Originally Posted by
RightSeat4Ever
We have been dancing around this topic for a while and no body wants to tell those without a degree the truth. You want to make professional money? Go get a bachelors degree. It is as simple as that. The day the airlines start hiring pilots without college degrees is the day being a pilot will no longer be considered a profession. We will be tradesmen/women and treated/paid accordingly. Time to get over the butt-hurt/blue collar pride and get with the program. You want to make the same money? Get on my level bro.
It wasn't too long ago we were called "plumbers" by some of our execs and people got their noses bent out of shape over it. If you are ready to allow folks without a degree to sit on the flight deck next to you, don't forget to stick a rag in your back pocket and throw a pipe wrench in your gear bag.
I am ALL for upholding our profession as much as possible but have to completely disagree with you on this. What the hell does having a degree in something totally non aviation related have to do with making a good airline pilot?! Are you kidding me?
So let me get this straight....we've done away with a sim check for applicants (which measures the skill sets required for the job directly), and now instead require a degree even if it's in basket weaving to get an interview/hired?! Now many majors also want to see volunteer work?! GMAFB!
There's few people out there that hold our profession in a higher regard than me or get more bent out of shape when I see one of our peers doing something that casts us in a bad light. In that regard, unprofessional behavior and dress (a big one amongst the many slob pilots in this country), do far more to hurt our profession in the public and management's eyes than not having a college degree.
Travel the world a bit and you'll realize that nowhere else is the professional piloting profession respected so little as here in 'Merica, yet I can promise you that we have the highest percentage of pilots at our major airlines with four year degrees.
The next time you travel to a foreign country try to observe how their flight crew are treated by the general public and fellow airline workers. I'll bet you that it's with a lot more respect than here AND YET FOREIGN CARRIERS DO NOT REQUIRE A DEGREE!
So I say make the psych eval and sim ride mandatory and get rid of fu fu bull^*+~ requirements such as a four year degree and volunteer work. Also, perhaps a course in properly sizing and wearing a pilot uniform should be mandatory as well as getting a clue on how to act like a professional while in public amongst our passengers and fellow airline employees.
A four year degree has NOTHING to do with flying an airliner and very little to do with upholding respect for our profession.