4greens, but how far?
1 year of CPL + 2-3 years of charter flying
Or
3-4 years of uni with CPL included, then you are 2-3 years behind the one without the degree in terms of experience..
Im afraid it is not that simple, How many 18year old school leavers graduate with $75k tucked away to give to a flying school? Sure you can grab a CPL from a local flying school in a year if you have the cash, but I think it is widely accepted that as a school leaver with negligible savings, it will take you a minimum 2 years to do the ol' full time work + flying agenda. With that in mind, the aviation degree puts you at most, 1 year behind the pack. You have to ask yourself what the extra year gives you, In my eyes:
-Recognised tertiary qualification
-Superior technical knowledge (well beyond the 'how to pass the CASA exam for dummies' courses)
-Standardised flight training - from the feedback I get from people studying aviation, a vastly superior product is delivered from such organisations, a disciplined approach from day 1 goes a very long way (this may or may not apply to all organisations)
-Greater dedication to flight flight training, spending 5/7days flipping burgers is not the same as immersing yourself in Aviation for similar periods
-Much greater networking opportunities
-Access to post grad qualifications should the unthinkable occur
If I had the time and interest I could add more to that list, but I doubt I will be able to sway the views of the firm believers anyway.
In my eyes the Aviation degree helps you achieve to the best of your capabilities in your chosen field, that goes for both the flying and theory side. I mean no disrespect to those who are doing it the 'conventional' way (I know plenty), Although times are a'changing, and in this day I personally would feel a little 'nude' entering any workforce without tertiary qualifications, 'everyone' goes to uni these days!