Are aviation degrees even worth it???

[A Passenger]

I have another question. Is it actually good to pursue a career in aviation at all, with the airline industry going bankrupt and the constant risk of career-ending injury/illness, or would it be better to just get a degree and a job in something else, and forget about flying?

 

[Lead Sled]

There is alway the option of getting a viable "working" degree then going for an MBA from Embry Riddle. I've know a couple of guys that have gone that route and it's put them in a very good (and enviable) position. I actually considered it at one point, but just never got around to doing it.

'Sled

 

[UnAnswerd]

I have another question. Is it actually good to pursue a career in aviation at all, with the airline industry going bankrupt and the constant risk of career-ending injury/illness, or would it be better to just get a degree and a job in something else, and forget about flying?

I don't have the much aviation experience yet, but let me say this. Aviation is not going away anytime soon. Our present-day society is totally dependent on it. Our modern society would fail to function without transportation, and aviation is by far the most efficient method for transport over long distances. And aviation isn't just about transportation. It's also a valuable tool in eliminating terrorist training camps that threaten our lives, watching over our borders, fighting crime, fighting fires, and search/rescue/medical evacuation operations. Seriously, our society would be very much handicapped without aviation. With respect to the airlines, that same situation can and does happen to other areas of industry. You're not necessarily secure, no matter what you do. Is it good to purse a career in aviation? Is it good to pursue a career in anything? Nobody lives forever. You might as well go after your genuine aspirations, because ultimately, there is no such thing as security.

 

[UnAnswerd]

There is alway the option of getting a viable "working" degree then going for an MBA from Embry Riddle. I've know a couple of guys that have gone that route and it's put them in a very good (and enviable) position. I actually considered it at one point, but just never got around to doing it.

'Sled

What do you mean by "working degree"? Just wondering...

 

[Joseph II]

I have an Associate in Electronics. I work for an aviation company and was a flight analyst. The majority of my co-workers had aviation degrees. I along with my co-workers became tired of putting flight data into computers. What were the options for those with aviation degrees? Stay in the current job or go into management.



That being said, I was able to transfer into our software department and use my technical abilities to work as a lab tech. I am working on a Computer Science degree now on the company’s dime.



I thought for sure I would make it flying. 95% of my old co-workers with the aviation degree, Commercial Multi, and CFI’s though the same thing. The difference is they are still entering data into computers; I am doing a job that I now enjoy.



Always have a backup!

 

[Lead Sled]

What do you mean by "working degree"? Just wondering...

A degree that you can fall back on if the need ever arose.

 

[FN FAL]

I don't have the much aviation experience yet, but let me say this. Aviation is not going away anytime soon. Our present-day society is totally dependent on it. Our modern society would fail to function without transportation, and aviation is by far the most efficient method for transport over long distances. And aviation isn't just about transportation. It's also a valuable tool in eliminating terrorist training camps that threaten our lives, watching over our borders, fighting crime, fighting fires, and search/rescue/medical evacuation operations. Seriously, our society would be very much handicapped without aviation. With respect to the airlines, that same situation can and does happen to other areas of industry. You're not necessarily secure, no matter what you do. Is it good to purse a career in aviation? Is it good to pursue a career in anything? Nobody lives forever. You might as well go after your genuine aspirations, because ultimately, there is no such thing as security.

Yea, look what happened in Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome!