Originally Posted by
Ftrooppilot
If there is a need to narrow the field down, a college degree can be used as a screening tool. It has nothing to do with the ability to fly an airplane. There are numerous examples of outstanding pilots who never got a college degree. Chuck Yeager, Wiley Post, Charles Lindbergh, Amelia Earhart. Dick Rutan got his college degree 16 years into his USAF Career - well after his many military flying accomplishments.
I'm pretty sure Amelia Earhart has a degree from Purdue University. Chuck Yeager probably would have been an astronaut if he had further education. Northwest did not require a degree, but in the last round of hiring every single pilot that was hired had one. The competitive minimums at Compass were a lot lower than Northwest. I'm okay with the Compass pilots flowing. I do get tired of them bragging on here about how they went through just as tough of a interview process (they didn't). It is what it is. When this pilot shortage hits, there are only two ways to get more pilots. One is to lower the standards, the other is to raise the compensation. I already work at mainline. Obviously I want the pay raised. The pilots at Pinnacle without a college degree obviously want the standards lowered so they can move on using their preferential interview that they bought with an industry bottom contract.