Four year degrees at the regionals....
 

I'd love a good reference but I'm not sure if one exists. Does anyone have any idea of a study,survey, or whatever, that would indicate what percentage of pilots at the regional levels have four year degrees broken down by regional's with and without flow?

Or, failing that, would anyone care to give your best estimate - based upon pilots at your regional - identifying whether your regional has a genuine flow (i.e., not guaranteed app review or interview, but a guaranteed flow).

This isn't for a course I'm doing at ERAU or UND or some other nefarious reason, simply a bet with a fellow pilot. Got a bottle of single malt riding on the outcome though.

At Horizon, it seems that the majority of the pilots have a four year. Horizon recruits pretty heavy from UND and CWU. With no four year degree at the moment I definitely feel as if I’m in the minority. I have flown with a few “lifer” captains that dont have a four year, I’m sure that’s one of the main reasons they’re still at Horizon. In ground school I was the only one without a degree in the class. However, the new Alaska Pathway program which is essentially a flow post interview doesn’t require a four year degree.

When I was at SkyWest, I didn’t fly with a single Captain that didn’t have a four year degree or have their apps in at the majors. In ground at SkyWest, I cannot remember any one else who still needed to get a degree. It seems like most are smarter than myself, as they knocked it out before joining the regional grind.

6 different initial classes at 5 different regionals, none of which had flow at that time. Classes varied in size from 3 to 45 pilots. Probably averaged around 20, so around 120 total. I think at all, the first day of class everybody introduces themselves and gives backgrounds. I'd say, from what I remember, 90-95% of the people had bachelor's degrees or better. I remember one 21-year-old girl (my sim partner when I upgraded) had an associate degree. A couple guys had some college or tech but never graduated. I remember 3 enlisted guys from the airforce and army who didn't have degrees but none of them made it through ground school. The 2 airforce guys did something at the airforce one hanger and the army ranger guy flew jumpers in a twin otter or something (no IFR experience).

Other than the girl who was my sim partner, I'd say that none of the pilots I've been it class with without 4-year degrees was great at studying. A couple people might have been lack of effort, but for most, it was just bad strategy of how to learn. But, even so, very few pilots are weeded out in ground school. The real make or break time is sim and in sim prior flying experience matters more than a degree. I've seen lawyers, accountants, etc who came from being flight instructors and part 91 stuff who couldn't advance past the first sim lesson.

On the line the few pilots I'd fly with without bachelor's degrees were old timers who started out very early with the company, usually when it was a part-135 operation or very early part-121 days.

I don't recall ever flying with warrant officer guys who didn't have bachelor degrees, but the guys who have the associate's combined with the right flight experience probably do just fine, (just like the girl who was my sim partner).

So, from my experience, I'd say that nowadays at least 90% of new regional pilots have 4-year degrees. I'd say that the pilots who successfully make it through training without 4-year degrees have at least successfully completed some college (and of course have good flying skills). I know of nobody without at least 2 years of college who made it through a ground school I attended and I never heard of anybody flying the line with less than 2 years of college unless they came out of a 135 operation that gave birth to the airline. I'm pretty sure all those guys are retired now.

I’d say I know more people by a good majority that have or are working on a degree than the guys that refuse to get one

United stated about a month ago I think it was either 96 or 98 percent of their new hires have at minimum a 4 year degree.

It's at least 85% having the degree. I don't think I've flown with anyone who didn't have a degree in last few years. Also, Delta turned away 300+ pilots who had a degree in the SSP.

The people we see struggle in training are the midlife career change people, or military helicopter pilots.

The degree is not required at all for most regionals, and I bet you could get on with any regional of your choosing with some persistance.

Most regional pilots have degrees because they set out from the get-go to shoot for the majors, which have historically been very hard or impossible to break into without a degree.

Is there any sort of minimum GPA on the bachelors for mainline? I haven’t seen anything published but am curious

Certain top-tier majors definitely prefer 3.0+.

As far as I can tell, a 3.1 in gender studies trumps a 2.9 double major in aero-engineering and astrophysics.

So shoot for 3.0+ in all cases.

I had a 3.0 overall average; 4.0 in Social Studies, and a 2.0 in Academics.

At least, that's what I told my parents...:cool:

I have heard the top majors also give consideration to the reputation of the school.