Flightguy02

Hello,

Looking for best pilot schools on Google I found Embry Riddle as one of the best, a friend of mine (who is already a pilot) highly recommended it to me, telling that is very famous in flight industries.

Does anyone here have any experience with it?

Thanks in advance!

ahwalk01

Absolutely, I do some teaching for them. There are cheaper options, but less well known (Community Colleges etc)

What is your goal? Pilot training or degree -

It may be worth speaking to https://worldwide.erau.edu/locations/aviano/

Alex.

havick

Honestly I think most of the people that think it’s the best school are the ones that went there, and are trying to justify to themselves spending nearly double than what was required.

As the poster above said there are far cheaper and quicker alternatives that will get you to the same point.

Flightguy02

First of all thanks for your replies ;-)

The best idea would be taking both pilot training and degree.

I'm Italian I would go in USA with a student visa, I know I can work 1 year after school with student visa, meanwhile I can get another visa/applying for a job in USA, but don't exactly how it works, if is it possible and if a regional airline would hire me without american citizenship or green card.

I was checking CAE school or CTT (now L3) or European flight academy (old name inter cockpit). They cost approx. 120 Euros or more, that are 150.000 USD, with no possibility of scholarships or discounts, close to ERAU price, with ERAU will get a degree may have also the chance to get some scholarships. CAE or CTT only a good flight training but no university degree.

I know that with CAE, CTT and European flight academy you can apply directly with some good airlines since they have partnership like Lufthansa, Swissair, Easy-jet, Ryanair ect, and it is nice after school going directly to airline with a F/O salary.

I have no idea if ERAU has same partnerships with some american or worldwide airlines, on their website I din't see it. I have also no idea if I can apply for one US regional airline after ER degree without american permanent visa. Because if I have to came back to Europe I have to convert FAA license into EASA, studying again and paying again.

I've just sent one email to EARU career office, maybe they can help.

What would you suggest? Are you pilots in USA?

bafanguy

Lots of other college programs if you want to go that way. ERAU is a big name but plenty of other US universities can offer you the same thing:

Becaome a AABI member, make a difference in tomorrow?s professionals.

havick

You can’t fly for any airline in the USA without holding an ATP. So you can’t go directly from flight school to an airline like you can in Europe.

Furthermore the only people that are gaining work visas to fly for regionals in the USA are Australians on an E3 visa. This visa is only for Australians. At the moment no airlines are sponsoring any one foreign national to fly for them.

Good luck which ever way you go.

Personally I would go with the tried and tested European model of doing your license in the EU and going to one of the low cost carriers as you have the right to live and work there.

Flightguy02

Thanks for the link.

I found also other university with flight programs like: San Josè state university, or Purdue, or North Dakota, and many others.. I was thinking about ERAU Daytona beach since it looked more interesting, also for the location, I wouldn't go in North Dakota.... but if with that degree I can work neither in USA and Europe it would be a waste of time and money...

Anyway, if you are pilots in USA. Can I ask you what is approx. a salary for a regional airline pilot there? Because in Europe if you work for Ryanair, or easy jet the F/O pay is about 3.000-5.000 Euros per month, I don't know it exaclyt but is aprox like that. And this is an very good pay here. I've heard that pay for regional airlines in USA are about 20.000 USD per year, if it is true in USA would be a very bad salary....

Europea schools CAE, L3 (CTC) or European flight Academy are nice since they you can apply directly for an airline, and having a real job. Price is high but you pay for something.

Another option could be the Emirates flight academy in Dubai, I've seen that they have just opened it, seems interesting but I tried to send one email but didn't get any answer.

havick

These days pay is average 50-70k for FO’s depending on the company and potentially more depending on how much you work the open time system.

Did you understand my previous post about not being able to fly for a regional until you have your ATP? Not to mention the whole host of immigration hurdles that are in your way.

bafanguy

Fg02,

Take particular heed of havick's comments about the requirement for an FAA ATP to fly for any US Part 121 airline. Perhaps the even bigger obstacle would be having the legal ability to live/work in the USA. As far as I know, at the moment no US carrier is taking EU pilots on visas. Seems your best chance under current circumstances lies outside the USA. Best of luck.

