Why Cedar City Is An Ideal Location to Become A Pilot
Posted: March 23, 2020 | Author: Jaidyn Crookston | Read Time: 6 minutes
When choosing between flight schools, it's important to choose a good location. Some places are simply better for learning to fly than others. Throughout the country and the world, there are hundreds of different flight schools. So where is the best place to learn to fly?
One of the best places to learn to fly is Cedar City, Utah at Southern Utah University. SUU Aviation is ranked as one of the top flight schools in the nation and trains 10% of the world's incoming helicopter pilots and a large number of fixed-wing pilots.
Cedar City is the perfect place to learn to fly. Here are some of the things that make Cedar City unique:
Elevation
The elevation in Cedar City is 5,622 feet. This makes SUU Aviation the highest elevation university flight school in the country. Elevation is important when learning to fly because the higher the elevation, the thinner the air and the more difficult it is to fly. Because it's more difficult to fly here, you'll be prepared to fly in any part of the world once you graduate.
Pilots that train in lower elevations and then later fly in higher elevations often struggle to adjust to the altitude and weather differences. By training at the highest elevation university flight school, you won't have trouble flying anywhere else due to elevation issues.
Diverse Weather Conditions
Cedar City is known for having very different weather conditions throughout the year, and sometimes even in the same week. Cedar City has sun, snow, and rain, all of which require different flying techniques and procedures. Learning to fly in different types of weather is very helpful as you enter the industry. Again, this will prepare you to fly anywhere in the world and will give you an edge on those pilots who only trained in one type of weather condition.
Good Flying Days
In Cedar City, over 300 days of the year are good flying days. Having this many good flying days means that you'll be able to fly longer and more often. The more you're able to fly, the more experience and flight hours you'll graduate with. You'll be more prepared to take your flight tests and earn your licenses.
Affordable Tuition
Because SUU Aviation is a university flight school, you'll have to pay school tuition on top of your flight fees. This isn't a bad thing, though, because SUU has very affordable tuition. In fact, SUU was just ranked #7 in the country and #2 in the west for lowest student debt upon graduation among regional universities.
At other university flight schools, you'll likely have to pay high tuition on top of high flight fees. SUU Aviation allows you to follow your dreams of flying without paying extra.
As a college student, you'll be eligible for federal financial aid, student loans, and scholarships. There are hundreds of aviation scholarships that go unawarded every year, simply because students don't apply. If you search out scholarships and apply, then you may be able to fund a good portion of your education.
Small Classes
Even though SUU Aviation trains 10% of new helicopter pilots in the country, that doesn't mean the classes are large. In fact, SUU as a whole has an average class size of fewer than 20 students. The class sizes of aviation courses are even smaller than this.
Because the classes are small, instructors have time to individually help each student and personally oversee their education. Instructors typically only have 4-6 students each semester. This gives them the time they need to make your education their top priority. It's common for instructors and students to form close bonds and stay in contact years after the student graduates.
Not only is Cedar City the perfect place to learn to fly, but it's also amazing in other ways. Here are some of the things that make Cedar City itself unique, in ways that aren't necessarily related to flying:
National Parks
SUU is known as the University of the Parks. Within just a two hour drive, there are multiple national parks, forests, and monuments. These landmarks include Zion National Park, Bryce Canyon National Park, Dixie National Forest, Cedar Breaks National Monument, and Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument. In about an hour's drive (or a 10 minute flight), you can be among the beautiful red rocks and hikes of Zion National Park. Zion is one of the most well known national parks in the country and has over 4 million visitors every year. This is more than Utah's entire population and most of Zion's visitors travel from other states or parts of the world to see this amazing place.
Not only are these landmarks beautiful, but so is the SUU campus.
Outdoor Activities
Cedar City is at the foot of the mountains. You can be hiking, biking, or climbing all within a short drive. Brian Head Ski Resort is close by as well, so you can hit the slopes and make the most of Utah's amazing snow.
Utah Shakespeare Festival
Cedar City is home to the world-renowned Utah Shakespeare Festival. If you like theater, then Cedar City is the perfect place to be. During the summer and fall months, the Utah Shakespeare Festival holds a variety of plays and performances. People from all around the world come to watch these plays. Almost every night there is a free Green Show held on the lawn outside the theater, so even if you're tight on money you can still enjoy the festival.
Small Town
Even though Cedar City is a fairly small town with nearly 32,000 people and seems to be in the middle of nowhere, that doesn't mean there is nothing to do. Cedar City has a number of parades and festivals throughout the year, including the July Jamboree car show, which features hundreds of old, really cool cars.
SUU also hosts fun activities, including dances, casino nights, movie nights, Paint the Town Red, and so much more. If there isn't something going on in town, then there's bound to be something going on at the university.
Affordable
Cedar City has been named one of the top ten affordable college towns in the nation. Cedar City also has a lower than average cost of living. This means that you can go to a school with affordable tuition as well as find a cheap apartment. With the best of both financial worlds, how can you go wrong?
Something for Everyone
Cedar City has something for everyone. If outdoor activities aren't your thing, then there's the Utah Shakespeare Festival, movie theaters, restaurants, historic Main Street, the Southern Utah Museum of Art, and lots of other things to explore.
There are so many advantages to training to fly in Cedar City. From the elevation and the small class sizes to the national parks and the festivals, you're sure to love flying and living in Cedar City.
To learn more about Cedar City, SUU Aviation, or earning a pilot's license, request info or contact us. When you learn to fly in Cedar City, you'll be setting yourself up for success in the future, with experience that will apply almost anywhere in the world. Turn your dream of being a pilot into a reality by learning to fly in Cedar City, Utah with SUU Aviation.
This article was published more than 3 years ago and might contain outdated information or broken links. As a result, its accuracy cannot be guaranteed.
Tags: Aviation
