ross Posted March 3, 2009 Report Share Posted March 3, 2009 Hey guys,I am a senior in high school and its time to start deciding where you want to go to college. I know that flying is for sure what i want to do. i have taken a discovery flight and it was awesome. so my question is that, is important to to have a college degree in the helicopter industry? im talking about Science Aviation. i have just been accepted into Embry Riddle for a bachelors in Science aviation. but its far away and i would have to spend four years there and staying here i could have a CFI in two years and get an associates in Science Aviation. at a community college. thank you very much please tell me what your thoughts and opinions are. Ross Cristiano Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhotoFlyer Posted March 3, 2009 Report Share Posted March 3, 2009 I'm going to make this short. GO TO COLLEGE! ER has a helicopter program now, as well, so you could get your Bachelors and your ratings. Unless I don't understand something about ER, which is entirely possible and likely. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FLHooker Posted March 3, 2009 Report Share Posted March 3, 2009 I graduated from Riddle 3 years ago...Haven't utilized my degree yet... ERAU is a good school, very small classes relatively speaking, the problem is the $$$$$. Your degree costs a ton of money. If money isn't an issue, then ERAU is an excellent choice. Either way, I would say go to College, get your ratings on the side Just my 2 cents CHAD Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ross Posted March 3, 2009 Author Report Share Posted March 3, 2009 Ya i know thatnks guys! the thing is that i live in oregon and that is pretty far away from here so thats mainly the only issue. my fasfa would help out a lot for the money issue. but also isnt an associates degree pretty good as well? at least its some education. plus i could have a job in two years and not in four! thank you for all your help! Ross Cristiano Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darren Hughes Posted March 3, 2009 Report Share Posted March 3, 2009 Not an expert in this field by any means but as soon as I've got the cashish together again(done with flight instructing and these damn last 4 JAA ATPL exams!!!) I'm probably gonna do the Embry Riddle Worldwide or online thing. The ER college degree probably won't help you too much in the world of general helicopter commercial operations. It may mean the difference though, in you getting a future job over someone else with similar flight experience. But, where it would really come into it's own is years down the line if you were to lose your medical for some unforeseen reason. Or maybe after 10-15 years in the industry you want to get into research & development with one of the major manufacturers. Do the college thing now and get it out of the way(wish I did at your age, 28 next Monday) and then focus on building your flight experience. Maybe the economy will have bounced back a little by then and there'll be a better demand for CFI's. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FLHooker Posted March 3, 2009 Report Share Posted March 3, 2009 You can always transfer to ERAU after you finish your associates.. which isn't a bad idea at all. Looking back at MY PERSONAL situation, I wish I went to a state school, I would have saved alotta money, however, I may not be in the same situation had I not gone to Riddle. I dunno, it's all hypothetical at this point. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ross Posted March 3, 2009 Author Report Share Posted March 3, 2009 Ya thanks again. in Portland i could get my associates for two years then ER has a worldwide campus in portland that i can finish up and earn a bachelors with them. so i am really liking that idea! lease reply tell me what you think? Ross Cristiano Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adam32 Posted March 3, 2009 Report Share Posted March 3, 2009 Ya thanks again. in Portland i could get my associates for two years then ER has a worldwide campus in portland that i can finish up and earn a bachelors with them. so i am really liking that idea! lease reply tell me what you think? Ross Cristiano That sounds like your best bet. There are also a few flight schools in Oregon... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ross Posted March 3, 2009 Author Report Share Posted March 3, 2009 ya i am looking at Hillsboro aviation Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rick1128 Posted March 3, 2009 Report Share Posted March 3, 2009 Personally, I would look at a degree in something other that Aviation Science. If for some reason you lose your medical, where are you going to get a job with a degree in Aviation Science. there are very few employers that really care what your degree is in. It shows that you are capable of learning. Having a degree in some other area like Business or Accounting will give options if yoou are unable to work within the industry. Look at all the guys presently out there saying they wish they had a degree in something else beside Aviation Science. There are a lot of pilots out there that have degrees in all sorts of things, Zoology, Engineering, there are even a few doctors out there. My degree is in Business and I have gotten several aviation jobs because of that degree. Yes I ended up in management, but I had a whole lot of fun doing it and had the best of both worlds. