IFR Question?

[Jimhamilton]

Okay, just curious. As long as you're not piling up debt, nothing wrong with Riddle. Just don't buy into the "Harvard of the skies" hype that they sell.

Embry Riddle, like any school, is only as good as you make it.  One difference that sticks out for me is the wash out rate.  Most civilian schools will keep the training going as long as you have money to spend.  That is wrong.  At Embry Riddle if standards are not met you can be washed out.  Of my twelve friends that started freshman year with me only four graduated, but all four went on to fly heavy metal.  Most of my students who graduated are also flying for the majors.  

 

Another difference is that from the beginning of flight training you are being trained as a flight crew member.  You are learning from the perspective of one day being a professional pilot.  You start day one flying under the concept of flight crew management, risk and error management and so on.  They have high standards and expect each student to fly within those standards.

 

The other big aviation schools are very similar and excellent choices as well.  Today, Embry Riddle graduates and graduates of these other schools fill our major league cockpits along with our military trained pilots.  Because of the reduction in military pilots available to apply to the majors the majors are more and more turning to graduates of these big schools to fill their cockpit seats.  Retirements are increasing and now is a great time to start your airline career.  Seniority is everything.  The younger you get your seniority number the better off you will be for career progression.  

 

So, Embry Riddle calls themselves "the Harvard of the Skies".  For me they were, because what they taught me was what I needed to know to start me on my way to becoming a flight crew member for a major airline.  The best job in the world.

[par]

Embry Riddle, like any school, is only as good as you make it.  One difference that sticks out for me is the wash out rate.  Most civilian schools will keep the training going as long as you have money to spend.  That is wrong.  At Embry Riddle if standards are not met you can be washed out.  Of my twelve friends that started freshman year with me only four graduated, but all four went on to fly heavy metal.  Most of my students who graduated are also flying for the majors.  

 

Another difference is that from the beginning of flight training you are being trained as a flight crew member.  You are learning from the perspective of one day being a professional pilot.  You start day one flying under the concept of flight crew management, risk and error management and so on.  They have high standards and expect each student to fly within those standards.

 

The other big aviation schools are very similar and excellent choices as well.  Today, Embry Riddle graduates and graduates of these other schools fill our major league cockpits along with our military trained pilots.  Because of the reduction in military pilots available to apply to the majors the majors are more and more turning to graduates of these big schools to fill their cockpit seats.  Retirements are increasing and now is a great time to start your airline career.  Seniority is everything.  The younger you get your seniority number the better off you will be for career progression.  

 

So, Embry Riddle calls themselves "the Harvard of the Skies".  For me they were, because what they taught me was what I needed to know to start me on my way to becoming a flight crew member for a major airline.  The best job in the world.

 

With the number of mil pilots who are going to be jumping ship over the next few years, I don't think the airlines will have issues filling any seats. 

[atn_pilot]

Embry Riddle, like any school, is only as good as you make it.  One difference that sticks out for me is the wash out rate.  Most civilian schools will keep the training going as long as you have money to spend.  That is wrong.  At Embry Riddle if standards are not met you can be washed out.  Of my twelve friends that started freshman year with me only four graduated, but all four went on to fly heavy metal.  Most of my students who graduated are also flying for the majors.  

 

Another difference is that from the beginning of flight training you are being trained as a flight crew member.  You are learning from the perspective of one day being a professional pilot.  You start day one flying under the concept of flight crew management, risk and error management and so on.  They have high standards and expect each student to fly within those standards.

 

The other big aviation schools are very similar and excellent choices as well.  Today, Embry Riddle graduates and graduates of these other schools fill our major league cockpits along with our military trained pilots.  Because of the reduction in military pilots available to apply to the majors the majors are more and more turning to graduates of these big schools to fill their cockpit seats.  Retirements are increasing and now is a great time to start your airline career.  Seniority is everything.  The younger you get your seniority number the better off you will be for career progression.  

