Kansas State Aviation Program | FerrariChat

Kansas State Aviation Program

Discussion in 'Aviation Chat' started by rob lay, Apr 10, 2007.

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  1. rob lay

    rob lay Administrator Staff Member Admin Miami 2018 Owner Social Subscribed

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    I have no association with the Kansas State Aviation program, but I grew up in Salina where it is based and have heard nothing but good things. I know there are some looking around for good aviation schools.

    http://www.salina.k-state.edu/academics/aviation/index.html

    Kansas State has a great reputation and isn't a small college, K State is part of the Big 12, the Aviation program is at a satellite campus in Salina, while the main college is 45 minutes away in Manhattan. You can get an associates degree or bachelors for professional pilot or mechanic. They have a great fleet of 2 dozen Skyhawks, Bonanza's, Baron's, King Air, and a Citation.

    I know how tough it is to become a professional pilot with an actual decent paying job, but if I was looking at aviation out of High School, a program like this would be great. You get all your tickets, a ton of hours, and a degree to fall back on.

    On top of the undergraduate courses for your degree, your flying over the 4 years would go like this…

    1st Semester: Private Pilot

    2nd Semester: Professional Instrument Pilot I

    3rd Semester: Professional Instrument Pilot II

    4th Semester: Professional Commercial Pilot

    5th Semester: CFI

    6th Semester: Multi-Engine & Instructing

    7th Semester: CFI Instrument & Instructing

    8th Semester: Elective (King Air & Citation time) & Instructing

    So as you get towards the end on top of working on your ME and CFII, you are getting time instructing other students and some get to fly on the King Air or Citation as the school operates an internal charter for Kansas State.

    Even if you ended up not flying, your degree and background could certainly find you a job somewhere at FBO or an aviation company.

    So I do know a little about the town of Salina as I spent 1985 to 1992 there and my mom and Jennie's family continue to live there. The town has 50,000 people and it is surrounded by relatively flat wheat fields. It can get warm in the summer and the winters will get cold and some snow. Kansas is known for wind as there is nothing to block it. Salina received an All American City award around 1990. It is a little too balanced on the Midwest bible beater mentality for my tastes, but at same time has a very diverse and artsy presence. Salina is known for its River Festival held every summer. Also, Salina isn't all wholesome, you can still have plenty of fun with all the bars and even a few strip clubs. Watch out though, the cops are hard asses in Salina and there are several check points each weekend. Great hunting and fishing in the area. The airport use to be a military base and has a 12,000 ft. runway. There is also a military bombing range outside of town that brings in everything from the latest jets to B-52's for practice. That is a blast to go sit in the range control tower.

    Let me know if any other questions about Salina, I don't know much more about the aviation program except it has a great reputation.
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    rob lay, Apr 10, 2007
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  2. Der Meister

    Der Meister Formula Junior

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    I think a full load and a PPL in a semester would be pushing it, but thats just my opinion. I took me about 2 semesters with a full load, however if you fly a ton then you could reasonably pull it off in 3/4 of a school year. Never heard of their flight program though. it looks like a nice airport, but what a deal for the beech baron pr/hr and the g1000 C172 is a deal as well.... i only wonder how much the Beech King Air C90, Cessna CitationJet are pr/hr.... i would go fly those now...
     
    Der Meister, Apr 10, 2007
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  3. FlyingPoke

    FlyingPoke Rookie

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    Speaking of the Big XII, Oklahoma State also has a flying program which I have just completed. Judging from the KSU website we might fly a little older equipment, but it still gets the job done. However, it is located on the main campus, which enables an actual college experience while going to college to become a professional pilot (big reason why I picked OSU over KSU as a Wichita,KS native myself).

    Also, our program only takes us through CFI, not CFII or MEI. And while it seems like a good idea to knock out a license a semester, its pretty much impossible with a full load. I'm sticking around this summer (after graduation) to finish up my CFI... and this is 5 years later. Some people do get it done, but usually by sticking around for the summers to get stuff done, something I never did.

    So, with that said, if you dont mind living in Salina for college to fly newer equipment then KSU is your school. But I have been more than happy flying these old trainers at OSU and enjoying my college experience in 'ol Stillwater, OK.

    http://www.okstate.edu/education/aviation/index.htm
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    FlyingPoke, May 14, 2007
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  4. rob lay

    rob lay Administrator Staff Member Admin Miami 2018 Owner Social Subscribed

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    Good point about Salina, it is a satellite campus and I think only a few hundred students. There is one other college in Salina (Kansas Wesleyan), but most of the people you'll experience out on the town will be non-college rednecks looking for the nightly fight. Manhattan and that atmosphere is only 45 minutes away.
     
    rob lay, May 15, 2007
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  5. FlyingPoke

    FlyingPoke Rookie

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    I agree the KSU program is probably better, just thought i'd show an option for anyone in the area interested in a college experience. Heck, we just got our first simulator a few months ago, which is finally starting a rumor of a partnership with Pinnacle (little late for me, dang it!). And we definitely dont have any Citation sitting around here :( . But, I'm actually going to look into working on the Salina campus after I get my CFI to get a little closer to home and also my girlfriend, who happens to go to KSU... little closer than 4 hours from Stillwater.

    For most kids I think the parents need for them to be flying "safer, newer" aircraft will override any desire of the kid wanting to enjoy college, I just got lucky and my parents let me get away with it :) .
     
    FlyingPoke, May 15, 2007
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