Apollo 225

Hello Everyone,

I just recently decided to make being a pilot my career path, and since I have already started my flight training at a Part-61 school I was going to finish my training in the same way. My goal would be to get into one of the big airlines and I know to do that I would need a 4 year degree from an accredited University. I have heard from other pilots I know that it doesn't matter what you get your 4 year degree in, as long as you are getting your license through a Part-61 school.

My question would be, is that true? If I am getting my commercial license through a Part-61 flight school does it matter what I get my 4 year degree in?

Excargodog

It always matters what you are getting your four year degree in, since it should be of interest to you and - hopefully - will provide a backup career if you find yourself medically disqualified by a seizure disorder or something, but exactly WHICH degree you get matters little to most majors and not at all to any regional.

SamosaKing

Agreed. You should pursue a degree that you find interest in and can see yourself doing the work for the next 4 years. Don't just pick a random degree in something your not interested in because you will find that you will be less motivated in completing the required tasks in those 4 years

aiir

Major in whatever floats your boat but get the highest GPA you possibly can, that’s key. Of course, a good school, a hard major, all those things look better on a resume but if you cover the basics you should be good. High GPA and a degree finished in a timely manner look great on a resume.

Part 61 or 141 are also both solid options. You can do Part 141 even if you don’t go to 4 year aviation college. There are plenty of Part 141 programs that will take your from zero to CFI in a set amount of time. The main difference between Part 61 and Part 141 is that 141 has a set structure and 61 is more flexible. Some on here have said that it doesn’t matter which route you do as long as you minimize your check ride failures (ideally none).


In short, major in whatever you want and get a decent GPA, plus try and not get any check ride failures. Other than that, keep a clean driving/criminal record and you should be able to give yourself a fighting chance. There are of course many other paths and things you can do to improve your resume and stand out but these are the very basics.


Keep in mind that I’m no pro, this is only stuff that I’ve read on this forum over the years. Good luck!