College degree to fly cargo???

[Whiskerbizkit]

Look at it this way, what would you do if you lose your medical? Think it wont happen? Most medical out before retirement. Think it wont happen for a long time? Ive known many that lost their medical before 30 from things you would never think of. Dont sell yourself short, get a education in something you like other than aviation. You should always have a back up.

 

[CaptainMark]

20 great jobs that don't require a degree

Four-year college not only path to well-paid work


http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/Careers/02/24/cb.no.degree.jobs/index.html

i don't see any well paying jobs on that list..

 

[gkrangers]

Commercial pilot
Annual income: $53,870

damn that is pathetic.

 

[Peter Brady]

i don't see any well paying jobs on that list..

Exactly what I was thinking, unless your career goal is to top out in the $50k-60k/yr pay. No well paying jobs, and very few jobs on there that sound like anything more than just a job.

Oh, but dont forget about that Elevator Installer and Repairer job. That must be a wild and crazy job with endless excitement. No need to go to college for that. No duhh!

 

[Purpledog]

Go to college. (Hypothetical) If the age 60 rule goes away, the new requirements for a Class I might be so strenuous that your mild color vision problems won't allow you to get a physical, then what do you do? You can always fly airplanes, many won't go back to school once they reach a certain age.

So, after your college and your 8 year commitment, you will be at least 30 years old and have about 2000 TT (maybe).

At that age with that low time you better dam_n well hope you get hired at Federal Express. Your regional pilot counter-part will have a 4 year degree and about 8000 TT with about 6000 PIC Jet at that age, all in the civilian passenger realm.

Incidently, a bud of mine (F18) got hired at UPS with less than 2000 so you can count them in also.

 

[pilotyip]

My brother in law does not have a college degree, went to a trade school, opened a muffler shop, makes close to $200K/yr.

 

[VaB]

Yes they hire the token civilian applicant but they are just that,,,token.

That's why half the guys are walking around with a big "T" on their shirts. Thanks for clearing that up.

 

[WillowRunVortex]

That's why half the guys are walking around with a big "T" on their shirts. Thanks for clearing that up.

Are you going to try and convince me that FedEx isn't notorious for preferring military folks?

I'm not talking about the civilian success stories there over the last 10 months...tell us about their hiring over the last ten years...

 

[Clyde]

BTW FedEx and UPS are the only two cargo outfits I know of that make the college degree a show stopper.

I know 3 people who got hired in 2001 that don't have a college degree.

 

[WillowRunVortex]

Incidently, a bud of mine (F18) got hired at UPS with less than 2000 so you can count them in also.

That was my point.

I have plenty of friends at Brown, all with civilian backgrounds. Most flew charter for UPS off of YIP to get their foot in the door there.

No friends at Purple.

 

[pilotyip]

Clyde they were hurting back in 2001, all the night cargo guys were jumping to their dream jobs at NWA, DAL, UAL, etc. So they had to redefine their competitive mins.

 

[hammer2]

I didn't go to college, wished I had, the road would have been a lot easier. Been fractional for 6 years doing pretty good but not fed ex good. Going to start a side business maybe then I will make that kind of money.

 

[B727-100QF]

If your definition of cargo includes UPS/FedEx the answer is probably yes.

Definately a NO at UPS.

 

[pilotyip]

B727QF, are you saying no degree required at UPS?

 

[G100driver]

Definately a NO at UPS.

Perhaps THEN but not now.

A good friend, no degree, 121 furlough, 3 internal recs, was not even given the time of day by the CP.

College degree is definatly required TODAY.

From the UPS website:
Four year degree from an accredited college or university is preferred.

 

[Peter Brady]

From the UPS website:
Four year degree from an accredited college or university is preferred.

..............Now is the time where pilotyip chimes in and makes special note of the wording of the above statement. "Four year degree PREFERRED." instead of it saying its "required."

 

[VaB]

Are you going to try and convince me that FedEx isn't notorious for preferring military folks?

I'm not talking about the civilian success stories there over the last 10 months...tell us about their hiring over the last ten years...

You're so full of it, I'm not sure what to say.

First of all, this issue about FedEx and the military has been hashed over ad nauseum. So I see no reason to get into it again.

Second, looking at your profile, you don't appear to work for FedEx. If I'm wrong, sorry. If I'm not, then how do you know what you're talking about?

There maybe be a slightly bigger percentage of mil guys, but to call all the civilian dudes "TOKENS" is silly, bordering on stupid.

 

[Paradoxus]

hmmm

I never understood how a degree makes you suddenly more "qualified" for these jobs in question, even at the expense of some hard-earned experience working in the trenches of this industry. Perhaps your ability to compose term papers will assist you better in managing that cockpit fire, right?

A military applicant to FDX/UPS with 2000 hours and a degree is somehow "qualified" above the 6000 hour on-demand cargo driver with a few hours of college and a couple of types.....how exactly?

People are losing focus.

 

[CaptainMark]

I never understood how a degree makes you suddenly more "qualified" for these jobs in question, even at the expense of some hard-earned experience working in the trenches of this industry. Perhaps your ability to compose term papers will assist you better in managing that cockpit fire, right?

A military applicant to FDX/UPS with 2000 hours and a degree is somehow "qualified" above the 6000 hour on-demand cargo driver with a few hours of college and a couple of types.....how exactly?

People are losing focus.

Maybe it is the question of did you have the drive, determination and the discipline to complete a 4 year degree...it becomes a way to weed out candidates...it cuts 12000 applicants to 7000 with the same flying quals...who knows! but if there was a pilot shortage...you are right..it probably wouldn't factor in then..

 

[WillowRunVortex]

First of all, this issue about FedEx and the military has been hashed over ad nauseum.

Ok,

At this point I think you need to go back to the beginning and re-read the entire thread.

The author asked if college was necessary to fly freight. CaptMark stated that if the author wanted "his" job (his profile states that he works for FedEx), go to college.

I agreed and added that if the author wanted to fly for FedEx he would have a better chance with college and a military background.

You stated that yourself here:

.
There maybe be a slightly bigger percentage of mil guys

I don't think it is a big secret that FedEx likes a military background.

I did not refer to all civilian pilots as "tokens". It was a figure of speech designed to illustrate that you can get hired at FedEx with a civilian background, but you would increase your chances of getting on at FedEx with a military background.

I understand that is changing now somewhat.