Expert: Ned Dolan - 1/3/2010

Question
Hi Ned, i am a 15 year old African American male living in Maryland, and i had a few questions to ask you, when i go to college do i have to major in aviation because i have been hearing that the FAA doesn't care what you major in, next do i even have to go to college to become a airline pilot or can i just join flight school, and do you belive with the way the USA is dealing with laying people off do you belive that now is a good time to become a pilot, im graduating from high school in two years. Thank You for your help.

Answer
Hi Benjamin, let me answer your last question first. I think it is always a good time to be an airline pilot. The industry has always had ups and downs in the hiring cycle and nobody has ever been good at forecasting just when they will occur. The requirement for a college degree is normal in airline hiring, but supply and demand  will always dictate. That is, if they need pilots and there are not enough available that have college degrees they will lower the requirement to meet the available qualifications of pilots.

I would recommend that you prepare by going to college. Your major won't matter except that something technical would be the best. Engineering, physics, business would all be good majors. The airlines don't care what you major in. They are only interested in the fact that you are teachable and can do the necessary studying.

After school (or during) you can take flying lessons and do the necessary studying to get your pilots licenses.

Many schools offer both the flying training and the college required.

Check out these web sites for some of those schools.

http://parks.slu.edu/about/index.php
http://www.erau.edu/

Good luck.

Ned