wrote:

Ed Rasimus wrote:
Lots of folks have griped over the years about the college graduate
requirement, but the fact is that modern aircraft (and the integrated
weapons system in which they operate) are very complex and the degree
offers an indication that the individual will be able to deal with the
complexity. Additionally, there are more than enough candidates who
meet the criteria that it doesn't need to be modified.

Not saying that the criteria needs to be modified (I have both 2-year
and a 4-year degrees and agree that a college education trains one
to think at a deeper level) but I think (as did my ol' man) that a
college education is often over-rated.

I'll certainly agree with that. The kids I see before me in my local
Community College classes range from the gifted to the inept. The
younger they are, the more likely they are to attend erratically, blow
off assignments and inevitably fail. Those with a year or two of dirt
under their fingernails seem to develop an appreciation for
intellectual labor over manual. They inevitably succeed.

For example, with just a high school education (and a few semesters
of higher education at the Univ. of Minnesota) his ability to quickly
perform mathematical computations in his head exceeded mine and
he would have no difficulty whatsoever checking out in a modern F-18
or F-15.

There's little doubt of what you say, but the bottom line reigns
supreme and the military has a lot of stats to show that completion of
a four-year degree (whether or not it relates to aviation) is a good
indicator of the ability to complete an aviation training program. If
requirements rose drastically and available candidates were reduced,
the criteria might be re-examined, but that's highly unlikely.

You can certainly prepare yourself for an excellent career in the
airlines or general aviation with the great civilian
schools---provided you've got a pretty healthy bank account.

Based on my experience dealing with these "great civilian schools"
(FlightSafety, for example), one can often receive a superior
education in general aviation by going to the lesser known,
"Ma & Pa" flight schools. Don't pay any attention to the slick,
4-color ad copies and press clippings of those well-known GA flight
schools such as Embry Riddle, FlightSafety, American Failures er'
Flyers etc. For the most part, they're simply over-priced country
clubs interested in churning out quantity rather than quality.

Well, part of what you say is based on experience that I can't
challenge. But, I'll offer that "Ma & Pa" may not have access to
modern simulations, quality academic materials, and high-tech
aircraft. While they can make a very high-quality private pilot in a
C-152, they will have a tough time in preparing an aviation career
oriented individual for modern glass cockpits and heavy jet qual. Some
of the larger corporations have the overhead to fund the expensive
training.

I think if he were still alive today, the notion of women flying combat
would make him go "straight up and break left" and he'd spit on the
current crop of fighter pilots not because they aren't any good, but
because of political correctness.

There are some warriors around. Even today. Some of them are even
women.

Women warriors such as? Do you really believe what you just wrote?

I didn't believe it for a lot of years, but I've met a lot of the
current crop and they are a pretty well-blooded group of aviators,
what with DS, Kosovo, IF and various other combat ops under their
belts. The guys accept and respect the girls and the girls seem to
have their act pretty well together. There are exceptions to every
rule, of course.

One of the most vivid examples I've encountered is an AF
captain--call-sign "Shooter". Graduate of USAFA, went to Nav school,
flew combat as an F-15E WSO. Qualified for pilot training (a very
competitive process for operational navs) and went to Vipers out of
pilot training. Flew more combat in Vipers. Drinks well, knows the
words to all the songs!



Ed Rasimus
Fighter Pilot (ret)
***"When Thunder Rolled:
*** An F-105 Pilot Over N. Vietnam"
*** from Smithsonian Books
ISBN: 1588341038