Start straight out of high school?
04-29-2015, 05:01 PM
#1
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Start straight out of high school?
Should I go to a flight school right out of high school or go to a college? I'm not trying to take the easy way out but all I want to do is just fly. Is it possible to get to a major airline without a degree?
04-29-2015, 05:06 PM
#2
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Get a degree... I doubt any legacy will even look at you without one. Plus, you'll have an education to fall back on if something were to happen to your medical/license....
04-29-2015, 05:11 PM
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04-29-2015, 05:15 PM
#4
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Is it possible to begin flying right out of high school? My first job after high school was ag flying (crop dusting). I began flying as a teen and have been flying ever since. How far you take your career is up to you; today many are gaining degrees by distance learning. Online degrees are every bit as legitimate as one done in residence, but does require more discipline and will take longer to complete, if you're working full time.
You might consider killing two birds with one stone; get your associate in aircraft maintenance technology, and you'll be a legally qualified aircraft mechanic. Do it at the same time that you're working on your pilot certification. An A&P is a useful qualification to have.
04-30-2015, 11:31 AM
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04-30-2015, 12:09 PM
#6
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I know guys in their 30s who made this mistake and are still trying to recover. They can't get their dream job without a degree and are stuck in their current gig trying to fly, raise a family and finish college.
Be smart...go to a college with an aviation program. Get your degree. Move on.
Be smart...go to a college with an aviation program. Get your degree. Move on.
04-30-2015, 12:20 PM
#7
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Possible, yes. Likely, no. You would really need remarkable credentials or connections. Frankly nobody in their right mind sets out to achieve a major airline career without a degree these days. For the folks who pulled it off, they either started a long time ago when the degree wasn't considered as heavily, or life just sort of happened along the way.
Oh yeah, did anybody mention that you can get laid in college? That's more important than flying at your age...
04-30-2015, 12:51 PM
#8
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Hard to say because in a few years I am quite sure the majors will drop the degree requirement. Plus you can do online classes while you work for a regional building time and experience. But I would suggest get a degree in business or something you can use in case you lose your medical or something. Plus you can get a second job while you fly for a regional because you will barely be able to eat the first few year with how these company's pay. Also dont spend big bucks at an expensive school. All airlines care about is you checking the box that you got a degree.
04-30-2015, 01:37 PM
#9
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Also...there are not a lot of pilots applying to majors without a degree. They're not going to open up a vast pool of untapped talent by dropping the degree requirement, other than maybe the 91/135 pool. But I suspect they'd rather accelerate college grads flowing through the regionals before they scrape the bottom of the GA barrel.
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