Flight school to go to the airlines

JordanDelaney

JordanDelaney

Pre-Flight
Joined
Sep 30, 2012
Messages
77
Location
Upstate, NY
Display Name
Display name:
oswego12344
I am transferring schools this semester, I am transferring out of UND to get closer to home and also because I am starting to realize that I will not be able to pay back my loans if I continue through the entire program.

I was curious about opinions on this...I'd like to find a school in NY to pursue an aviation management degree. Is it feasible to still get to the airlines by getting a 4 year in aviation management and going through a part 61 or maybe even finding another part 141 school?
 
It's absolutely possible. You don't need a degree in anything aviation related...hell, I'd recommend AGAINST getting an aviation degree. The airlines also don't really give a crap what part you trained under.
 
There are a couple. Farmingdale on LI, Bridgewater state in MA. There is another one further out on LI, Oakdale is the town, name of the school escapes me at the moment it is private so probably won't save you any money.
Anyway the smart thing is to separate college and flight training, mixing them just makes them both more expensive and often lowers the quality.
Don't believe the airlines care where you got your degree or what it is in. Value of college and commercial pilot licenses are debatable but I won't go there. Just telling you to accomplish both independent of each other. Had a friend that went to Daniel Webster college back in the day and after a semester he took a leave for a semester went to Flightsafety got all his ratings and was back in school fully rated 3 years before and less money then the college flight program would have taken(yeah he needed the money upfront.) Not suggesting that path understand there are many ways forward and none of the good ones are a package deal.
 
I'd strongly advise you against majoring in something as vacuous and market-less as an aviation themed "degree" of any kind, whether undergraduate or graduate.

Get a degree with some function of direct job marketability, even if you have no intention of applying it because you're dreaming of airline work. That way, if your dreams are dashed by a hung start decade-long churn at some regional or corporate outfit and economics force you to get a pedestrian job, you're not worse off than having no degree at all. I'm not discouraging you from chasing an airline work dream, just to be more sensible with the way you about your "backup plan". Good luck to you.
 
Get a degree that gives you marketable skills that is not aviation specific. Accounting, business, engineering, etc. Two reasons:
1. Anybody can lose their medical, and then what?
2. I've been told by more than one major airline pilot that they try to hire a diverse pilot group.

The big thing you potentially lose leaving the collegiate aviation program is the restricted ATP w/ 1000 hrs as opposed to 1500. The opportunity cost of building those 500 hours is something to consider. Aside from that, get yourself through college and get your ratings - comm/multi/inst, and preferably cfi/cfii/mei as quickly and cheaply as possible so that you can time-build towards the ATP by someone paying you to fly.
 
I'm currently a Junior at CUNY Queens and I'm getting a degree in Economics then going to get my MBA at another CUNY or SUNY school. I'm working on my commercial license now. You don't need to get your degree in anything aviation related. My advice is go to a cheap school (SUNY or CUNY) and since you live in NY you won't pay a lot for those schools. I debated whether or not to get an Aeronautical Science degree. My parents and I opted out because it wasn't worth it. My dad is a pilot for Delta and he got the Aviaiton Science degree from Riddle and tells me it's the one thing he regrets. He urged me to get a degree in business or something else so I have something to fall back if my medical fails, I can't find a job, etc.
 
I would think the best (and perhaps the most economical) way would be to just go to school. Then over the summer do an accellerated ATP type program so you can get you pilot stuff done. Seems like the best of both worlds. A usable degree, and a commercial geared flight training program.
 
I'd like to recommend the NYANG. Join up, they'll give you money for college and once you graduate access to one of the worlds finest flight schools.
 
