★☆☆☆☆
1 out of 5
11 months ago
California Aeronautical University
Why are many reviews from people who did not attend the school or are high school students?
Anyway;
After no longer going to this school, I did believe it has great potential to help students pursue their aviation paths. The staff are very nice and helpful. When you hear the word "school," you think of waking up early to go to class every day and following the same routine. But CAU is different; it's a unique school that prepares students specifically for aviation, mainly focusing on airline piloting. Classes can be both hard and easy, as long as you don't wait until the last minute and always ask for help. (However, some CFIs might give you a disapproving look when you do.) This school also offers many great opportunities for students to explore, such as volunteering at airshows, taking field trips to museums, or even hiking. (Although with recent experience, this is now only for the paid flight club. This school also has airline partnerships that have visited the school, providing tips and recruiting "highly qualified" students. Enough said about the school, I will give my pros and cons.
My pros and cons are:
Pros:
• Campus is at the airport (meaning students will only have to walk out to the tarmac to get to their plane).
• More affordable than most other public universities, like Embry-Riddle ($400k+!).
•Fast pace courses.
• They claim a 3 YEARS PROGRAM to get your bachelor's in Aeronautics!
•No pre-flight hours needed, zero to hero.
•Great Cafe food
•Recreational center, pool, gym, tennis courts, and a basketball court to stay healthy.
•School Pilot Uniform.
•Beautiful airplane.
•School is always getting more new planes.
• Part 141 University flight school
•Best of all, the staff and teacher here know you very well!
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Cons:
• You are most likely to go through 10 different flight instructors before you get to the check ride.
• While having CFIs from your fellow classmates, not all want to be CFIs; therefore, many do not care.
• They are selling dreams and hope.
• Many students, including myself, have been criticized by flight chiefs and yelled at by CFIs, even during flights. I even witnessed a fellow student break down and cry, and then quit because of the negative putdowns. I specifically remember a flight chief telling me that, in order for me to get my pilot certificate, I need to be better and that I am competing with people who are in the Air Force, NASA, and are astronauts. Of course, this made me very depressed. In fact, many of us were. Many of us were too scared to speak up at the time, fearing retaliation from the school by being grounded. So we just dragged our feet.
• No guarantee or promise of an airline career after finishing.
• Airline starting pay after school is very low compared to the debt ratio.
• Small residence rooms; single rooms for two.
•The school's location is far from any nearby mall or shopping center.
•Online classes are still relatively new to the school.
•School security used to be excellent and interactive with students; now, it is loosely secured, and we have had incidents involving drugs, hidden alcohol, and bullying.
•There is student favoritism among flight instructors.
•Some CFIs do not really care, as they are only doing it to build hours or meet requirements.
•They will try to make you fly regardless of your physical rest.
•Student confidentiality is not maintained by the flight instructors.
• Flight cost are raised. However, the school like and they paid CFI very low. ($20-$27)
☆☆☆☆☆
I dedicated six years to my flight training, completing all ratings except the Certified Flight Instructor (CFI). I temporarily suspended my studies to pursue an entrepreneurial venture, which has proven successful. I intend to resume my flight training; however, I would advise against this path, particularly given the evolving airline hiring requirements regarding bachelor's degrees.
The airline no longer requires a bachelor's. Therefore, a Part 61 flight school offers significant cost savings.
Quy Dinh
