feel for the fool who takes that bait.

When I graduated from the DAB campus I had a CFI, 350 hours and was literally THROWN TO THE WOLVES. I spent 5 years as a CFI and night freight pilot accumulating 2000 hours. I added an ATP in a Citation, and CFI-single land and sea, multi land and sea, glider. I had to pay for the Citation training out of pocket at $3500.

I applied to all of the airlines and they wouldn't even look at me. An Air Science degree from Riddle meant nothing then and it still means nothing. Unfortunately, all the propaganda on the web says otherwise.

Thw NUMBER ONE thing that you have to realize about aviation is that there are thousands of pilots out there who will do anything to fly, but there are only so many cockpit slots that can be filled. Your competition will fly for a lot less than you can survive on.

When I graduated from high school I made the decision to become an airline pilot. How naive I was! The truth is that you don't 'become' an airline pilot, instead you 'suffer incredibly for many years to maybe end up as one'. It was the worst decision I have ever made and was a financial catastrophe for me and my family. There is no guarantee you will ever make it and if you don't you will spend the rest of your life trying to pay of $thousands$ in school loans by flying airplanes in charter and corporate HELL for the rest of your life. You will not have a family life, you will live in a small house in a crappy neighborhood and you will own one little crappy car.

I did an informal survey a few years ago. I pulled out my old Riddle yearbook from 1978 and wrote down the names of the guys who graduated with me in Air Science. I then went to the FAA Airman Database and searched to see how many still had an active pilot's license. Of that entire class with high hopes for their future, only 25% were still flying. In other words 75% OF THE CLASS FOUND OUT LIKE ME THAT FLYING AIRPLANES IS A LOUSY WAY TO MAKE A LIVING. Out of the guys I graduated with, only 8% had advanced type ratings which indicated they were flying for the airlines. That means 92% of the class did not get anywhere near an airline cockpit. I have no idea what they are doing now, but they all left school with huge loans to pay off and no way to do it.

Proof that Riddle knows there is a problem here: it started the 'Zero-to-250 hours to an ASA co-pilot job program'. That program has now been discontinued. You are still thrown to the wolves.

I was VERY lucky do be able to take a 'do over' as kids say. I started in a new career. I eventually went back to school in 1984 and got a degree in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Tennessee, a regular university with an established reputation and a huge percentage of female students. Trust me, engineering pays a HECK of a lot more than piloting airplanes and it is truly a white collar job. You get and office with a desk and a constant salary with a guaranteed annual increase and a retirement account. You work indoors with smart people who own nice homes and have a family life.

The truth is that airline pilots are blue collar workers who are paid hourly wages and stand on picket lines when things get bad, just like a coal miner or factory worker for General Motors, or someone working in a sweatshop in Mexico. The majority of them do not have retirement accounts to look forward to supporting them when they retire. The sad fact is that they still will do anything to fly airplanes. What morons!!!

I STRONGLY suggest that you take your $50,000 and go to law school. Anyone with half a brain can get a law dergree and even if you screw your post-graduation career up andmake stupid choices, you still have a much better chance at being home with your family, eating a nice meal every night, living in a nice house in a normal neighborhood and owning two new cars.

ERAU1978grad

>> Already a private pilot w/o any additional ratings -just VFR PPL.
>> My great aspiration is indeed to go into the airline pilot buz.
>> The truth of the matter is I don't know how to better go about
>> finding the "optimal" training path. Some time has past since I was
>> 18 years (+++...) but have a VERY strong science background
>> (PhD in applied physics+work experience in aerospace R&D) my dream is still alive.

Obviously with a PhD in Applied Physics you have an IQ above 130. If you go into aiviation, you will be surrounded by people with IQ's of 100. You will be way out of your element and surrounded by people you won't be able to communicate with. I cannot emphasize the importance of sticking with your chosen career path in order to maintain financial security. You will not be able to find a job as an airline pilot. In order to scratch your aviation itch you should start by picking up additional flight ratings. Start with gliders and then try seaplanes. If you feel crazy, go to an aerobatics school. Hot air balloons are cool too! There is a lot to learn and you presently have the financial resources to take advantage of it.

>> would ever an airliner hire someone approaching 40s with no
>> prior airliner experience? Alternatively, what are the
>> prospects for Buz-Jet aviation?

No. Airlines look at pilots like they look at machinery. Airlines spend a LOT of money training a pilot. It is an investment and they want to get all of that money back by working that pilot as many years as they can. In order to do so, they have to hire you when you are 25 so that you will work for 35 years. If you start now, you will be 45 when you might possible be hired by a regional airline. If you ever qualify for a major airline, you might possibly do that by age 50. That means you have 10 years to fly until mandatory retirement. There is no major air carrier that wil hire you because of that.

As far as corporate- the big problem you have here concerns insurance. Most corporate flight departments carry insurance mandating that their pilots in command to have something like 3,000 total time and 1000 hours in turbine. You need to figure out how you are going to get this experience.

Golden Flyer

ERAU1978grad your hate for Embry Riddle is passionate Remind me of the Catholics and the Da Vinci Code situation. Anyways, I understand how you feel, can you belive I changed 100% over a period of two weeks ? I came online and got feedback from these lifesavers on here. its always good to talk to people with experience whatever the case might be. I wasnt too far away from taking a loan from NelNet to cove $140K for ERAU... Now I look back at it and I want to laugh, but i cant even crack a smile God KNOWS I WOULDNT PAY THAT SH*T BACK! I WOULD'VE BECOME A FUGITIVE ON THE RUN! Change my name, move to like Sicily or something, become the black DeNiro. Can't believe I was so damn naive, I figured i wouldve save and pay everything back and have a savings in the matter of 5 years. WEIRD!!! Just WEIRD!! When I called Embry-Riddle and spoke to one of the instructors about the NelNet and everything, he asked me if I know how much the regionals are paying and kinda schooled me. He hinted every bit not to come to the school!!!!!!!

