Originally Posted by
meyers9163
Very true.... I have a lot of respect, as many do, for those whom have served... But most whom are pilots and in the military will also have degrees, most likely....
I think he was referring to someone who enlisted for a hitch in the service, then got their flying certificates at either the base flying club or off base before applying to the airlines.
Originally Posted by
seafeye
A four year degree is only required because some HR lady has one and believes that only people who have one are qualified. Where-as self-motivation, self-education, passion, common-sense and general intelligence is far more important.
Agreed there are things more important than a BA in Physical Education, but the requirement it isn't arbitrary. It's a filter and a good one. As acl65pilot pilot said, they lose some good people doing it this way. OTOH, it's a cheap and effective way to screen applicants and the results are often satisfactory with HR. It's not a just system, but not much is in the world.
I've known some darn good Captains who've logged over 10,000 hours in the left seat and whom I've learned a lot, but they couldn't be hired by some airlines because they lacked a four-year degree. Most were family men who married young and could never make the financial sacrifice to gain a degree while providing for their family. Their choice, but in many cases I think it is our industry's loss.