Expert: David A. NewMyer - 5/18/2008

Question
hi,
my name is Ryan , i graduated with a b.a fib business in 2005 while working for 2 years i started thinking lately of perusing a dream job which was becoming a commercial airline pilot , my dad a retired airline pilot kind of discouraged me to persue a degree in avaition for he said it was too hard to find a job . it is a dream and a passion i always had for flying lately i have been checking out schools in U.S.A. i got a call from Spartan college of aviation but i have been reading some real bad comments about it but as for the sales rep or recruiter he always makes it sound too good to be true he also told me its a 30 month program my mane concern is what is the difference between embry riddle and Spartan and what do you recommend , and as far as tuition fees can it be covered by a student loan and with my age will it be a big issue for me to find a job if i went ahead and did it? again i am 25 years old now .

thanks a lot for your time and help .

Ryan  

Answer
Hi,

Getting into airline flying over the past two years or so has been relatively easier than it has before that.  Your graduation year, 2005, was the end of a four year drought (after the 9/11 attacks) that discouraged a lot of people from the industry.  Now, of course, there are concerns about fuel costs, etc, but, the hiring for the regional (smaller) airlines, in particular, has been strong.  

As for your questions comparing schools, there are a lot of things to consider in making the comparison and choosing a good flight school:

Cost

Placement programs (working with the aviation industry, particularly regional airlines)

Quality of the training (measured by how many of the schools graduates successfully get through airline training)

Type of aircraft flown/quality of maintenance on their fleet, etc

Quality and size of faculty (flight instructors) who teach there

Location of the program (weather wise, completion rates, etc)

I would create a little grid that helps you collect the information on each program in a comparable form.

I would also consider other schools, such as:

Delta Academy

Flight Safety Academy

ATP

All the best to you in your search for a good school.

Sincerely,

David A. NewMyer, Ph.D., Professor and Chair
Aviation Management and Flight
Southern Illinois University Carbondale