Air Force Fighter Pilot Shortage

[Traderd]

http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-fighter-pilot-wanted-20130722,0,2152468.story

"It may be hard to imagine that life as a high-flying fighter jock has lost its swagger, but the Air Force revealed it has a shortage of 200 fighter pilots this year. And if something isn't done, the Air Force, which has about 3,000 fighter pilots, fears it may face a shortfall of 700 by 2021."

"Air Force pilots typically earn about $90,000 by the time they complete their 11th year. The median annual wage of airline pilots, copilots and flight engineers is $103,210, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' latest numbers."

"Neither US Airways nor American Airlines, which are in the middle of merging, has hired pilots in more than a decade, and are now beginning a large-scale recruiting effort to fill spots."

"US Airways and American are anticipating the retirement of more than 2,100 pilots within five years because of the mandatory retirement age of 65."

"The airlines are going to have more money to pay for pilots than the government," said Rob Streble, 52, secretary and treasurer for the US Airline Pilots Assn., a labor union that represents US Airways pilots."

Is this a sign of the great pilot shortage of 201X?

 

[3GRNDWN]

I hate to say it, but the increase in Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA) will replace the decrease in fighter pilot numbers. The Air Force has already created a new AFSC for these RPA "pilots". No UPT required, just a little over 35 hours in a Diamond DA20 and then off to RPA simulator school. Other services are currently looking to expand upon this concept as well.

 

[pilotyip]

Looks they will have to drop that college degree requirement to avoid the shortage. I mean after all, Bong, McGuire, Yeager, and Johnson, all aces, did not have college degrees.

 

[VA AV8R]

Not sure 90K after 11 years of working (esp. the way things have been) is such a raw deal really. I'm sure others would agree. What about other factors, such as longer and more frequent deployments, etc. ?

 

[JimNtexas]

The 'shortage' is because of the up or out promotion system, not for a lack of volunteers.

Up or out directly forces out experienced officers who aren't needed in a higher rank slot, and indirectly because of the high degree of office politics and rear end kissing up or out induces.

No military pilot goes or stays because an airline might pay a few dollars more or less. A lot get out because they're tired of all the military games.

The British RAF seems to get along OK even though they tell a fair number of O-3 and O-4's 'sorry mate, you're aren't cut out to be Chief Air Marshall, but you're welcome to just come to work and fly the planes'.

 

[pilotyip]

The 'shortage' is because of the up or out promotion system, not for a lack of volunteers.

Up or out directly forces out experienced officers who aren't needed in a higher rank slot, and indirectly because of the high degree of office politics and rear end kissing up or out induces.

No military pilot goes or stays because an airline might pay a few dollars more or less. A lot get out because they're tired of all the military games.

The British RAF seems to get along OK even though they tell a fair number of O-3 and O-4's 'sorry mate, you're aren't cut out to be Chief Air Marshall, but you're welcome to just come to work and fly the planes'.

Or the military wants to reap a "Peace Dividend" after a war. The most expensive thing in the military in airplanes, so lets decommission a few Wings, Squadrons, and air Bases. Then we don't need so many pilots, we will force they out for even a bigger savings. Talk to any of the Korean, Vietnam, Gulf I pilots who experienced this wonderful system of Personnel management. The Southwest Asia vets are now about to get there, "Thanks for all your good work, but your all done. Military personnel management practices make the airline look like a dream.

 

[Scrapdog]

Looks they will have to drop that college degree requirement to avoid the shortage. I mean after all, Bong, McGuire, Yeager, and Johnson, all aces, did not have college degrees.

Uhh...no.

 

[SIG600]

Looks they will have to drop that college degree requirement to avoid the shortage. I mean after all, Bong, McGuire, Yeager, and Johnson, all aces, did not have college degrees.

Fail.

There are no fighter cockpits sitting empty. This is a "shortage" of fighter pilots willing to do BS staff jobs/non-vols/RPA/UAV etc for the majority of their career.

 

[Wesb737fo]

Looks they will have to drop that college degree requirement to avoid the shortage. I mean after all, Bong, McGuire, Yeager, and Johnson, all aces, did not have college degrees.

I think McGuire was at Ga Tech and left after his junior year. A lot of heros from that era left or never entered college before joining the fight. Bush Sr. Was one of the youngest. Yeager was definitely an exception. Different era for sure.

 

[pilotyip]

I think McGuire was at Ga Tech and left after his junior year. A lot of heros from that era left or never entered college before joining the fight. Bush Sr. Was one of the youngest. Yeager was definitely an exception. Different era for sure.

That is because a college degree has nothing to do with flying an airplane. Robert Lovett, WWII Asst Sec of War for Air, may have saved the US in WWII. He showed we needed quantity, not quality.

We will need 100K pilots per year, we will not get that many physically qualified college educated pilots. He would prove that college was not needed to fly an airplane. He had a test devised that would identify those traits and knowledge levels needed to be successful in pilot training.

He found that many college educated people could not pass this test, but many high school graduates could. These 19 year old pilots proved their worth all over the globe, flying equipment under conditions that would test almost all of us on this board.

Those tests are stlll pretty much the same as used today to screen military pilots.