College advice

[commander 0]

I know that i'm a bit young to really be looking into colleges, but i want some opinions on good universities that offer bachelors for flight/ AE engineering as well as AF ROTC. So far i am looking at both ERAU campuses as well as the University of western Michigan college of aviation in battle creek MI (its on the same airport as an ANG unit so i may be able to go ANG instead of ROTC and thaen aim for a pilot slot)

[serverandenforcer 33]

I know that i'm a bit young to really be looking into colleges, but i want some opinions on good universities that offer bachelors for flight/ AE engineering as well as AF ROTC. So far i am looking at both ERAU campuses as well as the University of western Michigan college of aviation in battle creek MI (its on the same airport as an ANG unit so i may be able to go ANG instead of ROTC and thaen aim for a pilot slot)

 

 

Embry is probably one of the best to go to. Actually, if you talk to a recruiter, they can point you to some good colleges that focuses on those issues. Or, you can do it through the military, knock out the pre-requisites through CLEPS (sp?) and then go to ROTC using your G.I. bill and get your degree. That's what I'm going to do once I get my AGR finalized.

[+GrinchWSLG 24]

I graduated from ERAU Daytona and spent a year in the flight program. Pretty fun school if you're really into aviation. Its got a heck of a price tag though. I'll be happy to answer any questions you have.

[commander 0]

Im also looking at the Purdue Aviation Flight Technology course, does anyone have info on that?

 

Grinch, do you know if it would be better to do AE engineering w/ flight minor or the aeronautical science course (does it give a bachelors in science?)

[Badger Lead 0]

I know that i'm a bit young to really be looking into colleges, but i want some opinions on good universities that offer bachelors for flight/ AE engineering as well as AF ROTC. So far i am looking at both ERAU campuses as well as the University of western Michigan college of aviation in battle creek MI (its on the same airport as an ANG unit so i may be able to go ANG instead of ROTC and thaen aim for a pilot slot)

 

Michigan Tech, up here in the UP. One of the best engineering schools in the country, as well as AF ROTC.

[Jeremiah Weed 0]

This came in the mail a couple weeks ago

 

 

If you have any questions about ERAU, ask away, I'm willing to do what I can to help.

[+suhsjake 11]

There's a lot of ERAU peps here aye?

[+GrinchWSLG 24]

Im also looking at the Purdue Aviation Flight Technology course, does anyone have info on that?

 

Grinch, do you know if it would be better to do AE engineering w/ flight minor or the aeronautical science course (does it give a bachelors in science?)

 

Well, I'm not sure what your plans are but I'll try to answer anyway. Yes AeroSci does give a bachelor of science. Hell I even got a BS and I'm Air Traffic Management. Doing AE and flying would be a lot of work IMO. I roomed with engineers for 3 years and the engineering program alone kept them damn busy. Its not unheard of for engies to do the flight program though.

[commander 0]

Jeremiah, What is involved (courses, studying) in the Aeronautical science major

[Jeremiah Weed 0]

Jeremiah, What is involved (courses, studying) in the Aeronautical science major

 

Well, my Bachelor's Degree is in Occupational Education from another University. The Master's is in Aeronautical Science with an Aviation Education Technology specialization. I know you are a ways away from going for a Master's Degree, but here is a link to the program, I think it tells the prerequisites for the program, so you can know what undergraduate courses to take.

 

http://www.erau.edu/db/degrees/ma-aeroscience.html

[+JSF_Aggie 1,291]

I don't know where Texas A&M ranks specifically for Aero Engineering, but their engineering college as a whole is always ranked top 15 or less, at least they were 7 years ago when I went there.

 

They have the Corp Of Cadets, which is military 24/7 while you go to school there. Not everyone in the Corp is ROTC, but many are. I've been told A&M gets the most accepted into flight school, behind the Academies.

 

I was Computer Engineering there, but not in the Corp.

 

If nothing else, you get the best seats at the football games.

