Originally Posted by
megan
They could try by opening up the cockpit to folks with only high school education, rather than the degree currently required. It does work, my course (foreigner) did their training with the USN in Pensacola, all only had a high school education, at least one had just finished high school upon entry, and quite a number received the "Student of the Week" award. One went on some years later, with his high school education, to successfully complete the USN test pilot course at Pax River. Of the forty or so students involved no one failed, one dropped out voluntarily and one given the heave ho due personal issues with our national senior officer. Lad refused to give up his off duty skydiving activities.
Nobody is doubting that someone could make it through UPT without a college degree. This has already been discussed and the conclusion is that the wage gap between an officer and a warrant officer is significant enough that a warrant officer would have even more incentive to leave the military and go fly for the airlines.
Right now, the problem is keeping talented officers in the military who are already rated pilots. I think that only an economic downturn combined with airline hiring coming to a halt could save the USAF staffing problem. I remember back in 2009, many Air Force Pilots were saying that they would never work for the airlines and that they would rather do a government job or a contractor job after retiring. Conditions have changed and people see the different in QOL and $$$.