Income/Education Growth
Life can be unpredictable, but those challenges can be blessings in disguise.
Beyond the ATP rule allowing for flight time waivers, there is a little incentive at a commercial level to solely specialize in an accredited aviation degree. However, for some who go on to teach at a professor level, or do research these degrees provide obvious benefit.
Interestingly for pilots there are more flying jobs that require “other” degrees, than aviation degrees. For example Flight Test, Instrument Check, and technical pilot positions usually require an Engineering Degree.
Management pilots surely benefit from legal or business degrees. Strong pilot unions benefit from an assortment of “other” backgrounds brought by their pilots, ranging from public relations to analysis, and computer programing.
Many corporate flight departments can vouch for the benefit of pilots who can do more than fly, as important a skill that is.
From outside the industry people with pilot licenses or aviation degrees can bring great value to diverse positions. The point is the diversity in education can be a great benefit, no matter if you are starting from the aviation side or another professional sector.
Being a pilot brings to the table more than most pilots think.
According to a 2004 report by NASA's Langley research center
Pilots as a whole have a high level of emotional stability and low level of “neuroticism” which is a tendency towards emotional distress. Good pilots usually exhibit calmness instead of anxiety during times of stress. Which can be characteristic of the group, as it should be an essential trait in an emergency.
According to the report. “The basic “pilot personality profile” is of an emotionally stable individual who is low in anxiety, vulnerability, angry hostility, impulsiveness and depression. This person also tends to be very conscientious, being high in deliberation, achievement-striving, competence and dutifulness. They also tend to be trusting and straightforward. Finally, they are active indivduals with a high level of assertiveness”
Sarina Houston on BalancedCareers.com has a good article on other possibilities for those with a pilots license.
Selection Process
- Drug and Alchohol testing
- background checks,
- at some Major airlines indepth pschological evaluation
- Technical Testing
- Years of logbook flight records
- HR interviews with a focus on conflict resolution and customer service
Unique Personaility Profile
- Emotionally stable, and low tendency towards emotional distress
- Extraversion - Willingness to work with others
- Openness to Experience - Learn new things
- Agreeableness - Often working with new people in stressful and demanding environments
- Conscientiousness
Training
- Crew Resource and Team Management
- Safety and Risk Managment
- Threat and Error Management
- Processes and Procedures
- Human Factors
- Time Management
- Adaptability
- Analytical Problem Solving
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