The Spartan College of Aeronautics and Technology

Date: Nov 10 2009
Major: Aerospace Engineering (This Major's Salary over time)
I spent 2 years at Spartan. Not only did I see things from a student perspective, but I spent 18 months of that time as the tutor for the A&P program so I also got to see things a bit more from the other side.

First of all, I can only speak to the maintenance side of Spartan, as I'm not familiar with the flight school campus. However, my initial thought upon reading the comments left by aspiring "pilots" is that if you cannot communicate coherently and maturely, perhaps you don't need to be in the left seat of a multi-million dollar aircraft. While Spartan will teach you to fly, the school cannot be expected to make up for things you should have learned long ago—such as promptness, integrity, and work ethic, not to mention a certain sense of adult maturity. Our field is one where people's lives depend on our skill, our ability to communicate, and our willingness to do whatever it takes to do the job right. Many Spartan students have no concept of that at all. It's no surprise they find Spartan not to their liking. It's a school for people who are serious about aviation. As one of my instructors used to say, "You have to love it, or you'll never be good at it." For those of us who think the sun glinting off an aircraft's wings is one of the most beautiful sights on earth, Spartan is the perfect place to go to the next level.

Now, on to the actual maintenance program. My original class was 31 people. We were told that out of our group, perhaps only 13 would graduate, and less than that would actually go on to get their license. They were right—only 11 of us graduated, and only 5 of us currently work as licensed aircraft mechanics. There are those who will tell you that Spartan's poor teaching, facilities, or equipment is to blame. However, the simple truth is this: Spartan's student body has a large number of 18- to 22-year-olds who have no idea what it means to be an adult.

I watched students fail out of class after class, refusing to study or take any responsibility for their own education, and yet blame instructors or the school for their failures. I saw students repeatedly miss class and then be furious and surprised that the school made them make up their time or repeat the course—even though that policy is FAA-mandated and drilled into our heads from day one. I saw students cheat, do drugs, abuse alcohol, and sleep during class. These same students are somehow baffled at why they don't get handed a $30/hour job at graduation—if they make it that far. The funny thing is, Spartan DOES help you get a job. I spent a good portion of my time during my last two terms going to interviews with the biggest names in aviation—interviews that Spartan set up for me. I had several job offers to choose from.

Spartan is not always easy. But the instructors will stay after to work with you, they'll do what they can to ensure that you truly understand the material. The small class size means there really is no excuse for you to not understand it. For those who actually care enough to do the work involved, Spartan is the absolute best choice for someone looking for an aviation maintenance career.

As for me? I go to work every day on one of the most advanced aircraft ever built, playing with systems most of those other drop-outs never even heard of, and technologies that will make aviation history. I make far more than $30 an hour, and I'm currently one of less than 50 people in the world who are qualified to do what I do—and that's as a female in a traditionally male-dominated career field. I owe every last bit of that to Spartan.

In short—if you're looking for fraternities, extra-curricular clubs and a popularity contest, Spartan's the wrong place to go…you WILL fail. If you want to be one of the best in the world at what you do out of a love for the aircraft and a desire to excel, then step up and do it. Adults will be glad they did.