Annual College Aviation Review: Going the Extra Mile
Aviation programs are adding new value to student education
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In today's robust pilot hiring environment, a college degree might be considered an expendable asset: nice to have but not essential to the life plan. It might be tempting to think that you can zip through your certificates and ratings in an accelerated program, secure a right seat at a regional airline, and perhaps earn an online degree in the future. Give that thought more consideration.
Bill Traub, a former vice president of flight standards and training at United Airlines, dispenses some valuable wisdom. A college degree in particular has had special importance in the recruiting and selection process at the airline, he explains, adding that it provides an indicator of an applicant's quality, work ethic, and values. As a case in point, Traub says that finishing what is started is of special interest. "If we see a number of 'withdrawals' and 'incompletes,' that doesn't bode well for the applicant. We also look at how well they did, no matter what they did. We also look at what kinds of courses they took. Were they challenging? Were they worthwhile? If they were not aviation-related, were they courses that could serve the individual if he or she was eventually grounded?"
Traub also suggests that campus life offers collateral benefits that online degree programs simply cannot provide. "Maturity, leadership, the ability to work in a team or social situation, and organizational skills are all areas that United looks at. Lacking in any of these areas is a showstopper for us." Naturally, an academic environment provides opportunity for personal growth and development in these areas outside of the classroom.
There's the practical rationale for a college education. Yet, there may still be a sense that 48 months of higher education could be absolute drudgery. If so, you may be overlooking the forward-thinking vision of today's collegiate aviation programs. These schools and universities, from large and well-known institutions such as Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and the University of North Dakota (UND) to smaller up-and-comers like Jacksonville University and Westminster College, are viewing themselves as partners with industry in the business of preparing future aviation professionals.
Earning a degree in a collegiate aviation program is much more than reading, writing, arithmetic, flying airplanes, and earning FAA certificates. Granted, the basics are important: history, English, communications, business, science, the federal aviation regulations, steep turns. But, many aviation colleges and universities now forge close relationships with industry for the direct benefit of students in a way that, historically, did not take place to any great extent.
One testament to the industry/academia paradigm is the Aviation Accreditation Board International (AABI). Key administrators from aviation's top colleges and universities accredited by AABI meet regularly with management from companies like JetBlue, Cirrus, Delta Air Lines, The Boeing Company, FlightSafety, Airbus North America Customer Services, and many more of aviation's blue-chip entities. The goal is simply to develop curricula that are responsive to the needs of industry.
In view of these initiatives, a student should consider college as much a training ground for industry as a place for knowledge and personal development. That should put a collegiate career in a whole new light and instill motivation and incentive.
Perhaps the most ambitious effort on the part of aviation academia to actively link its students with industry is through internships and co-op programs.
An internship is a special opportunity that gives a student a chance to gain some work experience with an industry employer while still in school. Depending on the program, an internship might last for a month or up to two years. Typically, the length is one semester or the duration of summer recess. The business offering the internship will decide whether the student is compensated.
A student considering an internship may be faced with a difficult decision. It could mean delaying graduation for a semester while other studies are put on hold. There is also the financial impact, especially if the position offers no or little pay. It may mean the student has to move to Dallas for a few months and subsist on his own while working with the pros at American Airlines. But, the lessons learned during such experiences are priceless.
In addition to gaining tremendous insights into the business of aviation and how, say, a flight operations department functions at a major airline, that student can also be treated to some very fine perks such as free travel, flight deck jump-seat privileges, use of simulators, or even a type rating. Former interns sometimes receive preferential hiring treatment such as guaranteed interviews or a waiver of hiring minimums. Some former interns now flying for the legacy airlines were hired with fewer than 1,000 hours of flight time.
A co-op program is, essentially, an internship program on steroids. Like an internship, a co-op program gives the student a chance to obtain industry work experience before graduation, but a co-op generally involves full-time, paid employment of anywhere from 35 to 40 hours weekly. The co-op plan typically allows the student to stagger periods of work with periods of education. In other words, a co-op could keep a student employed for up to two semesters back to back. At the conclusion of the work assignment, the student returns to campus.
