Originally Posted by rickair7777

There will be a very serious shortage of engineers (and other STEM skills) as baby boomers retire and entitlement kids steer away from anything which might be challenging and possibly damaging to their impressive self-esteem.

For that reason, I'd definitely say get a 4-year engineering degree if you have the aptitude and inclination. The shortage will be such that you'll be able to fall back on that even without a lot of work history or recent experience. This is especially true if you are a US citizen...off-shoring and importing foreign talent is not an option for defense contractors and government agencies which require security clearances.

I would suggest that you graduate, get a job in your field, and start flying for fun. If you like flying, get an IR...if you still like that then consider professional flying. The engineering background will make training easier and will serve as a good backup skill.