Mesabah

How does one learn to study? I think a well rounded person goes to college, not, college makes a well rounded person. I don't feel my degree changed me in any way. In fact, I see it as a scam to extract money out of me for my time, and effort. I'm not an engineer in any way, yet I paid $35K for a piece of paper that says I am.

rickair7777

I mostly agree, but there's another aspect of what makes a good pilot... continually learning. If you're one of those people who only knows EP&Ls for a couple days each year odds are you'll struggle if the crap hits the fan. And ASAP will let you get away with it as long as no metal is bent.

With a degree, they have a slightly better idea where you fall on the spectrum when nobodies looking.

Remember, their goal is NOT to be fair to all applicants, it's to screen suitable applicants with the lowest cost, lowest risk, and greatest ease. It's easier for HR to check a box than to try to rationalize intangibles.

porkchopexpress

I agree with you to a point that college can be a scam. I had that exact thought several times throughout my studies. Looking back on it, my takeaways from the whole experience are better time management and improved critical thinking. As with most things, you get out of it what you put into it. Also, as some have eluded to in other threads, the longer you spend working outside of your degree field the less real value it has aside from merely checking a block.

Edgecrusher28

Drug my feet on finishing my Bachelors after starting at my regional nearly 4 years ago with an Associates. Maybe one day it won’t matter anymore what college degree you do or don’t have to fly at the legacies. However, I just didn’t want to wait and find out. Started my last semester a week ago and can’t wait to have it behind me; wish I had done it sooner!

rickair7777

Let me summarize No Degree...

Worst Case: regional lifer.

Best Case: swinging gear at a legacy for your former FOs.

DoSomePilotStuf

Very true. I do agree, but I don’t think it’s the main reason they want a degree. I think it’s more to do with who is the face and voice of the company.

fenix1

Great discussion on a Bachelor’s degree. What impact does earning a Master’s degree have getting hired by The Big 6? What impact does a Master’s degree have on getting hired at an ACMI or upper tier 91K or LCC?

Violated

I don't have a HS diploma or GED and was hired by a regional.

I do have a BS Computer Science. I've recently accepted an offer to move up. I was at the regional for about a year. I suspect the 4 year technical degree was a factor in getting the offer.

Cyio

So everyone stating that the degree represents the face of the company is full of it.

For most customers they don’t even recognize they are on another airline other than a smaller plane and perhaps it being announced as “operated by”. My point being if we are good enough for their customers at a regional level why do we suddenly need a degree to be good enough for it at mainline?

Things I do at a regional I also would do at mainline.

1. Show up for work
2. Respect my fellow employees
3. Keep safety as my number one goal.
4. Ensure customer satisfaction
5. Make announcements, speak to passengers.
6. Deal with weather and mechanical.
7. Deal with co-workers and their individual personalities.
8. Maintain health and ratings
9. Pass training events
10. Spend time away from home
11. Make complicated decisions that involve many different factors
12. Etc etc etc.

Name something you do at mainline I don’t do at a regional and describe to me how not having a degree somehow precludes me from doing it mainline but not at a regional?

It is a antiquated model that I am confirming too, begrudgingly, not because I don’t love learning but because it is arbitrary.

ChecklistMonkey

It has nothing to do with your ability to be a pilot but it is used as a discriminator in your application. You don't have to like it, that's just the way it is. You want to get hired at Delta? Get a college degree.