Forbes article on pilots...

[Dan Roman]

You know what the last words of the Microsoft flight sim/ gamer types are in an airplane?

"Wait! I've still got 3 lives!!!"
:laugh:

That sums it up well. No job is all that hard, but unlike most ground bound jobs, there are times when we don't get "do overs". Big diference sitting in a cubicle vs sitting in an office going hundreds of miles per hour.
Flying an airliner is pretty easy MOST of the time, "most" being the key word. We all have had moments when we passed a test that someone sitting in a cubicle never has to face.

 

[ASA_Aviator]

and we didn't think we were special, notice nothing about the college degree being the true clear indication of a professional pilot. BTW I greased in my landing in the B-17 yesterday, life is good.

I have seen you make this comment countless times, but you are equivocating. You are trying to make the leap from a fact (that being a college graduate doesn't necessarily make you a better or worse pilot) to a fiction (that you shouldn't get a college degree to be in aviation).

The fact remains that those who would choose to be successful in today's economy would do well to have a degree. It may be POSSIBLE to be successful without a degree, but it is a hindrance one must overcome, not a feather in your cap to not have it.

You may have a solid audience who want to believe they needn't "waste" the money on a degree, but you are doing those a disservice. As someone who has been a pilot recruiter, and sat in meetings with airline management discussing who a qualified pilot is, anyone who doesn't have a degree is at a disadvantage.

Also, the data shows that those who come from structured programs in general do better in training and OE than those who do not (at the regional level). That doesn't mean a superstar cannot come from part 61 with no degree, but in general the most consistent pilots come from a school with training guided and built with an eye towards airline training. If you're going to go to a structured school, you might as well go to one that offers a degree if you don't already have one. Kansas State at Salina has a program that will get you a B.A. and your certificates through CFI for under $80,000 (in state). That is less than most people spend at FlightSafety.

I know what your point is. A degree doesn't make a pilot fly a plane better. Fine. But a degree absolutely categorically positively does make it more likely that a pilot will be successful in their career in today's age. So what, exactly, is your point? Why would you suggest someone not get a degree? This isn't 1940. Look around yourself, man.

 

[Draginass]

It was extremely high over 15,000 aircrew died in stateside training accidents between 1940 and 1945. This was a combination of college and academy graduates and high school graduate. In the stats showed the commissioned officer with a college degree crashed a higher rate than their high school grad cadet ranks.

Cite your source.

 

[pilotyip]

Lots of places

Cite your source.

can not name just one, but do a google search on WWII pilot training and numbers come out. This included not pilots but anyone receiving incentive pay to fly, gunners, radio op, etc. Plus I have read extensiviy for the our Yankee air Museum WII story and interviewed a number of WWII vets.

 

[pilotyip]

Pilotyip college manifesto

I have seen you make this comment countless times, but you are equivocating. You are trying to make the leap from a fact (that being a college graduate doesn't necessarily make you a better or worse pilot) to a fiction (that you shouldn't get a college degree to be in aviation).

The fact remains that those who would choose to be successful in today's economy would do well to have a degree. It may be POSSIBLE to be successful without a degree, but it is a hindrance one must overcome, not a feather in your cap to not have it.

You may have a solid audience who want to believe they needn't "waste" the money on a degree, but you are doing those a disservice. As someone who has been a pilot recruiter, and sat in meetings with airline management discussing who a qualified pilot is, anyone who doesn't have a degree is at a disadvantage.

Also, the data shows that those who come from structured programs in general do better in training and OE than those who do not (at the regional level). That doesn't mean a superstar cannot come from part 61 with no degree, but in general the most consistent pilots come from a school with training guided and built with an eye towards airline training. If you're going to go to a structured school, you might as well go to one that offers a degree if you don't already have one. Kansas State at Salina has a program that will get you a B.A. and your certificates through CFI for under $80,000 (in state). That is less than most people spend at FlightSafety.

I know what your point is. A degree doesn't make a pilot fly a plane better. Fine. But a degree absolutely categorically positively does make it more likely that a pilot will be successful in their career in today's age. So what, exactly, is your point? Why would you suggest someone not get a degree? This isn't 1940. Look around yourself, man.

