Kenny Phillips
Final Approach
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Kenny Phillips
It’s been like that my entire career. Hired at first airline in 2000.When did this ya gotta have a degree thing start anyway? Is there a history that pilots with degrees are better than those without?
When did this ya gotta have a degree thing start anyway? Is there a history that pilots with degrees are better than those without?
When did this ya gotta have a degree thing start anyway? Is there a history that pilots with degrees are better than those without?
When you have thousands of applicants, it makes for an easy parameter to whittle it down to a number that's more manageable.
I will say that with the numbers everyone is trying to hire, the 'competitive' minimums have been rapidly dropping everywhere. Guys are getting hired on now that couldn't get a look a couple of years ago. It's a whole different ballgame today.
I have a running theory that in my parent's day, a person could do ok without a HS diploma but you needed a HS diploma to get the "good jobs". In my day, a person could probably do just ok WITH a HS diploma but they needed an undergrad degree to get the basic level "good jobs". Basically the idea is that the value of education is being diminished, probably because if everyone goes to college, then it doesn't make you stand out.Early 90s if you didn’t have a degree, you weren’t even looked at by anyone. And yes a degree has zero bearing on a pilots ability, work ethic, or value.
I'm pretty sure that was from their marketing departmentPress release from American Airlines: Delta No Longer Requires Pilots To Be Educated.
American has been hiring pilots without degrees for a long time. United as well. Delta was the only legacy carrier that had a hard requirement. The others heavily preferred a degree but did occasionally hire without a degree.Press release from American Airlines: Delta No Longer Requires Pilots To Be Educated.
Removing a degree requirement at a legacy carrier is not lowering the standards. In many cases it increases the quality of new hires. I know a guy that is in new hire training at delta. He has never been a captain and has barely logged 1000 hours of 121 experience. Went straight to 121 from cfi job. But don’t worry. He has a degree. On the other hand guys with check airman experience and tens of thousands of hours will never be looked at because they don’t have a degree. Until now. It’s a smart move on deltas part. The degree ******** was requiring them to hire very low time pilots to fill classes.Having dealt with a few low-quality hires, I think we would have been better off to keep the job vacant a while longer. The harm they did far outweighed the benefit.
What a bummer for the folks who were sold on a 4 year degree from UND or Embry Riddle as the ticket to a Delta or FedEx job.
When you have lots of applicants you can ask for the moon. Happens in every imdustry.
How does a four year degree prepare someone for that flight in Tel Aviv?Delta has lots of experience with pilots without degrees. At one point there were a large number from various mergers. A pilot without a degree can be every bit as good as a pilot with a PHD. That’s not the norm however. Delta also tracks new hire performance with their credentials when hired. It’s a feedback system. Delta is not concerned with flying ability to a great extent. They know at this level applicants have that ability and training would quickly weed out the handful that might slip through. They are looking for the guy that can make the right call with a aircraft anywhere in the world in shutting the operation down. A flight canceled in Tel Aviv can cost the company half a million dollars. A flight not canceled in Tel Aviv might cost the company vastly more.
If a pilot wants to get hired without a degree he needs to have a very strong non flying background with management experience.
Just like I thought... it does not prepare someone for that day in Tel Aviv.Let me ask you this. In high school the students who were sharp and excelled in school and extra curricular activities generally but not always did what after high school?
Then don’t get a degree. Why argue about it? You are arguing about how the world should be, ignoring how it is.Just like I thought... it does not prepare someone for that day in Tel Aviv.
I made that decision for myself over twenty years ago. I'm not arguing. I'm engaged in a discussion. I'm not whining about anything being unfair. I don't whine. That behavior is for petulant children. Neither of which describe me.Then don’t get a degree. Why argue about it? You are arguing about how the world should be, ignoring how it is.
My daughter had to write a crap load of essays to eventually get into medical school. None of which would make her a better doctor. But she was smart enough to write the essays anyway, rather than whine about how unfair the world is.
A relatively high percentage of Delta hires have a masters.
Both are great pilots, they may or may not have made good airline pilots. I know someone heavily involved in hiring for a law enforcement program. They found over time that the officers with better education backgrounds made better judgement calls, had fewer complaints and triggered fewer lawsuits. In short they showed better judgement.
You know why Delta pilots never loosen their ties?The desire to wear a hat indoors and be part of the most smug pilot group in the world are also heavily weighted
I did not think they would either and I agree it will be a very small number of people hired without the degree. It is an interesting time for sure. I can remember when my friends that were furloughed from legacy carriers would watch the obituaries for pilots hoping to see some movement in recalls and when there were going to be 100 pilot slots everyone was excited because of how much hiring there would be for the year. To think that almost 10,000 pilots will be hired this year alone at the majors is hard to process. Never seen anything like it in my career.Definitely interesting times. Never thought Delta would have another flow or drop the degree requirement. I still think 99% of the people that get called will have degrees.
Let me ask you this. In high school the students who were sharp and excelled in school and extra curricular activities generally but not always did what after high school?
I doubt that is the case.Every change in hiring is aimed at increasing “diversity.” I’m not quite sure how that ties into this, but you can bet that it does.
I think the end of year number for us was almost 800 pilots added to the seniority list in 2021. My buddy didn’t even finish OE at JetBlue and got hired by Delta. Quite a change from a year and a half ago.I did not think they would either and I agree it will be a very small number of people hired without the degree. It is an interesting time for sure. I can remember when my friends that were furloughed from legacy carriers would watch the obituaries for pilots hoping to see some movement in recalls and when there were going to be 100 pilot slots everyone was excited because of how much hiring there would be for the year. To think that almost 10,000 pilots will be hired this year alone at the majors is hard to process. Never seen anything like it in my career.
There’s probably some HR study but not actuarial science behind it, but at its core, it’s just another box check for a better chance at a better candidate when the resume folder is chock full.