Does anyone know any real good flight schools . Also is being a pilot as fun as flight simulator is a job that get old after a few months or is a job that gets really good pay and is it enjoyable . Thanks

I've also been doing 3 2hour flights a week since September two years ago.  Certainly never a dull moment, always exciting and challenging. 

Flying a real airplane is WAY better than flight sim!  Not even close.   Like comparing watching someone eat a perfect meal on TV, versus actually eating it when you're starving.

CWU

Was toying with the idea of doing an aviation degree years ago; saw that Embry-Riddle (Florida) and U. North Dakota were excellent but expensive; there are a lot of them out there, though. Four-year, two-year, maintenance, management, you name it. Dowling College here in NYC is supposed to be very good, too.  I met a guy during that period who was a Comair grad, and he wasn't too happy with their job-placement program; other than that, I can't tell you much.

Not if something happens to you that prevents you from flying.

As great as flight colleges are, many leave you unprepared if for whatever reason you can't fly. I'd STRONGLY recommend also getting a degree in something else-just in case. That's what I'm doing (I'm also doing it because my father is the Corporate VP of J&J and my grandfather[still on my dads side] was the CEO of Blue Cross. Lot to live up to )

My advice would be to do something well away from aviation in terms of a degree. Its not the first thing airlines will look for, they just want to know you have one. The problem is aviation related degrees, leave you stuffed big time if there arnt any jobs going in the aviation community as they dont transfer to the civilian area. Whereas something like physics/maths business whatever will work in both fields.

**"Not if something happens to you that prevents you from flying." **


there are ways to plan your aviation degree so that if something prevents you from flying (medical, interest, finances, whatever) you can easily change specializations within the major. 

I got, pardon my french, screwed out of flying here, but am still a flight major.  I'm a Junior, and all I had to do was change from Flight Officer specialization, to Aviation Safety Management.  Over half of the flight classes I've taken already are required for my current specialization.  Only difference is I don't have to take any more flight labs or Part 141 classes.  Easy as could be.  Trade a couple 141 classes, for econ, and accounting, and I'm all set.  AND, I still get to take amazing classes such as Mountain/Canyon flying (best class EVER!) Advanced Navigation, and my other Aircraft systems classes... let alone the aviation law, advanced aerodynamics, airport managament... etc.

The program here has the integrated courses specifically for the people who do have complications in the flying, as it happens all the time. 

Simply a matter of planing things out... just like flying.

P.S. sorry, just wanted an excuse to use the glowing and marquee functions at the top.

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I am getting my BA in commercial aviation.  I get my certs and ratings up to CFII with some time in a CRJ sim.  It will be costing me ~$80,000 including flight costs, tuition, room/board.  BTW, I'm at UND

I've just always been told by people I know that an aviation degree really isn't the best way to go... I mean, for me, it's not really an option-I want to go into the airforce and fly, therefore I go to a standard four-year college. Just sayin what I've heard

Business would be good to take then ?

Yeah, the main thing is just get the 4 year degree in whatever you A) like and/or B) will get the best grades.  Heck, one current Blue Angel was an English major!  lol  Another took the exact route I'm taking, from the same college... so, point being.  DO WHAT YOU WANT!! lol 

I didn't mean to sound annoyed or anything in my post before, but all everyone ever says to me about a flying degree is that it's "useless if for somereason you cannot fly."  I get preterbed when people tell me that, as they're not the one who is spending over $1,300 a MONTH for the flying ALONE. lol  And the fact is, as I said, anyplace you get a flying degree will allow quick and, usually simple transitions to aviation-related NON-flying degrees. 

Here in Canada, with our Air Force, the point of the degree is to get you an officer position.  You don't NEED an aviation degree to become a pilot, you can have a batchelors of art if you like.  Im sure its similar for the USAF as well. 

My CFI as well as a classmate of mine (whose also a commercial pilot) seem to like the commercial aspect of it???  You have to think about where you end up I guess...  I was talking to a commercial bushpilot the other day (he randomly icq'ed me), and he says its the greatest job in the world.