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beckwith Posted March 3, 2009 Report Share Posted March 3, 2009 I'm in the aviation Science program at Metropolitan State College of Denver I like the program. for what it's worth I think the quality of instruction I receive is generally superior to what I got I the 32k a year liberal arts college I used to go to (not for aviation). http://www.mscd-aviation-aerospace.org/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fry Posted March 4, 2009 Report Share Posted March 4, 2009 Hey guys,I am a senior in high school and its time to start deciding where you want to go to college. I know that flying is for sure what i want to do. i have taken a discovery flight and it was awesome. so my question is that, is important to to have a college degree in the helicopter industry? im talking about Science Aviation. i have just been accepted into Embry Riddle for a bachelors in Science aviation. but its far away and i would have to spend four years there and staying here i could have a CFI in two years and get an associates in Science Aviation. at a community college. thank you very much please tell me what your thoughts and opinions are. Ross Cristiano You are going to get out of a college education what you put into it. A degree is not an automatic ticket to a high income career. An Associate's degree is basically an extension of high school and it is generally viewed that way by prospective employers. It's more education than you would have had otherwise but you won't get many points for the effort. A Bachelor's degree in a fluff subject with multiple choice tests isn't much better. You can put BA or BS on a resume but it won't take an employer long to figure out how much you really don't know and then the credential won't count for much. If you're going to go either of these routes do it as inexpensively as you can and get out into the working world as soon as you can. But if you've got even a little real ambition go to the best university you can get into (your past academic performance will determine that rather than finances because Uncle Sam is about to start paying for college for anyone who can get in) and pursue the most rigorous major you can handle (think aeronautical engineering rather than aviation management). Put in the effort and it will pay off later. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beckwith Posted March 4, 2009 Report Share Posted March 4, 2009 Two of my good friends went through the Aerospace engineering program at CU I would not recommend that to anyone who isn't passionate about the physics and math of flight. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fry Posted March 4, 2009 Report Share Posted March 4, 2009 Two of my good friends went through the Aerospace engineering program at CU I would not recommend that to anyone who isn't passionate about the physics and math of flight. And there it is...the predictable I-know-a-guy response. And of course he must be right that it changes everything if a college course of study might be "too hard" and might involve MATH. By all means pursue something easier with multiple choice tests. I mean, why even bother, it's just going to be too "hard" if you're not "passionate" about MATH. (Although if it's the case that "I'm just not good at math" you might want to reconsider a flying career...determining a reciprocal heading on a windy night can be "hard" too.) How about if someone is "passionate" about having a career instead of just a job? Ya think maybe then it might be worth putting in the effort to learn the MATH? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom22 Posted March 4, 2009 Report Share Posted March 4, 2009 I have attended University of the Incarnate Word and Embry-Riddle and most tests in the upper division classes were essay. Moreover, at both schools like any other university your research projects and writing were emphasized. I don’t know what school is giving multiple choose exams in all their classes. My advice is to study what interests you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fry Posted March 4, 2009 Report Share Posted March 4, 2009 My advice is to study what interests you. My advice is READ what interests you; study in college...and invest in...a career that will give you the standard of living you aspire to and a sense of real achievement. Those working class cliches like "do what you love" and "money doesn't buy happiness" are spread by underachievers (usually parents) who don't want to see anyone become more successful than they are. Successful people know (and teach their children) there is no substitute for hard work and taking some prudent risks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beckwith Posted March 4, 2009 Report Share Posted March 4, 2009 (edited) And there it is...the predictable I-know-a-guy response. And of course he must be right that it changes everything if a college course of study might be "too hard" and might involve MATH. By all means pursue something easier with multiple choice tests. I mean, why even bother, it's just going to be too "hard" if you're not "passionate" about MATH. (Although if it's the case that "I'm just not good at math" you might want to reconsider