The College Conundrum

Choosing A School That's Right For You

act: More than 93 percent of all major airline pilots have a college degree. Survey any of the largest corporate aircraft operators and a college-educated pilot will be flying that Gulfstream, Falcon, or Citation. True, a fine flying career can be had without that piece of parchment certifying completion of four years' worth of academics, but those aviators who occupy the highest rungs on the career ladder will have earned that credential.

Bill Traub, retired vice president of flight standards at United Airlines, who started the airline industry's first internship program at Southern Illinois University in the mid-1980s, had some sage advice about how a college degree figures into the hiring process at a major airline.

First, a degree demonstrates that an individual is focused and committed enough to complete a rigorous track of study. Second, good grades usually indicate a positive work ethic. Such qualities are valued by the industry's big league employers.

However, just as there are different brands and types of airplanes that accomplish the same objective, there also are many varieties of institutions of higher learning that the future aviation professional should consider. While some flying machines have merely wings, an engine, and a seat, others have a full panel of avionics, air conditioning, and leather seats. They will all get to "B" from "A." Similarly, although all aviation colleges and universities will ultimately bestow a degree plus a pocketful of FAA certificates and ratings upon a successful student, the other features offered by that school tend to differentiate one from another.

No Excuses Anymore

In the past, earning a college degree required a fulltime effort and, in most instances, residency in a college community far from home and job. Then came the World Wide Web.

Although several schools have jumped on the Internet bandwagon by offering distance learning options, Utah Valley State College in Provo, Utah, has been a leader in this relatively new method of scholastic enterprise.

Launched in 1997, UVSC's Global Aviation Degree Center now attracts more than 1,000 students online at any given time. This means that more than 60 percent of the college's entire aviation enrollment is taking its courses electronically.

Of the five or so UVSC degrees that are offered via the Internet, four have flying components. Ground school is completed through the program's on- line courses while flight training is pro-vided by one of the flight schools associated with UVSC's Pilot Career Foun-dation in locations across the United States and Canada (see "College Degrees, To Go," December 2001 AOPA Flight Training).

The philosophy of UVSC's Global Aviation Degree Center is that students should earn as many ratings as possible in the first two years of study, plunge into the job market, then complete the remaining degree requirements via the Internet while building a r̩sum̩ with experience as well as education.

Just The Basics, Please

A favorite resource to initiate the hunt for a college education is on the Internet. Surfing AOPA Flight Training's just-updated online college directory will reveal a couple hundred colleges and universities that convey a simple message: "We will prepare you for a professional pilot career."

All academic institutions require a sizeable investment and, in return, promise to deliver every FAA certificate and rating required to launch a flying career - generally commercial ASEL and AMEL, instrument, and flight instructor. While acquiring all the experience necessary to qualify for FAA certification, the student will participate in traditional academic studies such as English, history, communications, and science.

Some individuals prefer the basic "meat and potatoes" approach to education. For these persons, cost, location, size, and time may direct them to fine schools such as Hesston College in Kansas or Colorado Northwestern Community College in Rangely, where a two-year degree and all the important FAA qualifications can be earned quickly and affordably. Thus, while their counterparts at four-year colleges are still accumulating ratings in their junior and senior years, graduates from Hesston, CNCC, and similar programs are out working and building valuable time and experience. In most cases, grads from a two-year program can transfer to a four-year institution to complete a traditional four-year degree if so desired, or finish the final two years with online studies while employed in entry-level flying jobs.

Going The Extra Mile

A substantial number of colleges and universities have come to a major revelation in recent years. Unlike degrees in history and English, for example, an aviation-related degree is more than an academic discipline: It is a ticket to a career immediately upon graduation, much like medicine and law. As such, faculty and department administrators are seeking new and innovative ways to enrich campus life for aviation students and enhance the prospect of career success for graduates. These programs continue to distinguish themselves by what they do beyond the basics.

For some, total immersion in flight training is the first order of business. In these instances, enrolling at a Sierra Academy, Spartan School of Aeronautics, or a Pan Am International Flight Academy might be the sound strategy. This avenue is especially attractive to pilots who already have a degree. For those who do not have a college education but desire both scholastics and academy-level training, there is a way to have both.

In 1996, Florida's Jacksonville University pioneered a unique relationship with Comair Aviation Academy. Juan Merkt, then director of JU's aviation department, formed a partnership with Comair that combines the academic excellence of an established university with an airline-designed, airline operated flight academy. (Merkt is now at Ohio University.)

