jiminmem

The biggest consideration you need to make is can you afford it. Remember, when you finish, and if family didn't pay for it, you'll have a huge bill and looking at jobs that pay in the teens. Unless the industry turns around rather quickly, you'll be looking at instructing. Even if it does turn around and you get on at a regional quickly, your looking at just over 20,000 per year.

If you did get on at a regional your looking at being an FO for years, due to your low time. Can you afford to live; rent utilities, food, gas, etc on top of your student loan bills. See what the real cost will be and talk to a financial advisory to see what your payments will be per month.

If you'll be taking home $2000 per month and will need to make 8-900 a month in loan payments, can you survive? Only you can answer that question.

I recieved a degree in aviation and yes, it did help me with understanding on systems and the industry. I still started out instructing for 1200 hours, then flying corporate, freight, before I got the chance to fly FO on a turbo prop for a regional.

There are few short cuts in this industry, timing and connections are the biggest helps. Good luck to you

globalexpress

Walk-

What does a full time flight instructor at UND earn annually? Do they get any benefits like health insurance or a 401k? You can PM me if you don't want to post publicly.

tom14cat14

I went to UND 2004-2007 and i am now a FO fir Mesaba. I enjoyed my time up there and you do learn a lot if you want too. You can finish every course on time if you want too. I finished all of mine way too early but you need a good instructor and you have to want too. There are definitely some bad instructors when i was up there and there are some great ones just like every where. I think it was a great place. Would i do it again? No i probably wouldn't. The amount of debt you gain from this really makes it hard to live on your wage as an FO. I would love to go to a local school get a BS degree in who cares what and fly from the FBO. It would be hard to beat UND if you want new shinny airplanes but if you want any chance of money in your pocket and you do not have rich parents then go to an FBO.

Captain Krusty

I was a UND Instructor until late 2004. I don't remember exactly what I made but it was around $20 an hour. I think my tax return for 2004 showed near $15k and logged around 600 hours. That is only face time and/or Hobbs time with a student. If you have a 3 hour break between students. Too bad. We did get health insurance at the time. No 401k

Many many instructors would and probably still do have 2nd jobs. I did. I bar-teneded at night and made more money doing that than the instructing. Was not uncommon to instruct a student earlier in the day and serve them a rum and coke later on the same day.

I did enjoy learning and instructing at UND. Those were probably the funnest years of my life. For professionalism and quality of training it is a great place. It really depends on the instructor though. Some are horrible, but at least there are a lot of good ones.

globalexpress

Yeah, that's what I figured. UND was no different than the other flight schools I am familiar with. Thanks.

BHopper88

I went to UND from 1996-2005 (took a few years off to do interships and got burned out), graduated in Dec 2005. The training and the resources UND has is great considering the amount of money a student spends. As like others have stated there are many pros and cons to UND. I enjoyed my time there but I am sooooo grateful that I got out of the UND "Bubble" and instructed in Orlando where I learned and gained more real world experience than if I stayed to CFI at UND.

I remember the semester that UND Aerospace switched to the "New Grading system" and there was no mention that it was a 141 requirement. It was said to be more of a means to "weed out" students. Now certain professors used more "extra credit" for those that finished early or met certain "gates" to boost up their ground school grade. But student also got their grade DEDUCTED for an UNSAT of a stage check. It added pressure for those that were falling behind and might have not been the best student. Then issues would come up for say commercial students when the CFI's got to the point where they were flying the arrows... It was possible that if a student had a A in the ground school course, but say they didnt finish the "flight lab" in the required time (time varied depending on the course - 102 was 1 year after the final, 323 was the end of the semester or could be extended depending on outside factors, etc...) they FAILED the course.
Plus there was a clause that if you "FAILED" a ground school more than twice you had to appeal to the college to retake the class and remain in the college of aerospace.

Dont get me wrong, I valued the time I was there, learned pleanty, had the opportunity to do various internships that UND had connections with, but once I saw what it was like outside the UND bubble, it wasnt worth the money spent. Am I a "BETTER" pilot than someone that went to ERAU, WMU, some guy at a FBO, HELL NO.. They passed the same exams to prove their skills. I might have different flying experiences in different terrains or weather, but we all learned the same to fly.

My recommendation would be to get your ratings at a place that is affordable TO YOU and fits your learning style. Go get a degree that is NOT IN AVIATION. My BS in aeronautical sciences just shows how much I spent at UND, and really my connections from friends at UND and those I made outside of UND mean more than what the UND name can get me.

I loved the atmosphere at UND and in Grand Forks, from playing Intramurals, getting paid to ref IM hockey, the Sioux Hockey games, and all the friends I made not in aviation was priceless. The weather was a challenge to get used to, but still its what you make of it. Many times I would go to the chester fritz with friends in a swimsuit and stand in front of the temp displaying -20F for a fun picture. Or the times experiencing the 96-97 Blizzards and Flood.

I guess to finish the rant, would be to say there are plenty of means and paths to get to the goal as an airline pilot, and by going to UND is not the only way or by any means a leg up than others. By no means am I trying to discourage you or anyone to not at least check out UND, but understand, UND may have the newest and greatest "toys" and a top notch staff, is it worth the price, that a local FBO could save you?

Airlines WILL NOT LOOK DOWN ON YOU IF YOU GOT YOUR DEGREE FROM A SMALL SCHOOL.... If you networked, and made those connections, you can get ahead of many that go to the BIG NAME aviation colleges

gearcrankr

Check as many schools as you can. BUT above all else do not waste your time and money on an "Aviation degree". They truly are completely worthless.

flyeagle111

I currently attend UND and really like it for ATC. The aviation courses are great. Though I haven't done flight training, I constantly hear complaining from some of the flight students. Too many policies, not fun etc. Overall, it's nice to get away from home and experience another state for college, even if it is ND.

lavMan

I graduated in 1997. Knowing now, It wouldn't have made a difference where you get your degree or flight training from. In some instances, you can get it done a lot quicker, and save some cash doing it else where. I will say, it was very thorough and at some times way over the top with useless knowledge that I never use. But the overall college experience was great in my opinion. Made a lot of friends there. Winter does kind of stink, but nothing new on that one.