What's going on with their aviation program? I would love to hear from current students

so I guess things are really good their and nobody has any thing to say

There's a ton of recent information on these boards about Mount Royal, and most of it is not good. The "Search" function is your friend.

I have heard that the flight school was temporarily shut down due to a maintenance issue with one of their planes. I am not sure about the validity of this statement though.

Another issue I have heard from current students and alumni is that it is difficult to get flying hours, and I guess some people have actually been flunked out of the program because they weren't able to get enough hours by the end of the semester.

so is that current information

Not sure what is going on at Mount Royal, but their fleet of aircraft have all had their registrations cancelled based on the current TC listing.

C-FLJW Piper PA-28R-200 Registration Cancelled 2011-06-01
C-GGAD Cessna 172P Registration Cancelled 2011-06-01
C-GMEU Cessna 172P Registration Cancelled 2011-06-01
C-GMKI Cessna 172P Registration Cancelled 2011-06-01
C-GMKV Cessna 172P Registration Cancelled 2011-06-01
C-GVOF Grumman GA-7 Registration Cancelled 2011-06-01
C-GVTB Grumman GA-7 Registration Cancelled 2011-06-01

Maybe, they are moving their fleet off of the university's ledger and have them operate as normal but under another holding company... But then again maybe not.

Just be prepared to give up time on the weekends to work for free in their hangar. Oh, and their POS Cougar is $520 an hour to fly!

I know many current students who are now realizing that signing up was a mistake; the glory days are gone. Once upon a time this was a prestigious school with great, ex-military instructors. The CFI who recently left (the one who didn't even have an IFR rating) put the final nails in the coffin.

MRCs airplanes are owned by J P,, and are being returned, and sold off. As of right now, the aviation department have no aircraft.

Word is that they are getting a new fleet of 172s. But it's August, and I have yet to have seen them.

Word is the old ones are beat. Are they going to be fixed up, bargins or overpriced and in need of service?

Type4 wrote:Word is that they are getting a new fleet of 172s. But it's August, and I have yet to have seen them.

I am at Montana Fun Weekend at Cut Bank. There's 4 of them and they just left.

Here's two pictures.

Since they are new ones they will be G1000 equipped. Too bad as they are now pretty much useless for good training.

They're for training commercial pilots. "Touch the screen watch the number tape get a banana." Don't you mean they're perfect?

I'm pretty sure that mud daubers could put one of those out of commission in the time it takes to get a cup of coffee like it did to my steam driven 172 today. But it felt pretty good nailing a landing with no airspeed reference.

You mean these?

Did they get in the pitot?

The amount of mis-information on these forums often baffles me, but I expect there are a number of young people contributing who are not willing to expend the required energy to research facts before they write.

Mount Royal University provides a very good training program for young people serious about a career in professional aviation, as do all the Canadian Association of Aviation Colleges (CAAC) member college and university programs across Canada. The professional aviation program is a lot of work and demands a serious committment on the part of the students, as do all the college and university programs. Historically, MRU students have been quite successful in their careers and a significant number of graduates are now flying with Air Canada, Jazz, in corporate environments and with the military.

MRU is in the process of renewing their fleet of single and twin engine training aircraft and have taken delivery of four new C-172s which will be training students entering and returning to the program for the fall semester. These glass cockpit machines will provide excellent training platforms for the future professional aviators enrolled. In addition, MRU will soon be taking delivery of three, new twin engine aircraft so students in the second year of the program will have the opportunity to do most of their training on twin engine machines, graduating with considerably more twin hours than previously, including twin PIC time: very valuable time for young pilots starting out on their careers.

In the increasingly complex world of professional aviation, a diploma or degree from a recognized college or university program will soon be a requirement; I would highly recommend the excellent CAAC college and university programs offered across Canada to any young person serious about a professional career in aviation.

Baseballfan wrote:These glass cockpit machines will provide excellent training platforms for the future professional aviators enrolled.

So how exactly will this prepare a student to fly a beat-up old Navajo? $350,000 for a 172 is a joke, especially one that will keep a new student's head inside even more than usual. All that wasted money could have been used to buy three times as many aircraft, offering students the chance to actually fly on a regular schedule. Although I guess that would keep them from wasting countless hours in a classroom.