Students receive a well-rounded education at JU while earning their FAA pilot ratings in an integrated program. Comair instructors provide comprehensive, professional pilot training at Craig Municipal Airport, just six miles from the JU campus. After completing flight training, JU students may qualify for positions as paid flight instructors and can log up to 1,000 hours of pilot-in-command time. After finishing the phase as instructors, JU graduates are guaranteed employment interviews with Comair Airlines.

Bridging The Gap

More and more, colleges and universities are engaging in extraordinary efforts to bring their students and future employers together. Two institutions with a fulltime commitment to that goal are Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and the University of North Dakota. Both have dedicated staffs that devote themselves entirely to bridging that gap.

As an example of the kind of work that ERAU is doing, despite industry setbacks following the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, and the soft economy, it announced last fall a "dual track hiring program" is designed to provide opportunities for ERAU graduates with a bachelor's degree in aeronautical science to become new-hire pilots with Northwest Airlines. The comprehensive agreement establishes initial selection criteria, specific course requirements, minimum flight experience requirements, and Transport category aircraft training at Northwest Airlines. Selected students will have the opportunity to work for Northwest immediately after graduation.

Embry-Riddle and NWA will jointly screen candidates for one of two possible tracks: certificated flight instructor to line pilot or aircrew training instructor to line pilot. To qualify for screening, candidates must complete the sophomore year of the aeronautical science degree program, rank in the top 20 percent of their class academically, and be recommended by an Embry-Riddle professor. Once accepted, students will be required to attend Northwest Airlines-specific seminars, achieve multiengine and CFI ratings, and complete a one-semester internship at Northwest that includes ground school and simulator time in airline-designated aircraft. After they successfully complete the program, the students selected will be further screened for pilot or flight crew instructor employment.

Another noteworthy ERAU effort in its mission to guide its students down a career track is its regularly scheduled career fairs. These career expos/trade shows bring employers to campus and feature employment opportunities with hundreds of companies. These are held at ERAU's Daytona Beach, Florida, campus in November, and at the Prescott, Arizona, campus during October and March.

The University of North Dakota also fashions college/industry relationships. Like ERAU, University of North Dakota not only hosts annual career fairs but also has built associations between its top students and leading regional airlines. Often, these partnerships mean that UND students can enter employment with experience levels far less than those published by the airline for applicants "off the street."

Of special interest to UND students is a large number of internship and cooperative education programs available through its Office of Student Services. Generally, any of UND's 1,500 students can apply for internships at some of the biggest and best employers. Internships provide valuable on-the-job experience for students - some at modest pay and for college credit - and are a valuable means of establishing contacts before graduation. UND grads ultimately find themselves in cockpits of major airlines thanks to the bonds they form as students participating in internships.

The college currently is offering flight operations internships at Atlantic Coast Airlines, Southwest Airlines, Alaska Airlines, and Northwest Airlines. UND includes on its roster of internship associations: South St. Paul Airport; Great Lakes Airlines; Wal-Mart Aviation; Dulles Air Traffic Control Tower; American Airlines; Northern Lights Aerobatic Team; Mesaba Airlines, and others.

The Aerospace Department at Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro serves 638 students with five different areas of concentration. Not only does the school offer a professional pilot program, but majors in maintenance, technology, and administration also are offered. MTSU is one of the few institutions wherein a student can earn FAA flight dispatch and scheduling credentials.

Additionally, MTSU is a participant in the Collegiate Training Initiative. Students aiming for a career as an air traffic controller can complete all of the FAA's requirements in preparation for ATC employment testing. Thus far, the FAA has hired as controllers all of the MTSU students participating in the ATC track.

The school has provided a direct track for its graduates into Corporate Airlines, a regional carrier with an American Airlines code-share agreement, and which routinely uses the MTSU campus as an interviewing site and MTSU simulators in its employment evaluation process.

OJT

It is a way of life for aspiring professional flight crews: The first job will most likely be instructing in Cessnas and Pipers. Here, too, colleges can provide an edge.

Kent State University in Ohio offers its students "on-the-job training" through its paid CFI internship. The program enables young pilots to work while they are still undergraduate students. With a CFI certificate and limited experience, it is possible to graduate Kent State with a bachelor's degree in science or a minor in flight technology and have accumulated additional experience as a flight instructor.

While the CFI internship is valuable in the experience gained it can also lead to continued employment after graduation. Additionally, Kent State has intern programs with Continental Express, FlightSafety International, Goodyear Flight Operations, and United Airlines.

Even a petite-sized college like Northwestern Michigan College in Traverse City does its part to add value to a student's on-campus experience. The NMC program features two Beech Queen Air aircraft. School CFIs and certain qualified students are able to fly college employees for business purposes. The school also has additional business contracts that utilize the school aircraft and instructors for transportation around the state. It is not uncommon for some graduates to leave NMC with 100 to 200 hours of multiengine time.

