Originally Posted by
What
With regards to your "good luck without a degree", explain to me what the purpose of a degree is? I all about education, have a four year degree and seeking a graduate degree but don't call someone who persues aviation training uneducated. These individuals have education and training in their field. One must spend hundreds of hours learning about different aspects of aviation and must pass exams as well as evaluations. Education is not just sitting in a class at a college. We live in a supply and deman economy, currently the pilot skill set is increasing in demand compared to the last decade and airlines will have increase compensation to attract new candidates lobby law makers into reducing restrictions to increase the candidate pool. But make no mistake, a pilot is an educated professional!
This is ludicrous. You sir, are absolutely incorrect.
Aviation training is 99% "vocational", and perhaps 1% "educational". The only part that might be considered educational is some aspects of CRM.
Vocational training is narrowly focused on specific skills that apply to a trade (like welding or plumbing). A pilot solves most problems by running checklists.
Education is specifically broadly focused to widen your base of knowledge, especially providing an appreciation and understanding of the past, and different cultures in the hopes of providing a sound basis for future judgement and decision making. Equally important, education develops problem solving skills involving critical thought and analysis (vice running checklists and memory items). Skill-intensive majors such as engineering, medicine, and computer science clearly require a lot of technical knowledge, but the actual application of that knowledge requires analytical skills which are developed in both core and major-specific coursework.
Now there is certainly a place for the application of analytical and even critical thinking skills in aviation, primarily when dealing with other people (crew, ATC, ground services, mx, etc). But flight training is very far from educational, so hopefully you picked those skills up somewhere else along the way.
Do you "need" education to be a pilot? In absolute terms, no. Do you need a degree to progress in the industry in the US? Most likely, yes.
But aviation training or operations is not education. And everything I said applies to a real education from a university, not online diploma mills.