captainv

Comair guys?

Sink r8

That makes it sound like an indefinite process. Or is it limited to anyone curently on the list, as long as they get to the left seat?

A couple more questions:
1) How many pilots do you have, anyway?
2) Are the Colgan pilots part of your list?
3) What's the % among you that might have come from Gulfstream?
4) Do you have pilots on furlough?

Thanks.

CheapTrick

I can remember two Captains I flew with at DAL who didn't have degrees. One was prior Army enlisted with 500hrs of Cub time hired in 1965. He had 2 buttons left on his double-breasted coat and he stunk up the L1011's cockpit with body odor. The other guy was Northeast and was a major tool hated by everyone (including his Mom).

On the other hand, out of the hundreds of college educated DAL pilots with whom I have worked, some have been equally as distasteful as the two mentioned above. (Though none so malodorous.)

Percentage wise the non college degree types have been 100% toolish, but the sample size is so tiny as to be useless. My non- scientific guess is that a college education helps weed out the crazies on the ends of the bell curve.

xjtguy

As with ANYTHING, that ROI can be highly subjective/relative. Also, as with anything, you have to take into account what's a norm/standard in most jobs really isn't in the aviation world. Especially lately when the price of admission (for the civilian track) has skyrocketed.

Of course, it DOESN'T apply to EVERYBODY. But take the people coming out of (insert expensive aviation college/university here) 100k-120k, sometimes 150k or more in "investment". Going the standard track, usually about 25k the first year for a regional FO, 35-40K the second, 45K the third, 50k the fourth depending on the contract/work rules. As well as another norm of NOT upgrading in that time frame. Also, these are the ones that were hired before the flight time req change.

So sure, the W2's may total up that "investment". But there were those little things like eating, living, etc that ALSO cost money. That ROI is going to take MORE than 4 years.

Now, lets compare that to the ones coming out of (insert expensive aviation college here), and are going to be building time at some crappy instructing/towing/traffic watch job, whatever to get the 1500. Sure, it may take 4 years to get that ROI, it's just that 4 years may be a decade or more down the road.

Like I said, what's a norm in aviation ISN'T a norm to may other career fields. I don't think the Forbes article takes such things into account.

And as I mentioned, YES, I'm for the degree requiremement.

Pineapple Guy

Hey 80,

I've been following the numerous posts on this issue. And I'm hoping you or Bucking can help me out. I can't seem to find in our PWA where it states all future pilots must have a college degree, or where it states DALPA gets an input in setting hiring standards. Where is it?

Pineapple Guy

Do you have so little faith in Delta, that you think they actually will hire "some of the worst pilots you've ever seen"? Really?

Pineapple Guy

Does anyone else see the irony in this post??

forgot to bid

Does DALPA have input in setting hiring standards? Does ALPA National?

They seem to have negotiated hiring standards including waiving the 4 year degree required here at Delta.com:



So is it possible that we are able to negotiate a change in hiring standards, if we wanted? I bet we've never even contemplated asking and can't think of a reason why we would. But if 80 is right, I think we can see why some of Pinnacle's pilots might. But look at Fisherpilot's post on the L&G, how is it fair they demand the 4 year degree from one pilot they've never met at a regional airline but not another?

Pineapple Guy

I thought we worked for Delta. Are you saying we really work for the Air Force?? I'm SO confused on this issue!

Pineapple Guy

If you'd like, you can PM me. I'll offer that as a free community service on behalf of my fellow APC'ers.