Baseballfan wrote:
Mount Royal University provides a very good training program for young people serious about a career in professional aviation, as do all the Canadian Association of Aviation Colleges (CAAC) member college and university programs across Canada. The professional aviation program is a lot of work and demands a serious commitment on the part of the students, as do all the college and university programs. Historically, MRU students have been quite successful in their careers and a significant number of graduates are now flying with Air Canada, Jazz, in corporate environments and with the military.

MRU is in the process of renewing their fleet of single and twin engine training aircraft and have taken delivery of four new C-172s which will be training students entering and returning to the program for the fall semester. These glass cockpit machines will provide excellent training platforms for the future professional aviators enrolled. In addition, MRU will soon be taking delivery of three, new twin engine aircraft so students in the second year of the program will have the opportunity to do most of their training on twin engine machines, graduating with considerably more twin hours than previously, including twin PIC time: very valuable time for young pilots starting out on their careers.

In the increasingly complex world of professional aviation, a diploma or degree from a recognized college or university program will soon be a requirement; I would highly recommend the excellent CAAC college and university programs offered across Canada to any young person serious about a professional career in aviation.

You left out the "Act now and call Mount Royal college in the next 15 minutes and receive a FREE HAT!!!"




...also FYI, glass is great to lean, but a shitty foundation to start out with, but I guess that wouldn't sound as good as your corny as all hell pitch you just made

it unfortunately sounds like the people running this program have little to no aviation background, based apon our little infomercial post here.

In the increasingly complex world of professional aviation, a diploma or degree from a recognized college or university program will soon be a requirement; I would highly recommend the excellent CAAC college and university programs offered across Canada to any young person serious about a professional career in aviation.

I have two questions.

When did this complexity enter professional aviation that is now requiring a college or university education?

Does having a glass cockpit replace looking outside the airplane when learning to fly?

Baseballfan wrote:The amount of mis-information on these forums often baffles me, but I expect there are a number of young people contributing who are not willing to expend the required energy to research facts before they write.

Why would it baffle you? Isn't a certain amount of mis-information required to keep your program full?

Mount Royal University provides a very good training program for young people serious about a career in professional aviation, as do all the Canadian Association of Aviation Colleges (CAAC) member college and university programs across Canada. The professional aviation program is a lot of work and demands a serious committment on the part of the students, as do all the college and university programs. Historically, MRU students have been quite successful in their careers and a significant number of graduates are now flying with Air Canada, Jazz, in corporate environments and with the military.

Yeah, lots of other flight training environments offer the same thing, without the entitlement, arrogance, and fixation on things that mean diddley squat for a pilot's first years of flying (if they get to fly at all). Your students probably have visions of right seat in a Dash 8, not bashing around a 206 on the tundra or circling a steam-driven Chieftain to minimums on some god-forsaken reserve. Your comment about the military is a larf; of all the requirements to be a pilot in the RCAF, previous flying experience isn't one of them.

MRU is in the process of renewing their fleet of single and twin engine training aircraft and have taken delivery of four new C-172s which will be training students entering and returning to the program for the fall semester. These glass cockpit machines will provide excellent training platforms for the future professional aviators enrolled. In addition, MRU will soon be taking delivery of three, new twin engine aircraft so students in the second year of the program will have the opportunity to do most of their training on twin engine machines, graduating with considerably more twin hours than previously, including twin PIC time: very valuable time for young pilots starting out on their careers.

Offering the chance for students to 'buy' experience by preying on the false hope that it will get them further in their career. I've got news for you, I got put on twins ahead of many pilots with more multi time because of two things: honesty and commitment. Things you shouldn't need a degree to have yet two things that are conspicuously absent from most college pilots.

In the increasingly complex world of professional aviation, a diploma or degree from a recognized college or university program will soon be a requirement; I would highly recommend the excellent CAAC college and university programs offered across Canada to any young person serious about a professional career in aviation.

