Considering dropping out of 141 university.

Posted by HighFlyer662@reddit | flying | View on Reddit | 5 comments

I’m 21 and working on my commercial. I have about a year left of classes in this aviation degree, but still need too take my commercial Checkride, then CFI, CFII, and CMEL to finish it. The flight school associated with the college is just dreadful. Maintenance has gotten so bad on multiple occasions that it has left the school with 3-4 planes for over 100 students. A few inches of snow closed the airport for multiple weeks. TWICE. Check instructors are known to fail people for no reason on stage checks just to retest for money, and the chief pilot does not care. The department chair at the college promises change, but nothing has changed in the 2 years I’ve been dealing with the flight school. It’s completely taken all the joy out of flying for me, and feels more like a dead end than a path to a flying career at this point.

I got my PPL at a small local part 61 school. The school is great and has everything I’d need to get the rest of my ratings done at my pace, instead of the drag of a 141 school where I get to fly like once a week max. I’m very motivated to get through this but that motivation means nothing when I have no control over the schedule the school has in place. And then the disaster that is trying to get through the stage checks when you actually make it through.

I’d still want a degree, and have ascertained that it would be pretty easy given to transfer all the gen ed classes I’ve taken for this aviation degree. I could probably finish up an associates in whatever I choose in the same time period as the rest of this bs aviation technology degree. Would also give me an opportunity to find a job for now, as the aviation program is structured in a way that makes it pretty hard to work and fly at the same time. Even if you never actually get to fly lmao.

Wondering if this is a viable idea or if i should try to stick it out at the 141 school. Willing to hear any advice, input, or feedback. Am I crazy for wanting to drop out? Would be great to hear from anyone who has done/ considered something similar.

TL;DR - my part 141 school sucks, should I dip for good 61 school and an unrelated degree