I guess this is less of an ATP specific question, but you guys are all great and I needed answers from real pilots.
I really want to be a pilot, and although I’m decent in school (3.5 GPA) higher education is something I’ve thought about but never really desired. I’m not exactly an heir to some wondrous fortune that will pay for my tuition, and flight training is already the cost of getting a degree. But I’m having second thoughts. Both having a backup plan and getting the ‘college experience’ that so many people are telling me is necessary are itching me, + if the major I’m planning on pipelining to goes bankrupt or something, I can switch airlines. I guess my question is, to the pilots that didn’t go to college, do you wish you went? And to those who did, do you think that it was necessary? (I’m planning on going into a cadet program w/ a pipeline, for reference)
First off I know a number of pilots who never got their degrees and severly wish they did. They’re all super senior Capts at Regionals who are making a fraction of what their friends are and are dreaming of flying heavies worldwide but never got the nod specifically because they never got their degrees.
Now let’s talk about your “pipeline”. Have you been watching the news? Thousands of pilots are taking extended leaves and many still may be furloughed. Let’s say you’re in pipeline for NDR Air (no degree required) but they’ve got 3,000 pilots on extended leaves and furloughs. Know what the language in ALL airline contracts says? It says they can’t hire you until the last pilot out comes back. That means while all the other pilots WITH DEGREES are getting hired by FedEx or other carriers who recovered faster you’re still waiting for your pipeline call, losing years of seniority and potentially hundreds of thousands of dollars in income.
It’s not nothing to do with having wondrous fortunes as most of us don’t and never have. It’s not even about “desiring” higher education, it’s about creating options.
Thanks for your reply. It’s a little different for me in terms of the furloughing thing; I’m very young and everything will have (mostly) evened out by the time I’m ready to enter college- I’m still in highschool, by the way.
You’ve been to college (I assume) so how did you finance that AND flight training? I’m also for creating options, but if I have to get a degree anyways, I’m afraid flight training isn’t going to be an option until I have a stable job in another field. No one in my life is willing to cosign for a loan (and frankly, I wouldn’t want them to). If money wasn’t an issue, I’d get my degree in a heartbeat. Maybe get my degree while working for a regional?
I’m just young and there’s a bazillion people telling me different things, and I’m afraid of making a wrong choice that has real consequences.
Personally, my plan is to do online college while I’m at the regional since I’ve proved to myself during quarantine that online learning works for me, you do the classes whenever you have free time, and you have an income in which you can spend part of it on college classes. The thing you have to forfeit though is free time with your crew members. I’m not forcing this plan onto you but I’m just outlining a plan that might work in your favor. I’m also in high school btw so I’m thinking about this myself as well.
Ah, it’s nice to have the perspective of someone of a similar age. I was thinking of online college, too, but the majors are a little limited. I’ll have to do some research. Thanks
I’m simply using the current COVID furloughs as an example, there was 9/11, the recession 10 years after that. Sure we should have recovered by the time you’re ready but what about the next big hit the industry takes?
As for how I did it aviation was a second career and I went to school a million years ago. These days there are many alternatives. Do your core studies at community with financial aid, online degree after with credit for your licenses and ratings, etc. Again most people aren’t wealthy but you shouldn’t use that as an excuse to not go to college.
I strongly recommend that yo find a way to get a degree. I know plenty of people that came from very humble backgrounds and still managed to pay for their own college degrees.
I will say that I think the whole “college experience” thing is nonsense. The education is what matters, not the partying that you do along the way.
I would not get too hung up on cadet programs and various major airlines, certainly not at this point. These types of things come and go. What matters is education and the quality of your flight training and experience.
I’ve been seeing mixed thoughts about cadet programs, and I’m definitely going to take that into consideration.
(I’m not one for partying, so I’m going to have to agree with you)
Thank you!!!