[Guest pfunkmusik]

2nd for Texas A&M, but Embry-Riddle would be better, I'd imagine.

 

pfunk

[+GrinchWSLG 24]

Jeremiah, What is involved (courses, studying) in the Aeronautical science major

 

There's info on the school website about program course requisites. I'm sure they'd be more than happy to send you any info you request. Just beware the standard school propaganda, its pretty bad on the bulls**t.

[Jeremiah Weed 0]

Just beware the standard school propaganda, its pretty bad on the bulls**t.

 

From ER? Never!

[MAKO69 186]

Bridgewater State and Wentworth Tech both in Massachusettes

[+ordway 23]

I know that i'm a bit young to really be looking into colleges, but i want some opinions on good universities that offer bachelors for flight/ AE engineering as well as AF ROTC. So far i am looking at both ERAU campuses as well as the University of western Michigan college of aviation in battle creek MI (its on the same airport as an ANG unit so i may be able to go ANG instead of ROTC and thaen aim for a pilot slot)

 

I am an ERAU grad. I was highly impressed with the education...it wasn't "ivory tower" crap but real-world oriented. I've been out since about 1990. ERAU grads keep getting mentioned time and again in my life. I highly recommend it for an aviation career. They were good about having links to jobs as well.

 

I worked my ass off though while there...but it was worth it....but expensive.

 

But yeah, you need to consider if the money is worth it. You don't want to be in debt until you are 40. Talk to a community college advisor first to try to get a sense of what you can do. But, I really loved it and don't regret it at all.

 

I praise you for asking questions like this when you are young.

[gbnavy61 1]

University of Illinois has a great aviation program as well as all 3 ROTC branches.

 

If you do it right, you can get out of there with your commercial, SEL, MEL, Instrument, CFI/CFII, MEI. Overall, a pretty solid group of instructors - lots of full-timers with many many hours of experience, as well as the part-time crowd which tends to be former students who have excelled and are building time to move on to the next step.

 

Last I checked it was an all-Piper fleet. About 28 Archer III's, 6 Arrow III's and 3 Seminoles. Great maintenance department.

 

Class C airspace at Willard, but aside from the other trainers, not a whole lot of traffic, so usually not a lot of people to worry about flying into.

 

There's generally two options to get some flying done along w/ college credit. First is Private Pilot - you take the first 4 semesters, 2 for Private and 2 for Instrument Rating, while your major is something else. Additional flight courses are up to you. Second option is Aviation- Human Factors. Same flight courses the first 4 semesters. After that, you work on commercial and up, in addition you take several psychology courses - some general psych stuff along with more human-machine interaction related courses, design courses, etc. There's also a couple good ones on aircraft systems - one basic and one advanced (basic deals w/ your average GA aircraft systems, advanced examined King Air and ERJ). The accident investigation course was really interesting. We did a lot of case studies of accidents - some well known and others not so much. Learned a lot from that course.

 

The greatest hidden gem, though, is the Human Factors course near the end of the 4-year program. Classroom lectures and discussions along with flight labs - Seminole sim. You fly about 6 sim hops with a partner - alternating pilot/first officer duties. Before each hop you get the conditions as if its the pre-flight brief. Then, you get in, fire up and get "airborne." After that, it becomes a dial-a-disaster event where you and your co-pilot get to react to different situations and see how well you work together and when things go bad, analyze why. Debriefs are where the money is made in that course - stuff you can take with you for the rest of your flying career. There is also a good-deal cross country flight in the Seminole where you exercise the same "crew" concept - the destination, as with most cross-country flights, is determined by the availability of good restaurants within range. We flew to one of the Lambert's Cafes - in MO I think.

 

If you want more into the engineering side of things, U of I has a well-known engineering department and a few of my classmates did Aero E.

[arf16 0]

One of my best friends here at UVa is doing exactly what you've described: Air Force ROTC and Aeronautical Engineering. The engineering school here may not be as prestigious as some of the other schools mentioned here like, such as Purdue or Embry Riddle, but being able to say you went to a school like UVa carries a lot of weight.

