Many have done that, General Mattis for example.

But those were generations past where college was not as readily available to the masses. Today anyone with work ethic can get into and fund college, so that raises the question of why would you pursue a white-collar career (of any sort) where college is the normal price of admission, and expect to take a short cut? Tuition a little expensive for your taste? Do what many including me and the fore-mentioned generals did and enlist... GI Bill is pretty generous.

Not debating whether a non-college grad can fly a plane, just asking why deliberately take the hard road when you know the right answer? If you're much over 50, you grew up in a different world so this doesn't apply to you.