Expert: D. Norkus - 12/13/2005

Question
Im going back to college to be a pilot, ive already graduated as an aircraft maintenance tech.  Im looking at 2 colleges and i really need some input.  Im looking at University of North Dakota and Rocky Mountion college in Billings, Mt.  Im really wondering if going to the more known college of UND would give me a better chance of getting hired.    thanks Jake

Answer
Jake

If you already have a degree, you don't need to go to an aviation university to become a pilot. In fact, you can have a degree in English or even Basket Weaving and still get hired over someone with an aviation degree as it's your flight time that makes you competitive for a job- not the school on your diploma. A higher total flight time & multi-engine experience are key. Recruiters are far more interested in your flight time than where you went to school.  

Some schools claim 'affiliations' with some regionals that promise interviews at reduced qualifications. I believe UND is one. While they may work for some students, they don't for others. Such affiliations are touted by schools as a way to recruit new students but all students are still stuck with the same bill after graduation, even if they didn't get a job via the U. affiliation.

You could also go to a state school, get your flight time and qualificationss on your own and still get hired after meeting the minimum requirements but be far less in debt than going to "Big-Name Aviation U." My vote would be for the latter. (Personally I did that but I also attended ERAU extened campus classes that were a lot cheaper than going to campus.) If Rocky Mountain fits this bill, than go for it. As an aspiring pilot you will be making very, very little money for the better part of 5 years. It may take you almost 10 to see the $50K/yr mark. You want to have as little debt as possible when you are finished training! Get your education and do your flight training as affordably as possible. Paying off student debt and living expenses on less than $18K/yr to start is NOT easy. After 3-4 years you will be making about $30K and that still isn't a lot considering many took out $100K loans to attend fancy aero universities so they could become a pilot for poverty wages.

Many people also recommend getting a degreee in something other than aviation in case of a downturn in the industry and you find yourself furloughed. However, many aspiring pilots do chose aviation degrees as that is what they are interested in.

Do a bit of research on aviation degrees and schools at these message boards, as you will literally find hundreds of threads on the subject:

www.jetcareers.com
http://forums.flightinfo.com

(Both boards are searchable by keyword, i.e. "aviation degree" or "UND" ect. Jetcareers has a section just for school posts, plus an article about aviation degrees under their "education" tab. Here is an excerpt-

"Does the particular degree I get matter?
Well a degree in Aeronautical Science is as much a bachelors degree as one in Applied Astrophysics.  Even though I majored in Aeronautical Science, I'd highly recommend that you consider minoring in a non aviation-related degree as a back up....  

The actual degree program does not matter no matter what a particular college or university may tell you. The important part of having a degree is showing to the airline that you were able to meet the academic requirements as part of completing college. As an airline pilot, you endure recurrent training (training required annually), initial training (training on a new airplane) and upgrade training (transitioning from first officer to captain). So essentially, you spend most of your career studying new systems, procedures and techniques until the day you retire. The airlines want to know that you have good study habits and your success, or lack thereof, in college will show the airline how well you learn.

What about a non-aviation degree?
Good choice. I don't mean this to denegrate aviation universities whatsoever, in fact I'm a ERAU Aeronautical Science graduate and was very happy with the quality of my education. However, now since I've been at the airlines a few years, I really wished I had focused on a non-aviation degree program because there are so many (academic) things other than aviation that I'm interested in (computers, physics, finance, etc) that I wished I had studied in college."

Hope this can help.

Dottie

My careers & training page- www.geocities.com/av8trxx99/FAQ.html