Expert: David A. NewMyer - 3/28/2004

Question
Hello David,

In the next 6 months, I'll be graduating from UW-Milwaukee with a BA in finance.  However,  I feel that business is not the career for me.  I figured that I would like to achieve a career in flying.  However, the flight schools are not cheap and I already have enough student loans.  Can you recommend any respectiveable flight schools/academy/university in the following states: Arizona, Nevada, Wisconsin, Florida, Colorado and/or California?  

Since I will have a college degree, is a university program appropriate? Or will I be starting from scratch any way you look at it?

I look forward in hearing a response,

James

Answer
Hi, James:

Thanks for your questions....I will try to assist!

As for the second question, which is appropriate....a university program or a flight school:  That depends on what you want out of it and, also, how you will pay for it.  You are right in that, no matter what, flight training is expensive.  One alternate thought is:  Why not think about a non-flying job in aviation?  There are approximately 2.2 million people who work in aviation in the USA and only about ten percent of them or so fly for a living....the rest do other things from management to aviation maintenance, to other things.

Back to the cost of training and the different types of training available, the key thing about the university setting is that there are normally additional routes to pay for a university education, even if it is a second major.  Two things to check out are:

1.  This web site:  www.Avscholars.com

and

2.  The University Aviation Association has a Collegiate Aviation Scholarship listing available for about $20.  $1.4 million in aviation scholarships are listed.  Contact them at 334-844-2434 or by email at uaa@auburn.edu to order it.

Another advantage of a university flight school is that it is normally connected with some sort of flight intern program with an airline and also provides some good information about the industry itself that goes beyond just flight-related information.

The two key advantages of an aviation flight school not attached to a university...especially one of the larger ones like Delta Academy, Flight Safety Academy, Pan Am International Flight Academy, Southeastern Flight Academy or Sierra Academy.....are:

1.  They are generally pretty fast; and,

2.  They usually have a pretty good placement program into entry level flight jobs.

As far as a flight school recommendation, I would contact the University Aviation Association for a listing of colleges and universities that offer aviation.  The publication is entitled THE COLLEGIATE AVIATION GUIDE.  The cost is about $25.  Their contact information is above.

As far as flight schools, the ones listed above (Delta Academy, etc) are generally in Florida, Arizona or California....check them out.

I hope that this helps.  Follow up with another question to me via Allexperts if you need to know more.

Sincerely,

David A. NewMyer, Ph.D., Professor and Chair
Aviation Management and Flight
Southern Illinois University Carbondale
http://www.aviation.siu.edu