What did you do???

[JIP]

I was just wondering what all you civil aviation pilots took at University degree e.t.c or at A-Levels/College.
I am doing Physics,Biology,History and Geography would be VERY interested what most of you pilots took at this time ??
Any help
SPRINGBOK <img src="tongue.gif" border="0">

[80P]

hi Springbok,
i did Maths Physics English and General Studies at a level. I do not have a degree. Am working for a well known airline.

[Georgeablelovehowindia]

Pure Mathematics, Physics at "A" and English Language, French and Geography at "O" in my case. I subsequently came to the conclusion that none of the CAA exams taxed me beyond "O" level standard. I've heard a lot of people with university degrees complain that the job lacks intellectual stimulation and hence rapidly becomes boring!

[mjkukin2]

i done my gces then a levels in engineering maths, physic , chemistry and biology and now am studying at UMIST in chemical engineering

[mjkukin2]

and i cant spell sorry thats GSCE'S and physics a level

[mature name]

I actually droped out of hight school worked got money got a cpl worked some more did c.i.r. worked some more did my atpl worked some more did a maths and physics correspondence corse and hay presto airline pilot .

I wouldnt recomend doing it my way but it shows that u definatly dont need a degree if you dont want one .

[Brakes...beer]

... and it would appear that Key Stage 1 English is not high on airlines' wish lists, either.

[SuperTed]

Lets all face it, over half the degrees aren't worth the paper they are written on. Lets think, how about Beckham Studies- will that be a BA or BSc? I'm sure anyone with Beckham Studies will get their command earlier! How about a degree in Tourism and Leisure, we know everyone loves a trip down to the sports centre.

[basil fawlty]

I did a three year British Airways engineering apprenticeship. Hands on experience on 747's, 757's, 767's, Concorde....and getting paid for it too!! Pity the entire intake was shat on afterwards...posted to nightshift jobs we had no chance of tranfering from for twenty years! (Well I did anyway...i resigned to go flying!)
This was RELEVENT education, unlike all this pure mathematics bollox and such like!!!

[mjkukin2]

so basil are you flying commercially now for an airline if so who?

[HugMonster]

A-levels - Physics, Maths, Law, Economics & Politics. Now unemployed.

[Matthewjharvey]

A level Maths/Further Maths/Physics/Geography
Masters degree Aeronautical Engineering Imperial College London - absolutely no help if you want to be a pilot I can assure you.

[Duke of Burgundy]

As an ATCO GALHI`s comment struck a chord. ATC is a very practical job which doesn`t require mega brain power yet NATS employs many graduates of all sorts of disciplines.

Nothing wrong with that, especially in these days of controller shortages, except a few years down the line many of them complain of not being challenged intellectually. Because the career structure is flat, as it should be, i.e. mainly working ATCOs, not that many managers, some I know have become quite despondent about their long term prospects. This I find worrying as when people cease to be challenged, complacency and errors can start creeping in.

[Pilot Pete]

None. 6 'O'levels. ATPL's were a memory test, many of the younger guys on the course with degrees found them very hard, that's not me blowing my trumpet, just fact. Desire and motivation are the greatest factors in determining success.

PP

[mjkukin2]

pete you say the atpl exams were a memory test.can i ask in which way do you mean that

1. you allready knew the stuff so it was all in there somewhere..ie naturally gifted?

2. or have you worked in the aviation industry before to know it all???

love too hear how you breezed through them

[Pilot Pete]

PIE

What I meant was that you could learn all the subjects inside out and still be left floundering on many of the CAA's questions. I found that learning the subjects and understanding them as best I could coupled with 'familiarity' of the quetion technique through plenty of past papers worked for me. It all came down to cramming as much info in as possible over the relatively short timescale, it was the sheer quantity required that made them tricky. I don't have a degree but would hazard a guess that no degree requires such a broad subject base with as many exams crammed back to back, all of which you are trying to do as quickly as possible due to cost........ The point I am trying to make is that having a degree won't necessarily make them easier, it appears to be a completely different form of study.

I took Guildhall's groundschool courses for both Navs and Techs and studied bloody hard all through and after. I dropped one first time round (Met Theory) and got 93% in the resit, so no, I never knew the stuff before and certainly didn't, and don't know it all. As for 'breezing' through them, infact quite the contrary due to factors outside my control, it's all here <a href="http://www.pprune.org/cgibin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=2&t=010430" target="_blank">http://www.pprune.org/cgibin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=2&t=010430</a>

Hope that answers your question fully

PP

[QNH1013]

Took O-levels and A-levels (Double Maths, Physics, Economics and General Studies) I don't have a degree. Never wanted to go to Uni cause I don't like studying and I didn't need a degree to be an airline Pilot. Anyway ATPL's are tougher than a degree but at least it was part of something I really wanted to do. You don't need a degree but you may need it for airline pilot selection. Airlines can ask or look for whatever they want and nowadays A-levels seem to be the minimum. Pilots don't need to be a genius. But it's of course nice to have a degree to fall back on. Personally I just couldn't get through a Uni degree if I started it. Too impatient to get in to flight training and get the job I really wanted.

[Matthewjharvey]

QNH,

I can assure you that the ATPL's are not 'harder than a degree' in any way shape or form.

[Eff Oh]

I have no degree. Eight Scottish Standard Grades at level 1 and 2. Also four Scottish Higher Grades in, English, Chemistry, Physics and Geography. Now flying B757s.
Eff Oh.

[KitKatPacificuk]

I did the usual school thing! Got 8 GSCE's but no A Levels. Did the work thing saved some money and now I fly as a career. Get into the flying young. It will benefit you more than a degree. I started when I was 12!

[firehorse]

I saw something somewhere in an airlines career publication that said the main reason (some) airlines prefer people with degree's isn't because of the "education" value of the degree (this isn't meant to belittle degree holders out there ok) but the fact that it proves the guy/gal can basically stick it out for the duration of the flight training, especially if they are sponsoring you.
Sound ok?

[Pilot Pete]

Flying Tigers

I would question if having a degree meant you were more able to stick the duration of the training out, more likely that it shows that you probably have the mental capacity. Capacity and determination being completely different here.

I have also heard the other side of the argument that those 'high flyers' with top degrees are likely to be less satisfied with the pilots lot, possibly not finding line flying stimulating enough.

As in most things it's probably best for a spread of character sets on your line, that way you are more likely to find people getting on better with less chance of characters clashing and you may well also find natural 'chiefs & indians' as opposed to all chiefs!

PP

[aztruck]

9 O levels, couple of oa levels and English History and Economics at A level. Failed O level Maths twice and had to get it 3rd go in order to get into University to do a Modern History Degree.
Never passed Physics O level.
Late starter as a Pilot (34 yrs old when I began ppl) in 92.
To my surprise Physics became quite interesting (ish!!) when I was motivated by a desire to learn and the Maths was not that complex- mainly arithmetic and common sense.
I struggled with the Nav paper, but quite enjoyed the Tech subjects.
The Atpl's were, in a sense, harder than a degree,because there is no room for creative thought in the answers, but plenty of tricky data in the questions.
I dont think that the Atpl's are an equivalent to a Degree however, because they are testing mental capacity more than creative intellectual capacity.