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But if he's paid to fly, that IS commercial. Charters, crop dusting, airlines, banner-towing, flight instruction; all commercial.   Requires a commercial pilot cert. You mean "airline"? ???

Airline i might be able to see.  Ya got a lot of passengers and stuff.. and your flying a whale, but hey, that dont sound too bad to me either 

I think avation science will be the best because I stink at English lol and I can do science better than most subjects .

I saw that when I checked out a college .

Ok #1 make sure you find a good patient flight instructor.Try to find one who has been instructing for a long time this will tell you he loves to teach. There are instructors out there who only instruct to build time and go to the airlines. You don't need this kind of instructor The airlines can be a back stabbing  job.Pilots will screw over you yep thats right they are out there. Corporate is the way to go. I have been flying for 20 years as a flight instructor,corporate and charter pilot and love it .Go to your local Fix Base Operation (FBO) and get a older Instructor who loves to fly AND who has a lot of patient Keep in mind going to big flight schools is not always the way to go.Go to college and get your degree  it does not matter what.As and instructor I have students now flying corporate,military and airlines so go get it.Make sure the instructor will listen to you and help you.You will know because he will go the extra mile for you. 8)

Beefhole, I have had  students come to me for help .And the # 1 question they ask me was help me finish up. My Instructor left me for the Airlines. As a Instructor you owe that much to your student to finish him up. If you can't finish the job then don't start it. How long have you been in the aviation Business.I feel sorry for the start up students who is told later that the Instructor got hired by the Airlines and some Instructor never did tell his Student that he was leaving.And that makes it hard on him.If you are a good Instructor and care about that person who loves to fly you will stay with him to the end. I have been in this business for 20 years with a 98% pass rate for PVT,COMM,INST,CFI,CFII,ATP,SEL and MEL and make a real good living  at it. Nothing here I copied it is all hard work and carring for students. I teach out of Olive Branch Ms airport (olv). ask around. And the reason is no body wants to set reserve at home or at the airport .

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Must disagree again.  This is from the view point of a STUDENT.  My first CFI was named Zack. He was a CFII, and head of the flight school.  He was universally loved by everyone, and if you go to websites that allow people to post comments on airports you will see his name mentioned there.

I think, at about 12 hours through my training, he got a great job with Midlantic jet and left.  And you know what?  I couldnt've been happier.  Why?  Because as an aspiring pilot myself, I know that MY ultimate dream is to eventually fly one of those fast, sleek jets.  Therefore, relating my ideas to his, I was too happy for him to have any problems with him leaving.  Now, I have a very special, very non self-centered way of thinking, and I always look at it from the other person's point of view. What would I do? I'd take my dream job, that's what.  There is NOTHING wrong with that. 

You CAN NOT chide a CFI for holding a job in order to build up hours.  You CAN'T.  If they're not interested in the military, how else would you suggest they build up the hours? While it's clear you're not (directly) stating that it's bad for a CFI to hold the job in order to build up hours, what would you suggest they do for their students?  How are they supposed to know when they're going to get hired? It's not a feasible situation for an instructor to hang around and finish up every student he has, and therefore your statement implies a CFI should nto hold a job to build up hours.

Well there's my take on it.

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My only beef with that system is that it set a negative tone to things at the school I went to. Competition for hours was high, and I'd sometimes  show up for a lesson only to find my name had been erased from the schedule so some other CFI could yoink that slot for his student. Then there was the way the CFIs discussed a student's progress before handing him/her over to another instructor: they apparently didn't. I spent too much time flying review flights with four of the five (!) instructors I flew with on the way to my PPSEL checkride. I always sensed a little milking on these flights, too... review may have been an excuse sometimes.
  On the other hand, I knew this might happen, so... I lived with it. And having more than one instructor taught me a lot about flying with instructors, if nothing else.
  I will say that each in his own way was competent and dedicated. I received quality instruction from each. Hope they've all got juicy airline jobs by now...