It’s funny how fashion changes. There is actually nothing technically wrong with sandals and socks. The ventilation which sandals give you stops your feet getting smelly 
Back on the topic, I’ve been told by a former airline pilot, with 40 years’ service in long haul, that most airline pilots are “not very bright” and certainly most did not have education beyond college. And I don’t recall learning anything at university which would be useful for flying. Didn’t learn much at university anyway.
Peter wrote:
Back on the topic, I’ve been told by a former airline pilot, with 40 years’ service in long haul, that most airline pilots are “not very bright” and certainly most did not have education beyond college
I don’t know any flight school or flight training that requires more than the very basics as a start, high school or less. I do however know several with higher education (engineering and architect) that has “converted” to being professional pilots. At the University of Tromsø School of Aviation, you will get a bachelor in “aviation” and a CPL/ATPL. 3 years in total. At least those are a bit educated It’s also possible to continue for another 3 years to get a master.
But, if flying as all you want to do, 3 years with all kinds of other more or less (un)related subjects must be a bit demotivating IMO. On the other hand, such an education do give you another leg to stand on in case of medical laps or whatever. I mean, it’s much easier to motivate yourself to do “demotivating” stuff when young and with a carrot in the end, than when you are old and the carrot is already eaten and gone It’s not very unlike military flight education, which involves lots of engineering and other (military) stuff.
Another way to look at this is a pilot who flies exclusively in a “monkey kind of way”, will have no clue what to do if something odd happens to the aircraft systems or to the infrastructure (ATC, avionics/satellites etc). This is no big deal perhaps in a simple aircraft flying VFR on a sunny afternoon, not much can happen in any case, but a different matter in a complex aircraft also reliant on complex infrastructure.
Anyway, we are GA pilots. If you can read, talk and ride a bicycle, and preferably also chew a gum and walk down the stairs at the same time, you can also learn to fly
LeSving wrote:
read, talk and ride a bicycle, and preferably also chew a gum and walk down the stairs at the same time
Whoa I don’t think that I’m able to do that. Read, talk, ride a bicycle, chew a gum and walk down stairs, all at the same time. That’s really bone-breaking. Having some funny pictures in my head with that
So flying is definitely easier than that. 
(In fact, according to my wife, if I just combined talking with any single other task would be a waste of time for her….and she’s always impressed seeing me doing all that stuff in the cockpit at the same time, including talking; On my second-last flight I ran one tank dry just while talking to ATC, switched tank and continued my chat with ATC while engine came back to RPM, all with a smile on the face )