Pursuing an internship or co-op can be daunting. Although the school may offer college credit for successful completion of a program, it can mean deferring graduation and extending the college career beyond the normal four years. This can result in a queasy feeling that you are being left behind while your classmates are charging ahead into their careers--but these programs offer a definite edge in the job market, and the experiences gained add depth to students' education that simply cannot be obtained in the classroom.
As a general rule, internships and co-ops are reserved for college students who are enrolled in an accredited institution on a fulltime basis. Because employers have limited opportunities, the competition for internships and co-ops can be formidable. Other factors in the selection process can include the completion of a certain number of credit hours, a minimum grade-point average, possession of a commercial pilot certificate for certain positions at an airline, enrollment at a specific college or university, completion of an on-campus screening process including written assignments and interviews--and, of course, an interview with the company.
The most common paths to aviation internships and co-ops are provided by airlines, airports, aircraft manufacturers, government agencies, and state aviation departments.
Building the relationships between academia and industry requires exceptional effort on the part of the school's administration, especially schools that are less well known. Many colleges and universities have established themselves in the eyes of the industry through years of hard, continuous work. As a result, major industry employers have readily embraced the notion of recruiting students for internships and co-ops from places like Embry-Riddle and UND. Both schools have fulltime career resource centers with a staff that is dedicated to nurturing industry associations and connecting students with jobs. Other schools with widespread notoriety, such as Purdue University, Florida Institute of Technology, and Auburn University, have successfully linked with industry because of their reps.
Even those smaller colleges and universities, and institutions with younger aviation programs, are getting into the act, however. These schools may have smaller enrollments in their aviation program and may have more of a regional impact and reputation. Because schools with a lower aviation enrollment do not have budgets for full-time career development resources, it is a credit to aviation department chairmen and administrators who have gone the extra nautical mile above and beyond their demanding campus jobs to seek out internship and co-op relationships for the benefit of their students.
Vincennes University in Indiana is an example of one small school that is going the extra mile for its aviation student population. One of the internship programs it developed recently is hosted by Chautauqua Airlines, based in Indianapolis. Viewing the posted requisites for this internship will give you an idea of typical requirements for any internship or co-op program. For participation in the Chautauqua program:
- Current enrollment as a junior or senior in the bachelor of science degree program.
- Full-time or part-time (two days per week) internships are available.
- Assignment for one semester or a summer.
- Will receive travel benefits by flying free in the jump seat.
- Internships will be in the training department, will rotate jobs, and may work with the chief pilot.
- There is no compensation.
- Will meet the requirements for either of the tech applications courses.
- There will be a performance evaluation at the end of the internship.
Another example of a smaller school's yeoman effort to link students with industry is Montana's Rocky Mountain College.
As is true of any academic program, Rocky Mountain College first and foremost will educate its students. But a stated aviation department objective that provides further proof that administrators are going above and beyond the call of duty is "to work with students individually to help them define the sector of aviation they wish to enter and help them pursue that goal." As a direct result of that mission, Rocky Mountain has placed interns in businesses such as SkyWest Airlines, Alaska Airlines, Northwest Airlines, Big Sky Airlines, Horizon Airlines, Alpine Air, and Corporate Air.
The benefits to one Rocky Mountain student are typical of such opportunities. Kyle Mosher, from Littleton, Colorado, says, "My internship at Alaska Airlines was literally the best five months of my life. I learned all about daily operations, got to fly to Mexico, and I have a guaranteed job interview, which is like a gold ticket. Rocky has done a great job preparing me for my future."
At Southern Illinois University-Carbondale, students can apply for an internship with American Airlines, one of many internship opportunities promoted by SIUC. The selection process begins with:
- cover letter addressed to the SIUC Aviation Department
- current r�sum�
- official SIUC transcripts
- official state driving record
- copies of FAA flight and medical certificates; must have commercial certificate and instrument rating
- two letters of recommendation
- junior status or beyond
- cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher
- enrollment in SIUC's aviation management program
As other examples, Ohio University has established an internship relationship with NetJets in Columbus, Ohio. Western Michigan University works with Trans Air and Southwest Airlines in recruiting interns. Tarleton State University-Central Texas has placed interns with ExpressJet. Oklahoma University has an internship agreement with American Eagle.
