Its obvious that ERAU CAPT is severely overpriced, but my question is regarding its advertised statement of "straight to the airlines with NO flight instructing hours". Do the airlines really like this idea? Seems a little risky to me. And they have had only 2 graduates so far, both whom are unemployed. My 2 other schools of choice are Pan Am flight academy and Delta flight academy. All these schools pretty much advertise the same things, so how does one choose? Is there some sort of flight academy ranking system people go by? I know repution can count for a lot, that is why I am seriously considering ERAU CAPT. But at the same time, the CAPT program is new and has not proven itself yet. Lots of doubts here. Can someone offer me some advice?
Thanks a bunch!
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What's the point?
If you have a degree you'd be better off just taking out a loan so you can acxxxulate a bunch of multi-engine hours. Unless your dad owns a beech king air so that you can rack up the required 1000+ hours of multi engine turbine PIC time that major airlines require, you are going to be starting at regional airlines like everyone else.
To that extent, you should concentrate on what the regional airlines want. There are some things that they'd "like" to have like Human Factors/CRM training and some other specialized stuff, but in the end the fligt experience will still probably make the biggest difference.
Does the ERAU CAPT program offer the flight experience?(the twin engine/turbine time?) Just going to an acadamey because they promise to take you "straight to the airlines" for $20,000 seems to be a bad idea. It seems to be quite a stretch. Heck, you could spend 10,000 and rent a twin engine for whatever hours that the money gets you, and then take the other 10,000 and get a CRJ type rating.
Actually from what i understand, the airliners actually like people who log hours as a job (meaning professionally). Not just experience from flying around for fun. Through the academy, you can become flight instructors for the school and build hours that way. And embry riddle is not $20,000....its actually $80,000.
I have some advice. I'm currently a student at University of North Dakota School of Aviation and I am going to graduate next year. It's hard to give advice without knowing what level you are at. Are you graduating a college soon or did you just rack up time on your own? If you have a SEL and MEL Commercial certificates, you could look at Gulfstream Flight Academy. I plan on applying there after I graduate. They give you 250 PAID hours in a Beech 1900, but the initial cost is $30,000. They are owned by Continental so chances of getting preferencial(? not sure how to spell) hiring is good. If you are just starting and looking for a program, my advice is to go get a 4 year degree at a college. Wether it's Embry Riddle (boo) or UND (yeah!) or some other school, a degree is a good idea. Hope I can at least help a little.
-Go Sioux!
CAPT isn't too good to be true, but it takes a lot of money, and the kind of person that they are looking for and looking to train is the kind of person that would be fairly sucessfull on their own, CAPT is just a boost and training/professionalism along the lines of what they are going to be doing as a job. It could work, if you had something like a business degree or other decent degree, and if you were motivated enough to make contacts and perform at a high level. Then again, there are other ways to accomplish this, and being a flight instructor is an innvaluable asset in the long run.
I'm a (extremely recent) ERAU grad and I am now a flight instructor. Passing up becomming a flight instructor is a mistake if you can at all do it. If you want to be a better pilot, a professional pilot, a profficiant pilot, become an instructor. If you want to get by with the minimum effort, and hope to scrape by at an airline interview, then by all means do not become and instructor. It's less competition for me anyhow.
The thing is that these programs are what you make of them. I've made contacts along my college career, I've gone the extra mile and done the extra work. I've never set down and tried to figure out how I could just do the "minimum" to get by, because I know that I have to make myself as competative as possible with no let-up. I'd do decently anywhere I went to school, but I've been able to make contacts here and get training here that have put me ahead in terms of years and training of competition. This doesn't mean that I'm the most marketable because at any given point there are "X" number of very qualified pilots looking for jobs, but it does give me a big boost. ERAU is doing 500 and 100 multi programs with american eagle, as well as independance air has a bridge program.
Here's the kicker though, you need to be self motivated and make the contacts yourself. After you graduate, you could be just "left out in the cold", because you'll have a "gap" in the number of hours that are required to apply for any airline job, if that is what you want. Even when the minimums are dropped, you still usually have a gap in there.
The reality right now is also that INSTRUCTORS are being hired. There's kids that graduate here with "x" amount of hours because they've flown daddy's plane all their life, yet they won't get hired untill they rack up some more serious hours. The ERAU instructors are getting hired like crazy right now. It was a major obstacle for me to finish the flight instructor course because there's getting to be almost no instructors here that have been here for 2 years (FAA requirement to teach someone to flight instruct). There's no doubt that the airlines like these guys, and that's the biggest reason that I'm one now Yes, other qualified pilots are being hired too, but if you really want to increase your chances, become an instructor. You'll benefit in the end I gaurentee.
Now, back to my lesson plans that I'm working on tonight
Not an easy question for most of us to answer. Unless a poster has gone to the Riddle program, you will not get an honest answer. I can tell you from industry experience, Gulfstream is over rated and not well respected in the Regional Airlines. Their students have trouble in Basic Indoc and their flying skills are near the bottom. I tend to believe the Gulfstream program is designed to supply the school's connector airline with First Officers only. Granted there have been a few former students from Gulfstream that did make it, but you never hear about the ones that do not, and this is a larger number than the ones that make it past that first years probation.
Both Pan Am and Delta Connection Academies have respectable programs. Do your homework first and be sure and visit each as well as others you did not mention. Do not believe the big ads that both schools present. It is a lot of money and time to invest, so investigate wisely.
The CAPT program is actually around 50,000 dollars with all of Riddle's "add-on" fees and the cost of housing. So when all is said and done, it is expensive. What most people do not know is that the program is in the process of being SUED by the state of florida on behalf of the CAPT students. The original students were jerked around too much and didn't stand for it any longer and got the state of florida to step in. Also, who is going to hire a pilot with 300 total time and no means of getting more hours because the CAPT program does not include the CFI/CFII/MEI!!! What do you do then??
I strongly believe that the CAPT program IS too good to be true.
CAPT is very expensive ($80k), more than twice as much as many similar schools in Florida. Though if you can afford it (or are willing to take out the monster loan), it does work. They started graduating students on a regular basis a couple months ago and the grads are being hired left and right by regionals and even a 747 cargo carrier out of Miami. If you can afford it and want to fly and go to school full time for 14 months, CAPT is definately worth it. And yes, the regionals do require MORE hours than CAPT gives to even be considered for interviews, but obviously the Embry-Riddle name and reputation bypasses that. If you don't believe this thread or the CAPT advertising, call them up, ask them who has hired their grads so far and how many have been hired (last I heard 18 of 21 grads are spoken for already), then contact those airlines and ask them if it's true. Too much work? Not if you're considering spending $80k on this place and it would put your mind at ease. Hope this was helpful.
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