motoboy

Recruiting at high schools, sounds like the marines when I was in high school!

Pilotpip

BZN, here's something you forget:

While there are many at the majors that do not have a college degree, most now require it and at many airlines an advanced degree beyond a bachelors is more competative. As the economy slows, and people decide to keep working past 60 things to set you apart become even more important.

The big thing with a college degree, or military service (In many ways I view them in the same light) is the commitment and dedication that one must show to complete either.

BZNpilot248

Totally agree. However the point I want to emphasize - is that its not always what education will do for your flying career - but what education will do for you as a person as well. Yes - it does show dedication, motivation, a drive to "better yourself" but education is also an internal asset. Sure you can show that background off to others to make yourself a more competitive job candidate - but also will give YOU the power to open or create your own doors as well. I wouldn't discount someone who didn't get any advanced education either though for that matter because there are many brilliant entreprenuers out there who never went beyond high school, but lets face it - its doesn't take a B.S. or an MBA to fly an airplane, it helps land those jobs for sure, but there are other benifits as well.

Pilotpip

I agree wholeheartedly. All these PFTers are doing is limiting themselves to a lifetime at a regional, or getting out when they realize they can't pay the bills.

eightballer

What are you talking about?? I've done my research on Gulfstream and everything about it sounds legit. PFTers are not limiting themselves to a lifetime at a regional.....a lot of their pilots are moving on to the majors!! The only thing bad I've ever heard about it was all the trash talking from these forums about how they are paying for training....who cares!!!! they don't want to waste their time instructing or building their hours another way.....get over yourselves!....and serioiusly, you guys can get mad or frustrated all you want. It still doesn't change the fact that they are building up hours (turbine time) a lot faster than anyone on the instructing route.

TheGreatChecko

Flamebait....nice try.

As for the tool in the email, I probably met him. Yes at one time I did visit their facilities, don't ask me why, I soon found the internet boards Thank God!

Apart from the whole PFT debate, the whole operation just seemed wrong. It's like Disney for those who have too much money to spend and a lack of braincells to match. Pay enough money, we'll put you in the right seat of an airliner so you can play airline pilot! Yay!

Walking through the facility and thinking all these people had forked over $25K so they could play airline pilot and to think that at one time you could fork over even more money and they would take you from zero to right seat hero just seemed odd.

There is one positive, spend enough time at Gulfstream you'll be declaring your first emergency because the nose gear will not come down. Sounds like fun to me!

Checko

t-cart

Preach on there brother!

eightballer

t-cart, with all the trash talking on these forums, I couldn't really tell if you were being sarcastic or not with your comment. Do you agree or disagree?

Ewfflyer

Is it really trash talk when it's coming from industry professionals??? Think about that one. PFT's are about equivelant to Scab's, which probably PFT guys are more likely to be one, same mindset to say the least. While I agree, flying obviously doesn't require a college degree. In my mind, if you get one, you will be prepared for the up's and down's of aviation, and possibly a better rounded person.

eightballer

Even if the people who went to Gulfstream did have degrees prior to signig up for the program, you would still have nothing good to say about PFTers. And big deal if it's coming from industry professionals. They should consider the source because all of you are mad because you had to take the instructor route or build your hours some other way, whereas they found another route that's faster and gets them better experience than what you were getting while building your hours. So of course, you would be mad, but don't take it out on them.

And on another point, some people don't have time because they are changing careers and Gulfstream, and probably some other places, offers a quicker route to getting to their goal. Why would you want to fly for one of the regionals where upgrades could take more than 2 years, where you can get it for less at Gulfstream. Also, I looked into PSA, Pinnacle, and TSA whose minimums are pretty low right now, but you would still need more hours than the standard 250 hours that you get after your ratings. And let's say you did instruct to get to their minimums....you would need soemwhere from 300 to 400 hours, plus the time and money that it takes to get your instructor ratings....why waste your time doing that. You will end up spending alot less than them, but oh well....they're still way ahead of you. Sorry man.