You're right, if all you are looking for is someone that can read a checklist, go "Weeeeeee" with the yoke and follow SOP in clear weather.

I'm sorry, when all of the above is not enough, I see many differences between experience, decision making, abilities and confidence. Not only in flight but in the sim as well.

These are all qualities that get tested, re-tested and tested again and increased over the course of a college curriculum.

If you think an aviation curriculum, along with all the other duties required for success, does not increase your decision making skills, cognative ability and situational awareness ( all of which is required at some level in the cockpit)......then you might as well say something as ridiculous as saying Michael Jordan was the most overrated basketball player ever.

FOR THOSE OF YOU TRYING TO MAKE A DECISION ON THIS MATTER, PLEASE STAY IN OR GO TO COLLEGE IT WILL MAKE YOU A BETTER PILOT CANDIDATE.

No matter what else happens to you, that is one thing that NOBODY will ever be able to take away from you.

 

It's a fact that people who dedicate the time and patience to get a degree make more money generally. When you have a number of guys without that college education at the regionals, well you get the salaries we are seeing. This may anger you but its true. If surgeons were trained straight out of high school to perform specific surgeries, what do you think would happen to their salaries? Also considering how easy it is these days to get a bachelors you would think everyone would be getting one. I've met great people and pilots without degrees but that still doesn't change the facts. Low education levels always brings down salaries, that's not my opinion just the typical trend. And as long as the regionals can fill seats with these guys who are willing to jump ahead and jump right in, we will continue to see the this career go in a downward spiral. One guy on here had it right when they said that everybody wants to achieve things without putting in all the work. He said something close to that anyways and he was right. I mean yea you put in all the work to get that certificate but its about going the extra mile. And I am not saying any of this to offend but it is what it is. Look at most top paying jobs and you'll see that they require at least a bachelors. So college may be a money scheme by corporate thugs or it may be useless all together in your opinion but in almost all societies its a big part of determining how rewarding a job is. And by the way 60-70k a year in our time is not much money at all! So I hope to see a future with more young people who slow it down, get their education and become pilots and then eventually make that instructor to airline pilot leap. And no I am not suggesting an airline degree or embry, unless thats what you want. Well I hope not to get too much negative feedback for posting the truth

 

I have no problem requiring a college degree for the regional level, but requiring one to upgrade is a poor idea. Instead just require it to get hired. It would be very difficult to do this because of the low pay. I do believe that my degree (aviation) has helped me in my career, but I wouldn't do it again. Instead I would have majored in something that would be a useful backup like engineering or business.

 

The point is silent?? I believe that you may mean, moot point. :-P

 

My degree is in CSCI, i fly jets. In my spare time, I am starting to write software. If the airline furloughs me, I can get a job easily with a BS in a technical field.

 

While I agree a degree gives you some options if you are furloughed, I wouldnt be quick to say it would get you a job easily in this economy, my wife has a masters and a very good job and even she had to take a pay cut to stay employed in this economy, and she is in an I.T. field. Dont underestimate the number of College grads out of work right now...

 

I assume your education did not include a brief primer on the difference between MUTE and MOOT.

I'm just sayin...

 

Bingo!

There is a large culture of Entitlement, they want it all and they want it now.

They act, vote and fly together...

 

Ahhh, doooh, I don't need no college edmucation to fly no arrowplane.......

 

So I have to jump in here. I manage a number of people in a large IT organization, I hire and fire people on a regular basis, its my job. When I have to fire an individual, it cost the company money due to the fact that I have to advertised the position and go through the hiring process all over again. This takes my time, the HR folks time and over works my staff filling in for the missing head count. There's also the lost training from the old guy, the training for the new guy and the other BS that goes with filling a position. So to help find the right person, I look for somebody who can perform the function of the position, has a PROVEN ability to learn, and a desire to improve them selves. So I make it a requirement that the individual has a Baccalaureate in a relevant discipline to the position. No underwater-backetweaving degrees. Absolutely, completing a four year program proves an individuals ability to learn, finish something that is difficult, and a desire to improve themselves. It also improves that persons ability to communicate and think critically. While it is true that some degrees are what I would call "useless" (ie: Art Appreciation, Social Anthroplogy etc..) they still improve the person. As far as commerical flying, does having degree make you a better pilot? I would say defiantly, for the same above reasons, and I would require it if I were the Chief Pilot.

577nitro