Local FBO vs UND

[Incus]

I'm a freshman at the University of Minnesota. I was considering transferring to UND for flight school, but as I have read it seems to me that any good FBO can provide the same flight training for less money. Which also means I won't have to transfer to a small town in the middle of nowhere and abandon the friends I have made here.

I am looking at a part 141 FBO in Minneapolis, Minnesota: http://www.thunderbirdaviation.com/flight/index.asp

The question I have is will the opportunities for internships/future instructing jobs/and networking with like-minded individuals be less available than going to a large flight school such as UND?

[JulietBravo]

Not going to lie. At a local FBO, yes, there will be less opportunities right away. But there is always the option of going out and getting your own. There are always connections at a FBO from pilots flying in and past students/instructors. As for internships, you might not be able to find many through U of M given that they don't have an aviation program. At least, I'm not aware of (I go to South Dakota State University, so I kind of know the area). There's always the option of Mankato, but again, that is a small town. The biggest thing that a FBO is good for is the cost. A LOT less money for the same ratings (thats why I chose SDSU). There are countless stories of career pilots getting great jobs coming from FBOs, you just have to get yourself out there in the world and make it happen.

And I have heard of that FBO at FCM, they sound very reputable. If you go that route, get your CFI and just start flight instructing anywhere you can and that's how you build those connections, especially around the MSP area, LOTS of small town charter businesses.

[Incus]

Do you know of any other good FBOs in the twin cities area? And as far as instructing, it sounds as if there are tons of opportunities living in a large city as long as I have my CFI and such?

[JulietBravo]

Not too sure about other FBOs in the area. You could always go the one of the airports there and just inquire about information and ask about other FBOs around the area and look them up online.

And yes, get your CFI and your pretty much golden anywhere. There is always some place looking for an instructor and up in the cities, it's almost endless. Usually, if a FBO trains you all the way up to your CFI, they usually hire you, no questions. But there are always opportunities to go elsewhere later on.