I think you need to go back and actually WATCH the video. The guy was not talking about a pilot shortage now. He was talking about future trends if current trends continue.
What he was saying is that University training programs do not produce the kind of pilot that the air carriers are looking for: crewmembers on a large multicrew turbine powered transport aircraft. This is largely due to: 1) the universities being ill-equipped (aircraft, simulators) to produce such pilots, 2) the lack of resources that the average person has to put toward such an endeavor, 3) the lack of return on investment (who wants to invest 120 to 180K on flight training and a four year degree, when there are a lot easier and less costly ways to earn a comparable wage?), and 4) a shortage of instructors (if you put all of the aforementioned resources into training and a degree, would you want to work as an instructor, for instructor pay?).
You've already seen a bit of that shortage. As recently as a few months ago, regionals were hiring anyone with a CP-MEL.
It's also going on, to a greater extent, in the aviation mechanic market. People who graduate A&P schools are goingto work as mechanics in non-aviation sectors because they can make more money and have a better quality of life.
Again, this isn't about a current shortage of pilots. It's about what will happen if current trends continue unchanged. Think about it: Why would any young man or woman today consider aviation as a career when there are easier ways to 1) earn more money, 2) have a better quality of life, 3) generally get a better return on their investment. I'm sure there are a few out there who will do it regardless of the cost, but if my kids ever come to me and say "I want to be a pilot," I'll tell them to start saving or buy lottery tickets, because I won't be able to finance it.
If things do not change (and truth be told I don't think that they will) I foresee a day when U.S. air carriers will be sponsoring their own trainees, Lufthansa style.
What he was saying is that University training programs do not produce the kind of pilot that the air carriers are looking for: crewmembers on a large multicrew turbine powered transport aircraft. This is largely due to: 1) the universities being ill-equipped (aircraft, simulators) to produce such pilots, 2) the lack of resources that the average person has to put toward such an endeavor, 3) the lack of return on investment (who wants to invest 120 to 180K on flight training and a four year degree, when there are a lot easier and less costly ways to earn a comparable wage?), and 4) a shortage of instructors (if you put all of the aforementioned resources into training and a degree, would you want to work as an instructor, for instructor pay?).
You've already seen a bit of that shortage. As recently as a few months ago, regionals were hiring anyone with a CP-MEL.
It's also going on, to a greater extent, in the aviation mechanic market. People who graduate A&P schools are goingto work as mechanics in non-aviation sectors because they can make more money and have a better quality of life.
Again, this isn't about a current shortage of pilots. It's about what will happen if current trends continue unchanged. Think about it: Why would any young man or woman today consider aviation as a career when there are easier ways to 1) earn more money, 2) have a better quality of life, 3) generally get a better return on their investment. I'm sure there are a few out there who will do it regardless of the cost, but if my kids ever come to me and say "I want to be a pilot," I'll tell them to start saving or buy lottery tickets, because I won't be able to finance it.
If things do not change (and truth be told I don't think that they will) I foresee a day when U.S. air carriers will be sponsoring their own trainees, Lufthansa style.
