blastoff

2! ..............

minimwage4

Firstly, I never said it's not worth it, I'm saying this profession and what you get out of it is not worth a 165 grand education, that's Doctor, MBA, Ivy-League territory. That's why I was laughing... you're going to start at maybe 20K if you're lucky enough to find an airline job after a year or two of instructing for minimum wage. I'm sure they showed you the nice class rooms with the shinny equipment and maybe the simulators etc. All that will be free for you once you get hired at an airline, and you don't need a degree from Riddle to operate them.

Also, when I say local school, I don't mean community college. I mean a good accredited 4 year school that's close and cheap. State schools are just fine. Virtually every other post here is telling you not to go your route. And to answer your question above, no you won't, not anything that is needed anyways, like a 400 bucks an hour 2 hour class on how to operate an FMS.

chignutsak

Get a AA/AS at a good community college. 99.99% of the time all credits will transfer to the state school of your choice. All lower level gen-ed coursework is fairly similar...do you really need to pay Riddle $$$$$ for art appreciation?? Then transfer to your state school, get a real degree in something that can earn you a living, and treat flying as a hobby that may eventually pay you back one day. Until then, study your *** off and BTW, join a frat and get laid. If flying pans out, great. If not, you have your other degree to fall back on.

Depending on your motivation, the military may be another excellent alternative.

HyeFlyer

Well, what if i attended FIT (ERAU is now out of the question because of little scholarship money compared to FIT) and got my Aero-Engineering Degree with, say, a minor in meteorology or somthing relatively unrelated to the Aviation's 7 year market hiring cycle (or however long it may be), but all of this and getting flight training at a local FBO down there like everyone seems to be suggesting?

I understand a license is a license and all so I suppose fitting in the flight training separately from the school is feasible? I live in the DC Metro area so FIT is far away, but I'm sure there's still an option of finding a local FBO down there.

And one thing, the scholarship money I'm receiving from FIT would entirely cover the cost of flight training through FIT, but I would also be paying full tuition then. Still not a good choice to get everything at FIT?

P.S. I don't mean to be rude to any of the ideas posted here, I am just trying to understand the best way for someone in my particular situation to go about making my aviation dreams work out for the best.

Grumble

It's like talking to a wall...

Go visit Melbourne and see if that's somewhere you want to live.

Then pick the last several years worth of issues of "Playboy's Girls of the PAC-10" and take a cruise through the pages of Arizona State.

If you still want to go to FIT.... you'll fit right in.

AirWillie

There's nothing to do in Melbourne, Daytona, Vero etc etc but drink at the bars and go out to the beach, actually that kind of goes for all of Florida. Plus if you want beautiful girls just go to Miami. If the guy has a scholarship for anything, then it's an EASY choice. If he has to pay for anything, then go for the cheapest. Done and done. But I kind agree with Grumbles mentality, get some while you can before they find out that you're a pilot on food stamps.

HyeFlyer

Since when did I say anything about girls? And yea I have been to Melbourne and It was a bit dull. Not too bad. And Arizona State had terrrrrible houseing and only one major to pick from with flight. That and it costs a fortune (which everyone her is trying to avoid..) So no, Arizona is NOT the place to be...

Grumble

Dorm it up for a year, if you go the Fraternity route, move into the house. If you're a GDI split an apartment with a friend or three. You're the one that brought up ASU as a possibility based on scholarship.

You absolutely don't need a "flight major" to be a pilot and in all reality you're limiting your options if you get furloughed, lose your medical, quit the industry, etc.

Political Science, fly at your local FBO, consider yourself lucky if you come out the otherside STD free with a functioning liver. If I could go back and do it all over again, I'd absolutley go that route as opposed to ERAU/FIT. You get one shot at being a college student from 18-22. Don't f it up!

You seem to have all the answers though, so your questions seem to be more rhetorical in nature. Sounds to me like you've already made up your mind, and are just looking for vindication. For the record I blew off a $40K scholarship to FIT to go to ERAU.

Oh, and as a college student you can't afford the "beautiful girls" in Miami. Or Ft. Laud or West Palm for that matter.

Edit: BTW you're throwing around the idea of taking out a $145K loan like it's nothing. Take a look at what the monthly payment is going to be on that for the 15+ years after you graduate college, and compare that to monthly CFI/Regional FO pay for 5-10 years. If living on the remainder doesn't scare the sh1t out of you, you're insane.

acl65pilot

I have a ERAU degree and my suggestion is to go to Auburn. Get a degree in a non-related field, and fly on the side.

Riddle is a good school, but DO NOT do your Primary Flight training there. It is very expensive for the same ticket. You can go to X47 or De Land and get the same ticket for 1/3-1/2 the price. When you get your Commercial Multi, Instrument then go do the 400 level courses at Riddle. Your debt will be half of what it is and you will get the same experience. The same could be said for Auburn or UND.
In this world and industry, do not limit yourself with a Aero Sci degree. Add to it, if you ever want to do more in an airline, you will need the business degree.

Grumble

I'll answer my own question for you:

Payment on a $140K in loans is going to run you between 1100-1300 month depending on schedule and interest rate.

Deduct that from first year FO pay of about $2000-2300 using the best pay scale I could find on here. You can figure out the rest.