The benefit to students is obvious. But, what about the employer? How does the company go about committing to an internship or co-op program, and what's in it for the organization? The answers provided by a network carrier, which launched its internship program in 1994 with Embry-Riddle, offer some insight into one company's philosophies on the subject. Continental Airlines' Phil Emden, manager of flight operations, and Capt. Jackson Seltzer, manager of training standards and flight tests, share responsibility for the internship program from the company's Pilot Training Center in Houston.
Seltzer says, "Continental uses the flight operations internship as a process to review potential pilots and pilot managers. The interns bring in a fresh approach and are usually very knowledgeable about the industry. This is also a chance for the intern to take back to the school real-life information and generate interest in airline careers."
Each semester, Continental selects a total of 10 interns from affiliated schools: Embry-Riddle, Purdue, Kent State, and Auburn. The company is also evaluating potential programs with other schools.
The school selection process considers several factors including the airline's needs, the number of students that can be interviewed either on-campus or at the airline, the quality of the school's curricula, and how that institution's program would fit into the corporate culture.
Although students receive no direct financial support, the perks are awesome. Continental offers interns a modified Boeing 737 flight course that includes five days of ground school with flight training devices and six sessions in the full-motion flight simulator. Additionally, the student participates in a two-day extended twin-engine over-water operations course, a two-day crew resource management program, the FAA's two-day defensive flying course, high-altitude training and oxygen chamber "ride"; and tours of Houston Intercontinental Airport facilities and Continental's maintenance base. Additionally, the intern is provided unlimited space-available travel on the airline while interning. Students may also be offered an international project for which the company pays some expenses.
The payoff comes when the intern applies for a pilot position. It is a common practice to hire quality interns who meet the minimum requirements as pilots with less time than the average applicant.
The point of all this is to demonstrate the additional, added-value benefits of life at an aviation college or university. A significant number of these institutions do not view their roles as merely spewing out degreed pilots to shepherd airplanes through the atmosphere. More and more, these institutions are viewing themselves as stewards of emerging talent for the aviation industry. In view of that responsibility, they are engaged in a conscientious effort to serve both industry and students in a proactive manner that brings the two together before graduation.
Certainly, there are fine academic facilities that teach only the basics as described previously, and they have a place. But, given the choice, it may be wise to commit to earning a college degree--and then to consider enrolling in an aviation college or university that goes "the extra mile."
Wayne Phillips is an airline transport pilot with a Boeing 737 type rating. He is a B-737 instructor and operates the Airline Training Orientation Program in association with Continental Airlines. He is an aviation safety consultant in Michigan and speaker for the AOPA Air Safety Foundation.
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Links to additional resources about the topics discussed in this article are available at AOPA Flight Training Online.
Hiring partnershipsInternships and co-ops are not the only connections between aviation academia and the airline industry. Another is the hiring partnership or hiring agreement. Colleges usually call them bridge programs, or sometimes a jet transition or airline transition program (see "Bridging the Gap," June 2007 AOPA Flight Training). Similar programs, which may go by other names, also can be found at private flight academies, airline-owned academies, and other formal training organizations whose primary business is the preparation of flight personnel for the aviation industry. The curriculum typically includes training in turbine aircraft systems as well as airline procedures geared to a specific carrier. Students enrolled in a bridge program usually fly simulators and flight training devices, and become familiar with the regional jets they aspire to fly. The important thing to remember is that these agreements do not guarantee employment--instead, they guarantee a job interview with the airline to any student who meets specified requirements. However, the schools have a vested interest in the success of these programs, so conscientious students should be ready when interview time comes. And, because of their partnerships, the schools should have up-to-date knowledge of the carrier's needs--so the acceptance rate for these students generally is very high. For successful students, the payoff is a job offer despite flight time that may be considerably less than the carrier's published hiring minimums. Here's a sampling of flight academies with transition or bridge programs, and the airlines they partner with:
What does the future hold? Don't be surprised to see hiring agreements with smaller general aviation flight schools.--Mike Collins |