 

So, Embry Riddle calls themselves "the Harvard of the Skies".  For me they were, because what they taught me was what I needed to know to start me on my way to becoming a flight crew member for a major airline.  The best job in the world.

 

I was a major airline pilot, too. I gave up that sacred seniority number and now work for myself. Now that's the best job in the world.

 

I've got nothing against Riddle, other than their absurd prices. I'm sure they're a great school and provide great flight training. But they certainly aren't essential to becoming a major airline pilot. I flew with a lot more non-Riddle pilots than I did with Riddle pilots during the course of my career. They were all equally competent.

[Jimhamilton]

With the number of mil pilots who are going to be jumping ship over the next few years, I don't think the airlines will have issues filling any seats. 

We are already having problems filling seats.  What do you know about all the military pilots "jumping ship"?

[Jimhamilton]

I was a major airline pilot, too. I gave up that sacred seniority number and now work for myself. Now that's the best job in the world.

 

I've got nothing against Riddle, other than their absurd prices. I'm sure they're a great school and provide great flight training. But they certainly aren't essential to becoming a major airline pilot. I flew with a lot more non-Riddle pilots than I did with Riddle pilots during the course of my career. They were all equally competent.

Education at private schools today is absurd, I agree.  I also agree that I too have flown with many civilian non Riddle pilots and they were and are very competent.  By the way, what is your business and what airline did you leave?

[atn_pilot]

Education at private schools today is absurd, I agree.  I also agree that I too have flown with many civilian non Riddle pilots and they were and are very competent.  By the way, what is your business and what airline did you leave?

 

AirTran. Technically Southwest towards the end, but I prefer to block out that ugly chapter.

 

Left a few months ago to focus on running my property management business full time. I loved working at AirTran, and especially loved the 717, but commuting just wasn't going to work for me while running a growing business, and I would have been lucky to get back to Atlanta after 8-10 years after the seniority integration. It just wasn't in the cards. Had to give up one or the other, and I definitely wasn't giving up my family business. So now I fly for fun instead of dollars.

[Jimhamilton]

Yeah that AirTran deal was not great for you.  I understand your pain.  I have been through two bankruptcies and three mergers but luckily have never been on furlough.  Thanks for the 717's we almost have all of them now (I think).  I can hold captain about 1/3 from the top however my commuter days are over.  Five legs a day is just not for me.  On the 777 I only have to commute once to twice a month and never fly more than one leg a day (12 to 14 hour legs mind you).  Good luck with your business.

[par]

We are already having problems filling seats.  What do you know about all the military pilots "jumping ship"?

 

Lets just say, the politically correct culture in the military is at an all time high these days. Combine this with a lack of funds to do the job we signed up for, the low morale across the different branches, and a chance to actually get hired with an airline that has not really existed for well over a decade, will make the decision easy. The AF doesn't have enough takers for their "bonus" these days...there is a reason for that. My community doesn't have enough pilots to fill the requirements. Families also don't like year long deployments, which is the direction things are going for the Navy...good luck holding on to those pilots. Whether the grass is greener on the other side(airlines) or not, time will tell but I can tell you I know plenty of folks on the military side that are seeing the light. Just my opinion of course. 

[Jimhamilton]

Lets just say, the politically correct culture in the military is at an all time high these days. Combine this with a lack of funds to do the job we signed up for, the low morale across the different branches, and a chance to actually get hired with an airline that has not really existed for well over a decade, will make the decision easy. The AF doesn't have enough takers for their "bonus" these days...there is a reason for that. My community doesn't have enough pilots to fill the requirements. Families also don't like year long deployments, which is the direction things are going for the Navy...good luck holding on to those pilots. Whether the grass is greener on the other side(airlines) or not, time will tell but I can tell you I know plenty of folks on the military side that are seeing the light. Just my opinion of course. 

Thats sad, maybe with a change in leadership things will get better.  Regardless, we welcome you to the airlines and thanks for your service.