blaine

Have you seen the cost of even the cheapest online degree? I for one wouldn't even consider going $30k or more in debt when only two or three airlines still ask for one and soon won't. Needing a degree is a thing of the past for pilots. Also, what kind of guy goes around saying pilots who don't have a degree are lazy? I have many pilot friends who do not have degrees for many reasons and have great jobs with the majors. There can be many reasons... They started working straight out of school or had a poor family (no, there is not always government loans or help for everyone), etc. Heck, some people just don't want to do it because it's of no interest to them at whatever point in their life. Some people have a family to raise and refuse to strap their household with massive college debt for a degree that makes them only slightly more competitive. I think you rate college degrees for pilots much higher then what exists in reality. It's really shameful that you'd have that view and quite frankly, ignorant.

Tee1Up

...and with that...add Virgin America to the club of "must have a 4-year degree". Your argument has merit for someone who doesn't want to be in this profession. But for those that do, there are many examples of professionals amongst us at all levels of this industry who came from meager means or were struggling in life and still made it happen. They were driven. And there are ways. Those who rise above and accomplish that goal get the call. Those who make excuses don't. It's that simple. It's actually more "ignorant" to expect that it shouldn't be expected.

Learflyer

Good post. Not to mention the embarrassment going on with college campuses today. You know. The PC horse$hit.

Learflyer

Again. The college degree doesn't differentiate between somebody that is "driven" and somebody that is not. It is not the barometer that measures whether someone is successful or not. I get it . It's what the airlines use to weed out otherwise identical candidates. Being "driven" is someone in this industry that has toughed it out during lean times. That's an ambassador to this business. Has been a Check Airman, flown freight in the middle of the night single pilot. Has shown sustainability at one company for years and not a job hopper.

I'll take the ambassador to aviation with thousands of hours any day over the 2000 hour wonder girl/boy with a PHD. At some point, the aircraft has to be flown safely when the $hit hits the fan someday.

There are some new hires today that will become captains for the first time carrying 150 people in the back vs slugging it out at a regional flying an ATR or Dash 8 in the northeast with no autopilot. Remember those days of actual skill?

Sliceback

"I think you rate college degrees for pilots much higher then what exists in reality. It's really shameful that you'd have that view and quite frankly, ignorant."

The airlines have looked at hundreds, or perhaps thousands, going back for decades and decided that degrees matter. You use anecdotes and call the other data 'ignorant'?

And sustainability in one job is not always a plus. There's a learning process with every new job and every new seat. Based on studies, and some empirical observation, lack of movement can be a negative. The longer one has been in one seat the longer it's been since they have been challenged by a seat or equipment change.

toobdrvr1

This can be argued back and forth all day, but in the end, the only opinions that matter are those of the actual employers.

Airline X requires a degree and you don't have one? Oh well, go work somewhere else...

Think you'll just hold out until Airline X sees the world the way you do? Welp, good luck with that...

ElDuderino

I vigorously encourage my competition to eschew a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university.

4V14T0R

I wholeheartedly agree. It's like the echo-chamber left chanting how Trump isn't legitimate because Hillary got 3 million more votes (in the wrong states). You all keep telling yourselves how you're competitive without a degree because YOU think it should be that way. A degree makes you competitive. If you want to wait until someone without a degree makes you competitive you'll be the first one furloughed in the next downturn, so have fun with that.


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Sliceback

Don't you know how hard it is to get a degree?

Here's the flipside - interviewing a guy furloughed in 2008(?). Job market drying up. He figures it will rebound and maybe now's the time to get his degree if he every wants to get on with a major. Two boys, wife's working, so he becomes the stay at home dad/college student, in his 40's, while the wife works. And then the economic downturn hits her job. Both unemployed. They make the decision that he should stay in college "it was tough but we made it."

Long term thinking despite what must have been an unbelievable tough decision to accept the short term pain.

A330FoodCritic

Don't believe this degree debate is still going on.

If you are too lazy to get one it's no big deal, don't do it, your job competitors will thank you.