If you just want to review the details of US regionals, try this:

https://www.airlinepilotcentral.com/airlines/regional

Flightguy02

Embry riddle says this about ATP:

FAA Exemption for the Restricted Airline Transport Pilot Certificate
Upon graduation, the Daytona Beach Aeronautical Science degree can qualify a graduate for the Restricted Airline Transport (R-ATP) certificate under FAR Part 61.160. Note that satisfying the AS degree requirements alone may not qualify the graduate for the R-ATP. This is a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) exemption to the regulations and subject to change. For detailed information, please contact the Aeronautical Science Program Coordinator.

Taken from their website


How much does it cost ATP license?

So if someone go to Embry Riddle after that should take an ATP for working?

Yeah but I don't think is a big issue, main issue is the possibility of working in USA.

bafanguy

I have no idea what the training would cost. It undoubtedly varies from institution to institution.

You'd still need 1,000 hours total time to qualify for a r-ATP after going to ERAU. The link to the FAR 61.160 will give you the details:

https://www.faa.gov/pilots/training/...ority_List.pdf

havick

You can’t buy and ATP, unless you want to pay for the entire 1000-1500 hours of flight time depending on whether you do an R-ATP iligible course or not.

If you walk away with a restricted ATP and then go back home, I would look into whether the contracting ICAO state even recognizes an FAA restricted ATP vs a FAA ATP with no restrictions.

Honestly i think you’re setting yourself up for a fail by coming to the US for training. You think you might be shortcutting the EU part but in the long run it’s going to cost you a LOT more in time and money, unless you have a green card or are an Australian that has the E3 visa option.

If you still decide to go down this route then buyer beware.

zondaracer

There are foreign pilots at my company who are flying on a student visa. They went to an aviation university and achieved their ratings and flight time as quickly as possible. While still working on their degree, they worked as a flight instructor. They achieved enough flight time to qualify for a restricted ATP prior to graduating. Once graduating, they have come to my airline with the F1 visa OPT program, and they stay up to the time limit on the OPT program. One pilot at my company that I know won the green card lottery.

zondaracer

AOPA publishes a list of university programs every year:

https://www.aopa.org/apps/training-and-safety/learn-to-fly/aviation-colleges/college-directory/index.cfm

https://www.aopa.org/news-and-media/all-news/2017/december/flight-training-magazine/2018-college-aviation-directory

havick

That’s a pretty big gamble vs the OP just going through training in the EU and going right into an airline there.

zondaracer

Most of these guys go back to their home country with a few hundred hours of jet time and go job hunting. Obviously, it would be better to train and go straight into an airline back home, but that is usually for the guys on a sponsored scheme. Most of the students in Europe are not on a sponsored scheme and are still job hunting once finishing training. Once finishing training in the US, there’s nothing stopping them from doing the EASA license conversion and then applying for the same jobs as the unsponsored candidates.

Flightguy02

Yeah, but I would like to know what are chances to work worldwide after Embry Riddle degree, doesn't exist only Europe...

Flightguy02

I've read on this forum that benefits for pilot in Europe are much better than USA, is that correct or not?

For sponsored scheme you mean something like a L3 flight academy with Easy jet training program?

Danny42C

Not relevant to the matter under discussion, but I did my first 60 hours of flight instruction at the Embry-Riddle flight school at Carlstrom Field, Arcadia. (FLA) from September-October 1941.

This was under the "Arnold" (wartime) Scheme; we flew PT-17 Stearmans with no ASIs in our cockpits! My Instructor was Bob Greer from Sarasota.

Embry-Riddle has blossomed out a bit since then!

Danny.

Flightguy02

Thanks for your reply.

I did see also Florida institute of Technology it looked interesting. Why you say that is better than ERAU?

Why Embry Riddle is one under performing school? You mean about flight or about university?


Why you said to forget L3? You mean L3 flight academy (old name CTC)?