a flying career...determining a reciprocal heading on a windy night can be "hard" too.) How about if someone is "passionate" about having a career instead of just a job? Ya think maybe then it might be worth putting in the effort to learn the MATH? Wow fry thanks for that wonderful advice you have totally changed my life! I didn't even realize I was saying it was too hard and he should take an easier course of study like mine but now it is so clear to me. I mean I thought I was saying that much of the subject matter has little to nothing to do with the practice of flying and isn't for everyone but now I can see that I'm just a slacker and I'm trying to pull everyone down to my level so that I can get a mediocre job and revel in a life of compromise! Sarcasm aside both my friends liked the program at CU. They graduated last year one has a job with a NASA contractor in Houston training astronauts and the other is in the Navy. It is hard but well worth it if you want to go into that field. Edited March 4, 2009 by beckwith Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AngelFire_91 Posted March 4, 2009 Report Share Posted March 4, 2009 Let's not forget the University of North Dakota We have a good program that's continually growing, with great instructors and LOTS of opportunity, and I can gurantee you'll get some experiences here you won't get at ER. Cheaper then ERAU for tuition, and has some drawbacks, but all in all a good school. Plus you could learn from me... lol. Websitehttp://aero.und.edu Anything you really want to know about the program, just ask. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tiercel Posted March 4, 2009 Report Share Posted March 4, 2009 What ever career choice you make, work and study hard and get good grades. Don't listen to college party-ers who tell you grades don't matter. Your GPA does follow you, and a good GPA is as prominent as no GPA on a resume or application. At the risk of exposing what a loser I am, I always thought that I'd join the Marines after college and fly helicopters for the rest of my life, so I didn't really work hard in school and got mediocre grades. Of course, no plan survives contact with the enemy. When my non-military helicopter career was cut short, I was forced to try to get back to a career in what I studied in school. Without an advanced degree, I was not competitive for jobs, and guess what? My GPA wasn't good enough to get me into grad school. A lot of jobs in my field required college trascripts with every application. You bet I wish I could go back and do it over again. If you have good grades and bust your ass at every job, people will recognize your qualities, and you'll leave yourself the opportunity to go back to school later if you need to. Employers are looking for people who give 100%, and grades reflect that. Good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
67november Posted March 4, 2009 Report Share Posted March 4, 2009 Cheaper then ERAU for tuition, and has some drawbacks, but all in all a good school. Drawbacks??? what? -40 in the winter and 105 in the summer, you call that a drawback I'd say that's experience Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theunyota Posted March 4, 2009 Report Share Posted March 4, 2009 Leading Edge Aviation in Bend Oregon has a good program and they're working with Central Oregon Community College's aviation degree program. I think the web site is www.leadingedgeavn.com and if I remember right that website has a link to the COCC aviation degree website. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AngelFire_91 Posted March 5, 2009 Report Share Posted March 5, 2009 Drawbacks??? what? -40 in the winter and 105 in the summer, you call that a drawback I'd say that's experience Oh it's an experience alright!! Haha. It got up to +35 today though YEAY!!!!!! It really is good experience though, if you can get a 300 started when it's -40 out or even more impressive is being able to hover/talk on the radio/swat Minnesota state birds (mosquitos) in the cabin in the fall. Then you're already ready for time in Alaska, haha. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShitHot Posted March 9, 2009 Report Share Posted March 9, 2009 I just got into riddle about a month ago as well, and if you are interested in pursuing aviation as a career, there is no other place to go. Riddle is on its way to having a Helicopter Major at both of its campusses, it currently only has it at the Prescott Arizona campus (im going to Daytona Beach) and like you am gonna major in aeronautical science. Going to a community college to get your CFI, and getting your CFI through riddle (where youll actually get an incredible aviation education) are in two different leagues. Harvard is the Riddle of the ground, keep that in mind. Riddle '13 for the win, if your in daytona maybe ill cya around. Also Army Aviation is the way to go if you wonna fly rotor! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beckwith Posted March 10, 2009 Report Share Posted March 10, 2009 have you started at Riddle already, how do you like it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ross Posted March 12, 2009 Author Report Share Posted March 12, 2009 i got accepted to prescott Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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