Following on from the discussion about degree requirements for pilot
employment, and the different approaches in various national cultures, I
read a good article on the subject in Flight International recently.
Entitled "Degrees of Flying Skills," the article was written by FI's
safety editor, David Learmount, in the 8-14 July, 1998 edition. He
discusses the differences between approaches, beginning with Darmstadt
University in Germany, where they are concentrating on providing
training in great depth on the complexities of flying a modern
airliner. Their approach has been linked to input from pilot's
associations in Germany and Spain. He then contrasts the approach with
that of other cultures, where the breadth of the course is more
important than the depth. He mentions BA's sponsored MBA program
through City Uni, stating that BA does not press its pilots into the
course, that it requires a huge commitment (10-15 hours a week), and
that about 10 pilots a year take up the offer. If you can find the
article, have a read. As usual, David Learmount provides an excellent
summary of the situation.
Whilst the focus re tertiary education has been on pilots, I think it
might be useful to consider the need for degrees amongst others in the
industry. Of the 30 or so students in Swinburne's Postgrad Dip in
Aviation Human Factors program, about two thirds are pilots, but we also
have air traffic controllers, flight attendants, maintenance engineers
and safety management personnel. Food for thought?
Cheers,
Guy