Is education required to get a job with major airlines
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Is education required to get a job with major airlines
Hi everyone I've got a small question, do u need any education requirements to get a job as a pilot with the major airlines like say Cathay Pacific or is it all just about the flying experience and the amount of flight hours u have.
Thanks
Thanks
Last edited by don2105; 1st Jul 2013 at 05:25.
Having enough education to be able to spell the word "you" would be a good start but I suspect a wind up here 
You won't get a job with Cathay Pacific with 'zero flight time', i.e. cadet, unless you have a 'Permanent Hong Kong ID Card' (long term resident).
Having said that, from my experience, most military and airline pilots do their jobs very well using just the three times table and 'fifth form' physics. The 'degree' courses are a rip-off and a waste of time. There is no substitute for commitment and experience, although conditions in the airline industry have deteriorated so much over the quarter-century I have been in it, 'commitment' is a big ask. Consider a more lucrative career, and either 'sport' or private flying.
A healthy survival instinct, communication skills and attention to detail are also an advantage.
And for Chrissake don't use Gen Y 'textspeak' in your job applications or CV. It's bad enough in PPRuNE posts.
Having said that, from my experience, most military and airline pilots do their jobs very well using just the three times table and 'fifth form' physics. The 'degree' courses are a rip-off and a waste of time. There is no substitute for commitment and experience, although conditions in the airline industry have deteriorated so much over the quarter-century I have been in it, 'commitment' is a big ask. Consider a more lucrative career, and either 'sport' or private flying.
A healthy survival instinct, communication skills and attention to detail are also an advantage.
And for Chrissake don't use Gen Y 'textspeak' in your job applications or CV. It's bad enough in PPRuNE posts.
Last edited by Captain Dart; 1st Jul 2013 at 10:18.
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An aviation degree will put you further to the front of the queue.
If it came down to the wire, having a degree might gain a slight advantage, but my choice would be the candidate with the better manipulative and interpersonal skills over the degree every time.
However, I agree with whoever wrote the answer about Gen Y text language. Your app would go straight in the bin (or 'trash', if it were an online app). You wouldn't even get an S&P with written skills like that
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An aviation degree is an easy way to get into the course when you dont have the marks to get into straight away, finish aviation degree, then go on to others such as, law, medicine, geology, economics etc etc etc
thats all its good for.
thats all its good for.
If you have one, it hasn't been good for your punctuation skills.
Last edited by Captain Dart; 1st Jul 2013 at 10:16.
Look at it from the recruiters' angle. Let's say they have 500 applicants and 20 vacancies. Of the best 100 candidates, hours, age, ATPL subjects passed, unrestricted medical etc puts them all about equal. The shrinks have a look inside their heads to decide who to pass on to the simulator guys. Say 75 are left. The simulator sorts out those with two left feet. Of the original 500, now 50 are left.
25 of those 50 have tertiary qualifications and 25 have basic high school. The final interview ties up a couple of very busy and highly-paid senior management pilots for 45 minutes per candidate.
Who do you think gets invited to the final interview for those 20 jobs?
25 of those 50 have tertiary qualifications and 25 have basic high school. The final interview ties up a couple of very busy and highly-paid senior management pilots for 45 minutes per candidate.
Who do you think gets invited to the final interview for those 20 jobs?
Of the 480 unsuccessful candidates, those who have completed an aviation degree course have wasted an awful lot of time and money, have missed out on lots of experience and hours, which also may have jeopardised their chances, and the degree providers are laughing all the way to the bank. It's all a bit of a gamble.
For information, Cathay Pacific Airways takes anyone for the ab initio course who has the above-mentioned HK Permanent ID Card, a pulse, English (of a sort), and a degree: in anything.
Someone I know spent years doing an aviation degree, flying out of airports in the SYD-MEL-BNE triangle, and wouldn't go 'up north'. He got interviewed when the majors were recruiting, and he is now... a school teacher.
For information, Cathay Pacific Airways takes anyone for the ab initio course who has the above-mentioned HK Permanent ID Card, a pulse, English (of a sort), and a degree: in anything.
Someone I know spent years doing an aviation degree, flying out of airports in the SYD-MEL-BNE triangle, and wouldn't go 'up north'. He got interviewed when the majors were recruiting, and he is now... a school teacher.
Last edited by Captain Dart; 2nd Jul 2013 at 02:31.
I don't think very many here suggested an aviation degree. Did I? The op asked if education was relevant to getting into airlines. Yes it is.
Last edited by Mach E Avelli; 2nd Jul 2013 at 02:35.
The ability to read and write is helpful in any career.
Grammar, punctuation, syntax, are going the way of dinosaurs (sadly).
Sunfish,
(I is a pillott. No. I are a pylot. No. I fly planes.
)
Grammar, punctuation, syntax, are going the way of dinosaurs (sadly).
Sunfish,
(I is a pillott. No. I are a pylot. No. I fly planes.
)
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Just say I as an aviation employer was browsing these threads whilst taking a 10 minute breather. If I saw this thread and the thread started by gearupandorrf I know who I'd employ to represent my company.
Last edited by Jack Ranga; 2nd Jul 2013 at 08:18.