Airline Pilots Still In Demand

[bobbysamd]

"Kit"

“The excitement over the verification of a pilot job market in the middle of this stalled recovery was contagious,” said Kit Darby, President of AIR, Inc. about the seminar/job fair in Washington, DC. “Many pilots are unaware that there are still opportunities at every level – majors, nationals, regionals, passengers, cargo, and fractionals, and it’s AIR, Inc.’s duty to inform them.” AIR, Inc. predicts 6,000 to 7,000 new pilots jobs will be created in 2002.

I think I am going to retch.

Hello, Kit, your "pilot shortage" shtik, even in its truncated form, above, is getting old. You need to hire some new writers. Allow me to be the first.

Kit, I have a word to add to your vocabulary. The word is "sophistry." "Sophistry" is defined as "a subtle, tricky, superficially plausable, but generally fallacious method of reasoning." Random House Webster's College Dictionary, p.1231 (emphasis added). "Superficially plausable" because at first blush your statement about so many jobs appears to be true. Explain it to those qualified pilots, to use your terminology, who apply and are not getting those jobs, notwithstanding the fact that the number of qualified applicants is almost always double or triple the number of openings, at least. Moreover, are you counting these job "openings" once or multiple times? I suppose I could count the same job opening seven thousand times and say I have seven thousand openings (I again credit another member for calling Kit's "pilot shortage" Enron-style accounting.).

OK, Kit, I realize that I haven't been looking for many aviation jobs during the last nine years. But, times now are virtually the same as back then. I know those times well. You were pushing the SOS back then, too. Once more, it's getting old and tired.

To clarify a point, there is always hiring. People leave jobs. Pilots retire from the airlines. But, to mislead people with your sophistries, Kit, is disingenuous at best.

 

[Publishers]

talent

I know you have talent, but the invention of words to describe a man of calibre. Awesomaticata.

 

[LearLove]

Enigma, Bobby and others you guys are right on.

No doudt some airlines are hiring but not with the spin that Kit put on it. I think its wrong. I bought airins stuff when I was a CFI and used the directory to send resumes out but the rest was crap or common knowledge. Bottom line is:

THE BEST RESOURCE WE HAVE AGAINST THS IS US. WHAT WE HAVE RIGHT HERE FOR FREE. ANYTHING YOU WANT JUST ASK. NEED AND ADDRESS JUST ASK, NEED INTERVIEW GOUGE JUST ASK, PAY SCALE JUST ASK, AND ON AND ON ..........although some time you get BS or wrong info but if you have some knowledge of the industry or have been around for awhile you can weed the junk out.

besides if hiring ever does ruturn like it was or even close I think it will mostly be internet bases apps. on the airlines own web site neglecting the need for KITs info.

One thing in defence of Kit is that I do like his magazine, ALPC. Although I think itsalittle steep 40 bucks for 12 issues I play it off against Pro Pilot for free. Kind of like two magazines for 20 bucks/year.

Finally thanks to the web people who provide this sit and the others who contribute so KIT doesn't take my 150 per year and I can blow it on beer.

 

[bobbysamd]

Kit's materials

I bought airins stuff when I was a CFI and used the directory to send resumes out but the rest was crap or common knowledge . . . .

True. When I decided to change careers I joined FAPA. Kit's materials provided addresses to companies and provided the basics on how to apply for jobs. I had no clue about either, so, in that regard, they were helpful and valuable. That was fifteen years ago, before the internet made this information easy to find and more current.

I looked forward to receiving my monthly copy of Piloting Careers magazine, which was changed to Career Pilot. I used Kit's advertisers to find a school for my type rating and I acquired or purchased books that Kit recommended. I also cribbed off of Kit's forms to design my resume. I saw no need to purchase Kit's resume service when I was just as capable of producing my form myself.

Just the same, Kit, to generate business by way of a sophistry is wrong. You should be ashamed of yourself. Now, drop the "pilot shortage" sophism and promote your services positively.

 

[Publishers]

Different

Bobby is right as usual. Some people are willing and take the time and effort to look all this stuff up and others would rather pay Kit or someone else to do the work and buy it.

It is not a matter of right or wrong. As I said earlier, I think Kit is probably right when he says that some 6000 will be hired this year and in some cases like SWA, they could be legitimately new jobs. Certainly the fractionals have continued to hire depending on how you count them in the occassion.

What is not accounted for is the net number. Jobs losts versus gained. We have debated the nature of what is and is not a shortage. There are good points and bad about the database services. There is no gun to your head, you are a consumer and they may or may not be for you.

As somneone who has and does employ people, I would use them to post positions.

 

[enigma]

Re: Different

[B .................................................................................................................There are good points and bad about the database services. There is no gun to your head, you are a consumer and they may or may not be for you.

As somneone who has and does employ people, I would use them to post positions. [/B]

I don't think that there is a lot of legitimate disagreement about the possible value of his database service.

Mr. Darbys self-serving, misleading, promotion is what irks me, and others if I do say so myself. I don't know if his "expert" status with the media has gone to his head, or if he is truly a pimp for his advertisers and airline management. I hope that he is just egotistical and likes to see his name in print. Unfortunately, my conclusion is that he is one of the most negative influences on the career as there has ever been.

Later,
8Ns

 

[Publishers]

Name

Enigma,

Well you are certainly correct about the last part. He likes to see and apparently hear his name as they answer the phone Kit Darby's Air Inc.

For that we cannot shoot him. Mying ost of the critics of people on these boards who do TV is somewhat justified but not, for we do not get to select what goes on the air.

The other day, I was asked to comment on the new email system that they are trying for ATC instructions. At the end, they asked my about air marshals. I had prepared for one, not for the other and sure enough 18 seconds of comments out of 4 minutes made it to the air and all was on the marshals.


On the other hand, Kit is not doing this for advertisers or airlines, it is for him.

 

[FL000]

Whoops...I thought this would be a link to another article from The Onion.