ERAU1978grad

Amen!!!!! That's one lost soul I have saved from a life of indentured servitude! Rejoyce and be on your way to a successful career in whatever OTHER field you choose!

Do not forget: even if you aspire to become the worst attorney on Planet Earth, you will be richer than the best pilot.

Take a look at this:
http://law.regent.edu/admissions/tuitioncomp.cfm

Golden Flyer

Well I was actually thinking of doing law, but I doubt I could eevr kill aviation. I see a future for it and a good one at that! Just need a turn around thats all. I figure, I will get a B.A. in Political Sci. or just do the first year of that and if GPA is high enough enroll into law school. With that being said, get my PPL and move on from there. It is a good back up if flying doesnt work out for the best!

ksdc

Thanks to all for your responses!

It definitely helped me exchanging ideas with people who have been where I am. I guess sometimes we choose "not to see and not to hear" opinions that do not enforce the conclusion we would like to reach.

I wonder if it is possible to exchange off-line messages with individuals in the list. For example I would like to contact ERAU1978grad but I could not find ayny other link. Any help?

am a 1978 Air Science graduate from ERAU. I spent $32,000 back then and have no idea what the cost is now with fuel prices included. Reading the pots that say $37k per year just floors me. I feel for the fool who takes that bait.

When I graduated from the DAB campus I had a CFI, 350 hours and was literally THROWN TO THE WOLVES. I spent 5 years as a CFI and night freight pilot accumulating 2000 hours. I added an ATP in a Citation, and CFI-single land and sea, multi land and sea, glider. I had to pay for the Citation training out of pocket at $3500.

I applied to all of the airlines and they wouldn't even look at me. An Air Science degree from Riddle meant nothing then and it still means nothing. Unfortunately, all the propaganda on the web says otherwise.

Thw NUMBER ONE thing that you have to realize about aviation is that there are thousands of pilots out there who will do anything to fly, but there are only so many cockpit slots that can be filled. Your competition will fly for a lot less than you can survive on.

When I graduated from high school I made the decision to become an airline pilot. How naive I was! The truth is that you don't 'become' an airline pilot, instead you 'suffer incredibly for many years to maybe end up as one'. It was the worst decision I have ever made and was a financial catastrophe for me and my family. There is no guarantee you will ever make it and if you don't you will spend the rest of your life trying to pay of $thousands$ in school loans by flying airplanes in charter and corporate HELL for the rest of your life. You will not have a family life, you will live in a small house in a crappy neighborhood and you will own one little crappy car.

I did an informal survey a few years ago. I pulled out my old Riddle yearbook from 1978 and wrote down the names of the guys who graduated with me in Air Science. I then went to the FAA Airman Database and searched to see how many still had an active pilot's license. Of that entire class with high hopes for their future, only 25% were still flying. In other words 75% OF THE CLASS FOUND OUT LIKE ME THAT FLYING AIRPLANES IS A LOUSY WAY TO MAKE A LIVING. Out of the guys I graduated with, only 8% had advanced type ratings which indicated they were flying for the airlines. That means 92% of the class did not get anywhere near an airline cockpit. I have no idea what they are doing now, but they all left school with huge loans to pay off and no way to do it.

Proof that Riddle knows there is a problem here: it started the 'Zero-to-250 hours to an ASA co-pilot job program'. That program has now been discontinued. You are still thrown to the wolves.

I was VERY lucky do be able to take a 'do over' as kids say. I started in a new career. I eventually went back to school in 1984 and got a degree in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Tennessee, a regular university with an established reputation and a huge percentage of female students. Trust me, engineering pays a HECK of a lot more than piloting airplanes and it is truly a white collar job. You get and office with a desk and a constant salary with a guaranteed annual increase and a retirement account. You work indoors with smart people who own nice homes and have a family life.

The truth is that airline pilots are blue collar workers who are paid hourly wages and stand on picket lines when things get bad, just like a coal miner or factory worker for General Motors, or someone working in a sweatshop in Mexico. The majority of them do not have retirement accounts to look forward to supporting them when they retire. The sad fact is that they still will do anything to fly airplanes. What morons!!!

I STRONGLY suggest that you take your $50,000 and go to law school. Anyone with half a brain can get a law dergree and even if you screw your post-graduation career up andmake stupid choices, you still have a much better chance at being home with your family, eating a nice meal every night, living in a nice house in a normal neighborhood and owning two new cars.[/QUOTE]

ERAU1978grad

If you click on ERAU1978grad in the left column next to the postings, a pop-up window will appear. You should see 'send a private message to.....'.

mojo69

As a near-grad myself, I can highly reccomend the ERAU extended campus. It allows you to get your flight ratings at any school you like, and submit your licenses for credit.

It is designed for working adults, so at my campus, we only go 1 day per week, per class, for 5 hours, starting at 5:30PM, for 3 credit hours. Also, the semesters are only 9 weeks, instead of the traditional 18.

The classes are about 1/8th of the cost of the two main campuses of ERAU, and you get the exact same degree. From what I have seen, most of their campuses(including mine) are on military bases.

Calpilot

I agree 100%. This is what I did as well. You only need to take 10 riddle classes to get a degree. I went to the cheapest colleges I could find to get the basic classes, got something like 36 credits for my ATP, and finished up with 10 classes at an ERAU extended campus. I have a B.S in Professional Aeronautics.

I took the majority of classes at Nellis AFB in Nevada and I am a civilian. It is worth taking a look at and you can save yourself about $100,000.

Or you can go to Law School instead.