QUOTE : "As an 8 year staff sergeant (infantry, ranger school graduate, combat experience etc) who worked with plenty of cherry ass LTs I have to disagree. Experience is king. A degree doesn't mean squat."


^^^^ Amen to that. ^^^^

I'm an ERAU MBA, Navy ATC (carrier and shore-based), and got all my ratings the hard way ... I paid for them. Never been a CFI. I can honestly say that the college didn't mean jack when it came to flying airplanes. All it shows is that you aren't a dummy and have at least enough brains to comprehend higher education. As far as how or whether any of it might possibly cross over into the airplane, I'd say that it would depend on the person. After all, aviation history is full of tragic stories about very intelligent people doing very dumb things in airplanes. I would place things like self-control, integrity, conservative decision making, and EXPERIENCE way,way,way above a college level education in contributing to a long, successful and safe career in aviation. The biggest emphasis being put on experience.

So, rather than worrying or debating about whether, or not, the guy up on the flight deck should have a diploma, how about considering the fact that he/she may only have about 1200 hours a/o only about 25 of multi in a real airplane? Not to mention the ridiculously low actual instrument requirements.

When I started flying 121 I had about 2500 total, 550 multi, 700 turbine, and 200 actual instrument. I thought THAT was low, and it is considering the fact that a 121 operator wouldn't have even looked twice at that until relatively recently. I don't know about you, but the idea of putting my children in a jet airliner piloted by a kid with 25 hours of multi doesn't sit well. And, it shouldn't with anyone else either.

So much for the irreplaceable value of experience, right? It got traded for a freakin' degree in basket weaving.