Originally Posted by
tizzizzailslf04
Lol, huh?? This assumes that the only people who even begin flight training are those that "possess the skill set" and those that don't possess it don't begin training. What is the skill set? How can one determine what "the skill set" is? There are no barriers to beginning civilian flight training. There are no prerequisites.. other than "Do you have the money?"
I really don't get how you guys are getting so hung up on this. There is a reason you don't need any more than a high school diploma to get a job as a pilot. There are some hefty hurdles to get into med school. There are hefty hurdles to get into law school. You've gotta do some work to get into a good engineering program.
What do you have to do to get into flight school? Cash, card, or check.
Yes, flight school is challenging. Yes, you will have to put some work in. But again, there is a reason you only need a high school diploma and some technical training to get a job as a pilot. It ain't law school. It ain't med school. (Both of which you have to qualify to even get accepted in the first place) The vast majority of people that start flight training to become a pilot, and don't run out of money along the way, are successful.
Yes, this job is amazing. I've wanted to do it since I was a kid and I wouldn't trade it for the world. But stop acting like we're somehow better than those working below the wing because we were fortunate enough to scrounge up the money for flight training.
Considering the amount of hours/experience a civilian OR military aviator needs to be hired by a major- I would say that insinuating that it's easier than going to med school or law school or that any HS graduate can do it is false. I've known some real special misfits pay their way through med school or law school. Not everyone can be a pilot, and depending on the kind of flying you are doing, takes a specific skill set. This doesn't mean sh** on the janitor, yes a little humility goes a long way - but we aren't just a trade profession with a HS diploma being the only pre-requisite, at least in the competitive major environment.