Minimum Requirements, Degree and bases.
#31
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Joined APC: Oct 2018
Posts: 300
Disclaimer - I don't want to sound cocky or arrogant, but I'm over the whole system. I have worked in Asia, Mid East and was looking to return home now that my teens are almost done with High School.
10 year Captain on the B777, having flown Md11s and A320s for 2 legacy international airlines with over 15,000 hrs.
At my age, I'm more interested in my kids getting into their college of choice than I am caring I make Purple's current 4 year degree requirement.
I don't necessarily buy pilot shortage is only a U.S. issue, but something will have to give.
10 year Captain on the B777, having flown Md11s and A320s for 2 legacy international airlines with over 15,000 hrs.
At my age, I'm more interested in my kids getting into their college of choice than I am caring I make Purple's current 4 year degree requirement.
I don't necessarily buy pilot shortage is only a U.S. issue, but something will have to give.
#32
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Joined APC: Apr 2019
Position: A320 Left seat
Posts: 8
Well...thats what im saying...It seems like the legacies have their 4 year ban. If there is a real shortage, thats the first thing to go, so there is no real shortage from my point of view...After some years in the industry and flying pretty much around the world on the left, i think im over the 4 year college thing and as you said, spending quality time with my fam, is the only priority. Money doesn't talk i my case, but would be wonderful to have more.
#33
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Joined APC: Feb 2014
Posts: 133
The military retires, separates, and provides drill status guardsmen/reservists every year at a rate well above what Fedex needs to hire. And do you know what all of them have?
#35
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Position: Two Wheeler FrontSeat
Posts: 1,162
#36
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Joined APC: Nov 2017
Posts: 2,099
Minimum Requirements, Degree and bases.
I was at a regional for over 12 years recently. I can probably count on my digits the total times I talked to a fellow pilot who didn’t put AA,DAL,UA,SWA before FDX or UPS. Of course, everyone says that they go with whoever calls them first. That’s a no brainer.
I’m not sure what you mean by second fiddle. I feel Fedex is a better job than any passenger airline. What I’m saying is that most regional pilots don’t feel that way. My comment is not a knock on Fedex. If anything it’s a knock on the new generation of pilot.
It happens here as well, people leaving for another carrier. This phenomenon isn’t just at FedEx. There are always a few who change carriers. My point is that when the number of pilots dwindles, since most of them want to go to passenger airlines, FDX/ups will feel it first. There won’t be as many leaving the legacies to come to Fedex because they’ll already be here to begin with.
Last edited by FXLAX; 04-22-2019 at 11:05 AM.
#37
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Joined APC: Sep 2008
Position: B767
Posts: 1,900
When the pilot shortage hits, the legacies will be the last to feel the effects of it. FDX/UPS are second on the food chain. So they’ll be second to last to feel the effects and when they do, they may not have a choice than to no longer require a degree.
No pilot shortage yet but unless they start increasing the value of the profession to those considering it or sitting on the sidelines, there will be one when the retirement numbers start to increase in a few years.
No pilot shortage yet but unless they start increasing the value of the profession to those considering it or sitting on the sidelines, there will be one when the retirement numbers start to increase in a few years.
#38
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Joined APC: Nov 2017
Posts: 2,099
#40
mportantly, this degree fixation is harmful from an equity standpoint. For one, it isn't news that the four-year degree pathway mostly benefits the wealthy, as the recent college admissions scandal makes clear. We also know that, while the economic perils of burdensome student loan debt are severe for all young folks, they're especially so for those from low-income backgrounds.
This "article" sounds like a political rant. Never mind the lack of rigor when the writer simplifies his elegant solution to 'dropping out of touch degree requirements'.
While most airlines and industry experts have pushed higher pay for pilots as being the main solution, there's also a much simpler option: Drop the out-of-touch four-year degree requirement.
One reason employers may desire a college degree is that statistically-- higher education is correlated with higher IQ, and IQ is a strong predictor in job performance. Now, of course this correlation between college education and IQ varies with the field of study (e.g., mathematics being much higher than sociology), and there are other qualities airlines will prefer over an applicant's academic past, as they are more revealing to the applicant's suitability.
But, in this country and at least in the short term, correcting for a pilot shortage by dropping requirements (especially formal education) instead of increasing pay will almost certainly guarantee a lower quality-dumber pilot pool than would have been realized by higher wages-- at least on average.
Plus, having some of the majors require a degree is, as the 'article' said, another barrier to entry. This isn't a bad thing if you'd like to keep salaries high. Not as good as the Bar association or the AMA, but still...
Not that any of that is all that important, nor is that the most retarded thing about the article, but yeah it's garbage.