Forbes article on pilots...

[aewanabe]

I have never come across any pilot who made it to any major without a degree. I guess you somehow know the lucky few.

In 2007 I was hired by both Northwest and JetBlue and offered an interview at USAirways, all with no degree (albeit with 2 years complete and enrolled in online courses). Ironically, Delta was the only legacy I truly wanted, and I couldn't even apply there without it (and NWA offered the job after I was already doing IOE with JetBlue, so I turned them down. Go figure).

So it's possible, but also limiting.

 

[pilotyip]

2007

In 2007 I was hired by both Northwest and JetBlue and offered an interview at USAirways, all with no degree (albeit with 2 years complete and enrolled in online courses). Ironically, Delta was the only legacy I truly wanted, and I couldn't even apply there without it (and NWA offered the job after I was already doing IOE with JetBlue, so I turned them down. Go figure).

So it's possible, but also limiting.

part of the 2007 hiring boom

 

[aewanabe]

Sure, it was a short-lived boom. The problem is, aviation booms always seem to last right into the bust. I had plenty of buds make it to United, USAirways, and UPS in 2007 only to lose their jobs in 2008 (or -10 for the UPS guys).

I wanted to add that I don't advocate skipping the degree; my circumstances were not by choice and it's a much harder road without it. It's also harder finishing up in your 30s with a career and family. I've both been fortunate and worked my tail off to succeed to this point, but have definitely missed some opportunities.

 

[waveflyer]

And there you have it.
Possible- but seniority being what it is- why would you not?

 

[dillfer]

C'mon everybody on this board knows that flying is not that hard. Granted you've got to have a pretty thorough understanding of meteorology, electronics, engineering, lawyer speak, aerodynamics, hydraulics, pnuematics, basic physiology. In some instances you should have good customer service skills. You've got to know a little bit about fire suppression, be able to interpret what all of your instruments are telling you while navigating through a thunderstorm while briefing an ILS approach that's probably going to put you into a missed to an NDB to hold over a VOR, to get ready to do it all over again. An approach that you probably shot at the end of a 12 or 14 or possibly 16 hour day. Also you've got to posses the hand eye coordination to actually FLY an airplane. Not to mention, you've got to keep yourself in pretty good shape to make sure that you pass a class 1 medical, and a checkride every 6 months to make sure that you're still competent. Either of which can screw your career if you fail. Really, anybody can do it. I believe that just about anybody could be taught to program a computer, I don't think that anybody can be taught to fly an airplane.

Also, it doesn't matter if you have a degree or not. It's just a way for them to weed through all of the applicants. That's what I think anyway.

 

[pilotyip]

C'mon everybody on this board knows that flying is not that hard. I believe that just about anybody could be taught to program a computer, I don't think that anybody can be taught to fly an airplane.

Also, it doesn't matter if you have a degree or not. It's just a way for them to weed through all of the applicants. That's what I think anyway.

My belief is anyone with a basic level of skill and desire can learn to fly an airplane, and as many have stated it has nothing to do with a college degree.

 

[dillfer]

My belief is anyone with a basic level of skill and desire can learn to fly an airplane, and as many have stated it has nothing to do with a college degree.

Anybody with a "basic level of skill" and desire can probably solo or obtain a private license. Takes a little bit more than "basic level of skill" to go beyond that. And I guess that I'm restating what many have already stated then about the college degree thing. Thanks.

 

[Paradoxus]

I've flown with legions of degreed crewmembers with the intellectual capacities\interests of a toilet brush, mostly due to the grotesque popularity of non-scholarly disciplines (economics, accounting, business, etc.).

 

[Paradoxus]

My belief is anyone with a basic level of skill and desire can learn to fly an airplane, and as many have stated it has nothing to do with a college degree.

Salient truth. There is simply no solid reason for this arcane "requirement" in the information age. If you want to accurately measure the cognitive capabilities of a candidate, an informal essay would be an infinitely more-revealing litmus.

No, they'll protest, a degree is evidence of commitment, as if somehow the journey of certification and experience is insufficient.

Personally, I'd rather fly with someone not under the impression the Battle of Britain was a Rage Against the Machine album, however.

 

[waveflyer]

I forgot paradox-
did you get your degree in pelican bay or Folsom?
;-)

 

[Paradoxus]

I forgot paradox-
did you get your degree in pelican bay or Folsom?
;-)

Riker's actually. Better overall extra-curricular program.

 

[pilotyip]

Anybody with a "basic level of skill" and desire can probably solo or obtain a private license. Takes a little bit more than "basic level of skill" to go beyond that. And I guess that I'm restating what many have already stated then about the college degree thing. Thanks.

not true, it is still a basic level of skill and desire that allows you to get an ATP. Pilots with ACT scores of 19 are getting ATP's, that is a pretty basic skill level. The part is you want to do it and put up with this fickle career.

 

[dillfer]

not true, it is still a basic level of skill and desire that allows you to get an ATP. Pilots with ACT scores of 19 are getting ATP's, that is a pretty basic skill level.

What the hell does ACT scores have to do with anything? I was agreeing with you about college. You don't need a degree to fly an airplane. It's just a way for interviewers to thin out the stack of applicants.

I do disagree with the basic level of skill thing though. I've seen pilots that were excellent stick and rudder guys that couldn't find there way out of a cloud. I've also seen guys that could shoot an approach nuts on every time that can't land in a crosswind. You put just those two things together and I believe that it takes more than just a "basic level of skill" to be a professional pilot. It does the whole profession a dis-service to oversimplify what it takes to become a professional especially in today's cockpit.

 

[pilotyip]

What the hell does ACT scores have to do with anything? I was agreeing with you about college. You don't need a degree to fly an airplane. It's just a way for interviewers to thin out the stack of applicants.

I do disagree with the basic level of skill thing though. I've seen pilots that were excellent stick and rudder guys that couldn't find there way out of a cloud. I've also seen guys that could shoot an approach nuts on every time that can't land in a crosswind. You put just those two things together and I believe that it takes more than just a "basic level of skill" to be a professional pilot. It does the whole profession a dis-service to oversimplify what it takes to become a professional especially in today's cockpit.

yea but these guys still get ATP's, do they get hired by DAL, maybe not now. We give a mini ASVAP type test during our interviews, graded on a standard 9 dev. Pilots who score 6 or better are pretty good employees, pilots who score 4 or below have problems. This test looks for higher levels of basic skills. However many of the lower scores come 121 APT's, so I guess with lower scores they still have that certain level of skill.

 

[IBNAV8R]

Trouble is that the self-important people who sift through apps have that piece of paper - though clearly one is not required to do their job either. Since THEY have one though, anyone who doesn't is somehow less qualified.