First bolded: Does this plan include going to large debt attending that Flight Academy? If so....big mistake.

Second bolded: Yes - you could do it after you meet ATP mins. Of course by then something else has come up. GF, working too hard to have time, kids! etc...
A large danger with this idea is that many people have great INTENTIONS of finishing something once started and then for a variety of reasons get sidetracked with life and never finish what they started. I mean you are already wondering if you won't finish in those 4 years between getting all of your ratings and meeting ATP mins and rationalizing that it won't be a big deal because you'll have those years at a regional to finish on your overnights right?

Some people can do this. Many can not. I'm one that can not. I know this about myself and plan accordingly. I knock out the highest priority tasker and then move on to the next. If you are one that has the ability to go home and write a term paper instead of hitting the bars and socializing after work then it might work for you. KNOW YOURSELF!

 

So what's the difference if you were a Captain at a regional (without th degree) vs being a Captain at a major airline (with the degree), besides one requiring it and the other doesn't. You say "It is considered a management position, hence the need for the degree"...Just curious

 

Listen to USMCFLYR. He knows what he's talking about. It took me 9 years Night School to get my High School diploma, and that's without playing hookie. And that was the easy part. The school was in my hometown. Post-secondary (Queen's U, in my case) was a 2 hour drive and a few winks in the car on campus. I guess it would be easier today with internet-conferencing, but that only takes care of some of the driving. You still have to give up everything but your job for years and years to get a degree. Believe me, it's not a pretty picture. You're old before your time; you don't know your kids, and they don't know you; even your dog barks at you. Stay in school for as long as you can. My 2c. Good luck.

 

Holtzy:

I really don't think you have "thought this through a bit more". You seem to be bright and are planning ahead, which is admirable. I'm assuming that your grades are "OK" and if so, why are you ducking going to a four year college? You seem hell bent on getting into a cockpit of "something" to build time and get your ratings ASAP without seeing the big picture.

A lot of responders have advised you to get your degree. Why aren't you interested in helping your self in the long run ? What scares you about going to college ?

The concept of going to a flight academy and racing to get as many hours as possible in the shortest period of time is an invitation to a personal disaster. If you think that you can just take night classes to get your degree while you're flying and building hours, you really need to talk to professional guidance counselors, airline pilots, regional pilots and think you plan...or lack thereof through. Listen to the other Marine (USMCFLYR). His advice is excellent.

G'Luck Mate

 

I'm not really sure why I don't want to go to a 4 year... I guess I feel that if I go that I'll miss the hiring boom or there will be more competition if I do go to college.

The other problem is money, My brother's college is costing us over 60k a year.... If I go to a 4 year I wont have the money to get all my ratings during schooling. Then I wont have the time to actually be a CFI

A third problem is grades, I'm not sure what universities are accepting now but my cumulative is a 2.9 (out of 4) because I messed around freshman year. When my brother was applying (he had a 3.8) most of the universities he applied to weren't accepting anything under 4.1... keep in mind I live in California so I don't know how the rest of the country is right now. I don't want to go to a state college, Maybe ASU would be a possible college but I don't know the tuition or minimum GPA

If I go to get a degree it has to be something I'm actually interested in. Which isn't much other than cars, and flying, I know I don't want to be an engineer. I took a year of manual drafting and computer aided design drafting and I hated both classes.

I guess those are the reasons I'm "scared" of going to college. I just don't want to miss out on the one and only thing I love doing.

The other thing is I don't want to be stuck being a captain in a CRJ-700 forever because I'd like to make a comfortable living with a family and a regional salary just can't do that.

 

Your GPA matter (but you still have time to bring it up). AP scores, SAT, and ACT scores will probably matter more. I don't know if you've taken AP classes, but you should certainly consider it if for next year if you haven't.

For SAT and ACT, you should have taken your first of those by the end of this year and again sometime around the beginning of the next before college applications are due. They will matter a TON as far as both getting in to college and how much you pay.

As for college, I'll admit it is not for everyone. It's not worth much if you don't put some effort into it (and get a 3.0 or better really).

Regional captain salaries certain can support a family, but if you want to get into the majors you will want a degree. If you don't get a degree, get lots of military experience.

 

What are regional captains making anyways? I've heard FO's make terrible pay... Not sure if that's true or not. The united website says they don't require a 4 year degree, I'm guessing they say that but they actually do 'require' one. With the hiring "boom" supposedly coming up (even though it may never come) would more airlines be accepting non graduates more often?

 

Formal education is something nobody can ever take away from you. It's the best investment you can make. The quotation Harvard Professor Derek Bok is usually credited with, "If you think education is expensive, try ignorance," is as valid today as ever. You can lose your medical in a heartbeat (or lack thereof) driving home if an idiot runs into you - God forbid. And without a medical, a pilot's worth is meager. Will you have anything to fall back on? I know it's probably the last thing on your mind right now, but keep on the back burner the reality that adversity doesn't know sympathy, let alone compassion. So it's always better to be prepared for it, than to hope it won't come. A degree will open more doors for you, plus you'll have an edge over those who don't have one no matter what you'll end up doing. If you give college an honest shot and it doesn't work out, you'll always have the satisfaction knowing that at least you tried. Here's another piece of wisdom, this time from an ancient Chinese warrior: "More engagements are lost in the minds of commanders than on the fields of battle" (Sun Tzu).

 

No........

 

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