Calling all commercial airline pilots do you all have 4 year degrees?

Question

Calling all commercial airline pilots do you all have 4 year degrees?

Answer 1

Most do, especially the younger ones.  You'll find people at the regional level that don't, or at least with 2 year degrees, but it's not common.  It's preferred at majors, which really means it's required unless you know someone.  They get so many applications; they need ways to weed people out.  A company like fedex will get 10,000 applications the day they announce an opening of 100 pilots.  They have no reason to take people without a degree.

When it comes down to it, you really should get a 4 year degree if you take this career seriously, but all that really matters in this business is who you know.  If your father's on the hiring board of a major airline, you will probably get hired, even if you have no college and failed every check ride of your life.  For the rest of us, 4 year degrees are a must.

Answer 2

This is a nice one to disagree about.  The fact is that there are numerous airline pilots still flying now who got their jobs before the 4-year degree was required.  So some of them will say, "No, you don't have to have one."

That is no longer correct, however.  As aircraft systems and flight procedures continue to become more complex, airline hiring executives have increasingly insisted on the 4-year college degree for all applicants.  They want to know that you have good learning skills and are able to absorb new material readily.

So the answer is that if you are applying now, in 2008 or at any time in the future, you absolutely MUST HAVE a 4-year degree.

Sorry about that, but an airline hiring executive I used to work with asked me to emphasize that point on here.  There will be a trickle of jobs for new applicants in the future, but only the very, very best will be hired.

Good luck!

Answer 3

Not all airline pilots have 4 year degrees, but without one the experience requirements are generally much higher. On average, figure that your chances of getting a major airline job without a 4 year degree are 75% less than if you have no degree and 50% less if you only have a 2-year degree. Without a degree, pilots often need 10 years experience and over 10,000 flight hours before the airlines will look at them. A college degree shows a potential employer that you have at least some brains, that you are trainable, and that you can finish something you started. They don't want to waste money trying to train someone who will wash out or drop out of the training program. Get the degree so you'll be more competetive. The competetion for jobs is fierce.

Answer 4

Its a good idea so that when you get furloughed and lose your airline job, youll have something to fall back on to support your family. Or just fly corporate and dont worry about it.

Answer 5

I'm not an airline pilot, but the ones I know do have 4 year degrees in some field...I personally do not have a 4 year degree...I have a great job with a fortune 500 company flying some nice equipment..so it all depends on your character...and the company you apply to....

Jonathan S

ATP-LR-JET,HS-125,G-V

CFI/AGI

Answer 6

No.

I think this article will help you understand more about airline pilots:

http://science.howstuffworks.com/pilot.h...

Good luck...