NMC is also embarking on an ambitious FAR Part 142 certification program wherein pilot certificates and ratings can be earned mostly in FAA-approved simulators and flight training devices. This may ultimately mean less expense for students, plus the ability to "fly" even when the weather outside is miserable.

One of the most unusual collegiate flight programs is based at a small school in the hills of Missouri just outside Branson. The College of the Ozarks is home to some 65 pilots-in-training. As incredible as it sounds, at College of the Ozarks it is possible to earn a four-year degree and all certificates and ratings up to CFI for less than $20,000. How? The college bills itself as "Hard Work U."

The concept is simple. Rather than hiring outside workers to staff the school, students serve as janitors, landscapers, cafeteria servers, and more. Flight students start out in character-building positions such as those. As they progress, they can be assigned such jobs as line service technicians, customer service specialists, or rental car desk clerks at a full-service FBO that the college owns and operates. Thus, students can work off a good portion of their education expenses - including flight training costs - and gain experience for their resumes.

College To Cockpit Direct

One airline in particular has for years viewed college/industry associations as vital to its continued growth: Mesa Airlines.

In 1989, Mesa was one of the first regional carriers to understand the importance of grooming future pilots in a collegiate environment. Thus, with San Juan College in Farmington, New Mexico, the airline put together a true ab initio (from the beginning) program. Called the Mesa Pilot Development Program, the training takes pilots from no time or very low time through their private, instrument, commercial, and multiengine credentials; first officer training, and FAR Part 121 checkride in under two years. The average flight time at the point of hire is 300 hours.

Mesa has now expanded the program to Midland College in Texas and Arizona State University. There, students receive traditional academics as well as airline-type training in Beech 1900 systems and flight. Successful graduates will go directly to the line flying for Mesa under one of the company's banners, such as United Express.

It's The Reputation, Too

There is something to be said for prestige. Thus, colleges and universities seek opportunities to earn stature and prominence in the industry. Scholastic reputation can certainly be a plus for graduates in their first job search.

Western Michigan University recently captured the spotlight as a result of its first-place showing in the 2002 National Intercollegiate Flying Association championship held at Ohio State University in May.

The 15-member Sky Bronco Team from the College of Aviation outscored 26 other teams from around the nation to win the national title. Tom Grossman, who is the College of Aviation's chief flight instructor and is in his first year coaching the team, says the Sky Broncos achieved top-five rankings in seven events, and earned spots in the top 10 for nine events. In the aircraft recognition event, members of the Sky Broncos took four of the top five slots.

Other schools have achieved prominence on the international stage. The aviation program at Florida Institute of Technology (FIT) teamed up with the Technological University of Panama (UTP) to form the Panama Aviation Education Partnership (PAEP). PAEP offers Florida Tech bachelor's degrees in aviation management to students enrolled at UTP.

The Panama Aviation Education Partnership has found a sponsor in Panama's home airline, COPA. The airline realizes the need for aviation education much like its counterparts in the United States and has donated money, training equipment, and materials. It is likely that COPA will hire a majority of the program's graduates.

Still other institutions achieve recognition through the work of its staff and faculty.

Brent Bowen is the director of the Aviation Institute at the University of Nebraska-Omaha. Not only does Bowen oversee a thriving aviation program, he has more than 250 publications, papers, and program appearances to his credit. Bowen's research on the devel-opment of the National Airline Quality Rating is regularly featured on ABC's Good Morning America, the Cable News Network, USA Today, and the Today Show.

What's The Point?

With today's tight employment market, less-than-spectacular economy, and the prospect of full recovery for the major airlines perhaps two years away, the young student pursuing a flying career and contemplating college needs to research college choices with diligence. This is a challenging mission, especially for seniors in high school.

Historically, colleges and universities were places where you attended class, digested as much as the professor and textbooks could feed you, and then you graduated an educated, well-rounded person presumably ready to make your mark in the world. In most instances, one day after graduation you were on your own to make that mark.

Today, especially for the future aviation professional, colleges are taking a proactive role in propelling graduates forward into a flying career path, whether through internships, job fairs, reputation, alumni associations, on-the-job training, or extracurricular personal devel-opment opportunities such as NIFA membership. All this means added value to the student and a distinct advantage in the hunt for jobs. In short, when ultimately selecting a college or university, you might expect more than readin', writin', and ratings.

Wayne Phillips is an airline transport pilot with a Boeing 737 type rating and is a designated pilot examiner in Colorado. He is a speaker for the AOPA Air Safety Foundation.