 

My advice is to find a school that you can actually see yourself living there for four years of your life. The ranking of a university's enginieering program doesn't really mean that much until you reach graduate school. All of the schools you are looking at right now are good schools for what you want academically right now, so now you need to see which one offers you the most outside of the class room.

[Viper6 3]

I know that i'm a bit young to really be looking into colleges, but i want some opinions on good universities that offer bachelors for flight/ AE engineering as well as AF ROTC. So far i am looking at both ERAU campuses as well as the University of western Michigan college of aviation in battle creek MI (its on the same airport as an ANG unit so i may be able to go ANG instead of ROTC and thaen aim for a pilot slot)

You are never too young to have a plan and a goal! I applaud you for having the wisdom and foresight to know what you would like to do in life! My dad was a USAF pilot so you make sure to do yourself and family proud!

[+Jug 99]

2nd for Texas A&M, but Embry-Riddle would be better, I'd imagine.

 

pfunk

Look at Auburn University in Auburn, Alabama. They have a wonderful Aeronautical Engineering program, Aviation Management program, and a strong AFROTC unit. I am a graduate, so I know of what I speak. They make fall Saturdays nice too, because they play a pretty good brand of football. They have a real eagle that flys around the stadium pre-game and craps on the opposing team. What more could you want?

 

Bye the way, it becomes a lifetime infection......................War Damn Eagle!!!

Edited January 20, 2009 by Jug

[FastCargo 412]

Another option is a service academy. For instance, the US Air Force Academy's engineering programs are highly rated. In addition, pilot training slots are relatively plentiful compared to an AFROTC unit. You can't beat the price of room, board, and tuition (none...all paid for).

 

However, Daytona Beach it isn't. It's a service academy, which means a radically different life from your bros at ERAU. You will have to be well rounded to get into the academy...you can't buy your way in. You will have a commitment to the military when you graduate. It's not easy.

 

What other posters said is true though...it's never too early to think about what you're going to do for the rest of your life. I wanted to fly since I first looked up in the sky and wondered what that metal machine was passing overhead.

 

"A pilot must have the deepest commitment." - Yoda, if he were giving advice about being an aviator.

 

FC

[charlielima 328]

Some good choices here. I say military. Navy? Listen to Jug and Fast Cargo. My Dad always told me if I got bad grades all I would able to do was be An enlisted naval aircrewmen or work for the us forest service. I did get good grades. No college degree tho. My best success in life was doing the 2 jobs my dad said I would have if I was a failure. If you can get in any military academy, GO.

All branches have a flight program. Airline pilots, cops, and city firefighters don't always get to work for the departement or company that was thier first choice. All the folks I know who did accept thier second and even third choice had / have had great satisfaction and successful carreers.

Except for what I said here, take the advice of those who are commissioned officers in the military.

Good Luck Tiger!

:ph34r: CL

[commander 0]

Thanks everyone,

this has helped give me some insight into what i should do.

If anyone else still has some advice, please post it.

[+ordway 23]

I know that i'm a bit young to really be looking into colleges, but i want some opinions on good universities that offer bachelors for flight/ AE engineering as well as AF ROTC.

 

I know it sounds stupid, but it was in the news quite a bit a while back (1999)...it might also be coincidental. However, one Pensacola cadet apparently did extremely well by mocking up Pensacola, and the T-34 in off-the-shelf M$ Flightsim 98 before doing primary flight. Apparently, he was so succussful, if true, that the Navy copied his basic program.

ie. You might want to look into M$ simulator for pretraining.

 

He had a stick, throttle, rudder pedals as well.

 

The original articles in newspapers are long-since erased but some follow-ups still remain.

 

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa38...907/ai_n8858226

 

http://www.baseops.net/flightsimulators/

 

http://archives.cnn.com/2000/TECH/computin....idg/index.html

 

http://www.openp2p.com/pub/a/p2p/2001/08/2...war.html?page=3