FlyingJack13

Hello there fellow pilots and (students) Just a little info about myself, I am currently attending a University that offers a degree in Aviation Education all the way up in South Dakota. Currently, I have my PPL, Instrument, and almost finished with my commercial rating, Only need 15 hours of multi-engine time. I am hoping to finish my commercial before summer is over and hopefully start my CFI this Fall. My dillema is this, am I better off staying in a small airport atmosphere or am I better off finishing my degree and getting to a bigger airport and Flight instruct? Actually we have a pretty good program going right now, about 120 students, with fairly new C-172s, a Beechcraft Sierra, and a Piper Seminole. I have 2 years of college remaining and I was hoping to graduate in May '07. The main drawback of staying here is that most of our students lack the experience in flying in bigger airport atmospheres. However, with all the flight training including the twin I have known instructors to go from 250 TT to having 1200 TT and 100 Multi in just over a year. It is my dream to go on to the airlines someday, although another downfall to our program is that we do not have a simulator and most of our grads that go on to the regionals, have a problem when they are put into a simulator durig interviews? So if anyone has some advice as to should I stick around here, graduate and then hopefully be close to my 1000TT and 100 ME, and start throwing apps to the regionals? Or should I pack up and get somewhere else?

Pilotpip

Your degree is more important than having a bunch of time in class B airspace. Seriously, it's all the same anyway. Instruct for the school your attending now. You'll graduate with a ton of time and spend less time trying to find flight schools to work at making even less than you do at the regionals. Another big perk is that many universities will have healthcare and other bennefits. In addition to this, you may have some sort of reduction in tuition since you're an employee of the school. Not a bad deal.

LAfrequentflyer

Stay where you are and build time instructing after you get your degree....


V/r...

FlyingJack13

Hey thanks guys for the suggestions. The bad part is that our flying is done through a private contractor. However, rumor is that it is possible in the near future that our University will be getting their own Part 141 cert. In this case we would then be entitled to better pay, as well as the benefits that you listed. As of now our instructors do not receive any of those. But thanks again for the advice!

LAfrequentflyer

Have you considered the military??? I went thru ROTC at UND and don't regret it at all...Didn't get to fly for the AF (long story - too old by the time i commissiond, they don't waiver the ancient...) but can't complain about the life / career...At least i'll have something to fall back on if the dream of being a regional airline captain based in Houston doesn't work out for me...

Yeah, i know....i'm just a bit too ambitious wanting that captain's seat on a regional jet...We all have our dreams...


V/r,
Cajun Fan...

FlyingJack13

Yes, Acutally I was in AFROTC for a year and a half. I must say that is quite the deal if you want to make it through school and not spend too much along the way. However, I came to the decision that if I stick with the civilian aviation part I can atleast choose if I fly or not. Don't get me wrong the AF has a ton of awsome careers, which I got to see first hand down in Vandenburg on a summer camp last year. But I'm sad to say those other jobs don't appeal to me... My head is stuck in the clouds...