rickair7777

Not unreasonable. The merchant fleet is (and was to a much greater extent in the past) a vital economic asset and key military enabler. The merchant marine academies don't require that grads go to sea, just that they work in the industry in some capacity (or join the military).

You could draw some parallels with CRAF, and the pending pilot shortage. There would be a benefit in that it would remove the bottom-feeder element from entry-level pilot training and recruitment, but that would only work if ALL airline pilots had to graduate from an ATP academy or the military. Big change in status quo, but I suspect the airlines would go for it if the fed took the lead...they're afraid sponsored ab-initio is coming and they'd be happy to have someone else pay for it. Presumably it would be post-grad, ie you have to show up with a college degree in hand.

But I don't see the fed getting around to it until the pilot shortage has catastrophic results...presumably the airlines will establish their own ab-initio before it comes to that, alleviating the obvious need for the fed to get involved.