ClimbnSink said:
There are a couple. Farmingdale on LI, Bridgewater state in MA. There is another one further out on LI, Oakdale is the town, name of the school escapes me at the moment it is private so probably won't save you any money.
Anyway the smart thing is to separate college and flight training, mixing them just makes them both more expensive and often lowers the quality.
Don't believe the airlines care where you got your degree or what it is in. Value of college and commercial pilot licenses are debatable but I won't go there. Just telling you to accomplish both independent of each other. Had a friend that went to Daniel Webster college back in the day and after a semester he took a leave for a semester went to Flightsafety got all his ratings and was back in school fully rated 3 years before and less money then the college flight program would have taken(yeah he needed the money upfront.) Not suggesting that path understand there are many ways forward and none of the good ones are a package deal.
Click to expand...

The college in Oakdale on Long Island is called Dowling College. They have 2 campuses: Oakdale and Brookhaven. The Brookhaven campus has the aviation program.

OP: I am majoring in Aviation Administration at Farmingdale State College on Long Island. They have a new curriculum as of Fall 2012 that the degree is designed to prepare you for various aspects of the aviation industry. I am in the old curriculum though.

http://www.farmingdale.edu/academics/engineering-technology/aviation/index.shtml

http://www.farmingdale.edu/academics/pdf/pdf-bachelors/aviationadmin.pdf

Edit: Since you are from New York State, the tuition and fees are very cheap for in state residents.

There are flight schools at Republic Airport, but be warned: Most flight schools at Republic Airport are more expensive than what you would find in other areas of the country. Hope that helps!
 
Last edited:
Get a degree in something that will be useful outside of aviation. That's all I can say.
 
JordanDelaney said:
I am transferring schools this semester, I am transferring out of UND to get closer to home and also because I am starting to realize that I will not be able to pay back my loans if I continue through the entire program.

I was curious about opinions on this...I'd like to find a school in NY to pursue an aviation management degree. Is it feasible to still get to the airlines by getting a 4 year in aviation management and going through a part 61 or maybe even finding another part 141 school?
Click to expand...

Lots of good advice here...especially pursuing a degree with broader applicability.

For the flying side, I'd look for a good flying club that has at least a trainer and one complex airplane, find an instructor and pursue your flying that way. It will cost a fraction of what you would pay at an aviation school. Get your commercial then look for every hour-building opportunity out there. One of my students picked up a gig flying parachute jumpers this past summer, and now just landed a pipeline patrol that will build his time quickly.

My son is in ATC at UND. Great school, and very reasonable as colleges goes (which isn't saying much!), but flying there is very expensive.
 
LDJones said:
My son is in ATC at UND. Great school, and very reasonable as colleges goes (which isn't saying much!), but flying there is very expensive.
Click to expand...

Definitely a great program for ATC there, well worth the money for the benefits that it provides. As much as I enjoyed and did well with the program, I can't handle living so far away from home anymore and it doesn't make it much easier that the place is located in Grand Forks, ND lol.

Anyway, thank you everyone for the advice. It definitely helped!
 
ClimbnSink said:
There are a couple. Farmingdale on LI, Bridgewater state in MA. There is another one further out on LI, Oakdale is the town, name of the school escapes me at the moment it is private so probably won't save you any money.
Anyway the smart thing is to separate college and flight training, mixing them just makes them both more expensive and often lowers the quality.
Don't believe the airlines care where you got your degree or what it is in. Value of college and commercial pilot licenses are debatable but I won't go there. Just telling you to accomplish both independent of each other. Had a friend that went to Daniel Webster college back in the day and after a semester he took a leave for a semester went to Flightsafety got all his ratings and was back in school fully rated 3 years before and less money then the college flight program would have taken(yeah he needed the money upfront.) Not suggesting that path understand there are many ways forward and none of the good ones are a package deal.
Click to expand...

Dowling College Aviation Program
 
LDJones said:
My son is in ATC at UND. Great school, and very reasonable as colleges goes (which isn't saying much!), but flying there is very expensive.
Click to expand...

Some kids attend the school but do their ratings with local instructors. If anyone asks 'they went to UND' but they dont have the usual loan burden.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top