I beleive I have been consistent. It has been posted that I am anti-college degree. Nothing cuold is further from the truth. The country needs all the college-educated citizens it can have, its raises the level of knowledge to keep this as the greatest country in the world. Real degrees in business, engineering, the sciences, math, and medicine provide a graduate with marketable skills. If you are going to go to college, get a real degree from a real university. I have said never don’t get a degree, I have admitted that it will probably open doors, but it has nothing to do with flying an airplane. It is only a box to be checked on an application. Going to a 4 yr. college out of high school is not the only way to get your degree. This following example in the model of success in pursing flying job. We hired a 20 year old pilot a few years ago, 1 year of on-line college credit completed, started working the ramp pumping gas in high school, got hired hauling cargo in SA-227 as an F/O, at 18, got promoted to 208 Capt. at age 20, he has 1600 TT, 1100 MEL, 350 Turbine PIC, 1450 total turbine, he is started as a DA-20 F/O at $33K, he was a DA-20 Capt. the day he turned 23, he had his degree completed by the time he was 26 years old. At that time he should had 5200 TT, 4700 MEL, 5050 Turbine, 3200 hours 121 time, 1200 121 Turbo Jet PIC. He had his on-line BS degree in Aviation Management that our company helped pay for through the tution assistance program, and no debt. He will be interviewing with the 4 or 5 year traditional college graduate for his first airline job, The traditional 4 yr degree guy who has TT 1200 350 MEL 15 Turbine. Who is the more competitive? For the “College Only” crowd, there are many ways to skin a cat, you have your way that you feel is the only way anyone should do things. "The way I did it". I do not agree with you, if my grandson elected to pursue a pilots career, I will recommend he not go to college full time, but follow the other time tested path where I have seen too many people succeed. That is fly full time, do your degree on the side, build time, build your resume. I will not debate the fall back value of a college degree, as I have stated many times it is nearly worthless after not being used for 30 years. Let me give you the background on the college degree thing. I do not judge a man by his degree, where he lives, or what he does for a living. I judge a man on the content of his character. I find the college degrees only crowd here, a bit arrogant, a smacking of if you do not have a degree you are not as good as me. I know too many people who are successful and fine men who do not have a degree, I know many people with degrees who will never make any impact upon anything. I know too many pilots without degrees who I consider some of the most successful people I know. I admire them and the lives they have built. So I bait, about the non-importance of the college degree in this business. I think this sets off the college degree only crowd because it distorts their view of what they have done Many have posted they agree it has nothing to do with the mastering on an airplane I have seen too many non-degreed pilots reach a good career position with out a degree. But then my focus is on job satisfaction and not upon pay, respect, and prestige. It is about the joy of flying an airplane. Others out there may feel the same motivation I do. My advice is go to school part time or community college and fly, pilots get hired because they have flight time. Flt time moves you up the food chain to better jobs; the degree is not needed until the last step. You can go to school part time with a full time flying job, you cannot build real flight time while going to school full time. I have seen non-degreed guys go to the Nationals in their mid-20’s.

 

[waveflyer]

I think pilot yip is advertising for pilots.

If you don't have a degree, don't want to get a degree- or need a way to get a degree cheaply while building flight time- go see Yip.

That is a good idea

 

[Midge]

I think pilot yip is advertising for pilots.

If you don't have a degree, don't want to get a degree- or need a way to get a degree cheaply while building flight time- go see Yip.

That is a good idea

And that pretty much sums it up.

 

[Jetjockey]

Have you ever wanted to live in Ypsilanti, MI and fly dilapidated, old DC-9's???? You know who to call.

No degree, no problem.
No, credit, No problem.
No, car or job, no problem.

Just Call 1-800-FLY-YIPS

Habla Espanol.

 

[cynic]

Why go to college when you practice cannibalism?

http://www.amazon.com/Raise-Your-Ea...=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1282936805&sr=8-1

 

[rumrnr78]

What a load of crap. Getting a private pilot's license requires the intellectual capability of maybe a 9th or 10th grader. It does require some coordination, common sense and intelligence but no more than what is required to be a nurse or something like that.

The barrier to entry is that is costs a crap ton of money and entry level jobs pay very little. In addition, if you pick the wrong airline you are screwed and have to start all over at the bottom when they go out of business.

I have a commercial and CFI. I keep thinking about getting my ATP for fun but that is another thread and let me say this. It is much easier to fly a jet and input data to an FMS than it is to write a complex computer program.

Let us know when you get your ATP! I hope your enjoying your IT job, everyday you sit at the desk gives another SJS candidate one more leg up on you. And, you are wrong about the FMS input, your computer and your stupid arse are not doing (on average) 5 miles per minute. Do not degrade my profession cause your jealous. I would say you are far from ATP standards because of your comment. Do us a favor and go for the 100 dollar hamburger and piss off....