And I would highly recommend getting an actual degree and doing your flight training at a mom and pop school where you get personalized attention, aircraft are far more available, and if you get out of the city you don't burn up hours on the taxiway and transiting to the practice area. With an actual degree you have a fall back incase you lose a medical, lose interest in the industry, or can't break into it either from bad luck or unwillingness to sacrifice.

My instructors were mostly from ex military and ex airlines backgrounds with all but one holding an ATPL, so you can't say the quality of flight instruction was not as good.

I have two questions.

When did this complexity enter professional aviation that is now requiring a college or university education?

Does having a glass cockpit replace looking outside the airplane when learning to fly?

It must have crept in over the years.

I used to work with a pilot who started flying floats in Ontario years ago. He didn't even have a float rating when he started working for the company. He wound up flying the very first Dash-8 for Norontair and he was telling me he was amazed at the technology, with the EFIS screens,the high tech turboprop engines, and the composite props when he came up from 180s and Beavers and a bit of time on Twin Otters. But it was still just an airplane and handled the same way.

If this formal education thing will prevent you from flying these modern glass cockpit magic machines I guess I'm screwed because I only completed grade eight.

Should I enroll in one of those colleges and get educated?

A student would be much better off getting a degree in Engineering, GeoPhysics, Economics, Math etc or anything quantitative and then getting a commercial pilots license from a quality local school. Some have newer Cessna's too if that's what you prefer.

MRU is going to attract students with the fancy new G1000 glass cockpits (i love newer cessnas), but there are much better paths to becoming a commercial pilot that offer you a back up plan, in case you lose your medical, or want a different career someday. And without all the hype and arrogance and probably more respect as it seems everyone will hire an Engineer (look at investment banking).

MRU can state their former students are at Jazz/AC/WJ, but I have four friends in aviation. Out of them, three are at major airlines and did not do the aviation degree route. One went to MRU and couldn't find a job after graduating, no direct fault of MRU or him, after doing all the road trips etc, and is now out of the industry. As i'm learning, when you are starting out, it's a lot of luck and being at the right place at the right time. A new CPL is a new CPL. I dont think glass experience will help you one bit, and might even work against you if the employer has older aircraft. Given todays labour market, I'd want a sought after degree behind my name given the chance to do an aviation program versus another.

Luck is when preparation meets opportunity.

Of course a guy is better off with a different degree if they lose their medical or something. The college aviation programs are good quit being jelly we couldn't get in. Certainly there have been more pilots going other routes. It's not better only different.

There's lots of non aviation careers that accept any degree including one in aviation.

You'd be best off winning the lotto and buying a plane then seeking out the best freelance guy you can find. Now how do I win that lotto?

Well super, I have to agree with his assessment of mis-information..You , for example posted this:

You left out the "Act now and call Mount Royal college in the next 15 minutes and receive a FREE HAT!!!"

I called.. There was no free hat : You completly provided mis-information to all us AvCanaders. He obviously did not leave it out..I think you might have even just made that up.

Aviation has changed folks. Basic flying skills are going the way of the dinasauer (as are my spelling skills)for "professional" pilots. The emphasis is on CRM, procedures, career advancement. Flying a Navajo..huh!...These pilots are being trained to jump in the left seat of a 777 after a suitable term in the right seat where their Captain will become their instructor and mentor.

You can see by his post that there is absolutely no arrogance in it. Perfectly balanced and fair, and presenting the facts in a proper and correct light.. If they had given me a hat I just might have signed up.

On a much more serious note, while it is kind of fun to gang up on someone, I think a person from an institution desreves our respect for facing up to the bullies and stating their position. Some of us might disagree with their claims , but for the most part, they are as valid as the any of them.. given the choice I would much rather relax with a cup of coffee and a good Sudoko puzzle with few million lines of computer programming looking after my job,than be driving a clapped out old Navajo into a tiny strip with the weather at minimums so I can take a couple of people out to drop off their kid at the hospital and have a little shopping vacation in the city. The only problem, I see, is the latter is closer to the reality of what almost all new CPL's will experience, and basic skills are really required. The other altenative, of course, is to upgrade the panels of all those old Navajo's to glass and super GPS. Funny how navajo operators dont ever consider that option.

BTW..I like shiny new planes.. And glass cockpits...jealousy is a sign of love.....manifested by hate