Future pilot shortage...

[wrxpilot]

big secret, jets are the easiest airplanes to fly, one lever, no shortage of power, no p-factor, someone else to do all the hard stuff like talking on the radio, and the bigger the better.

Highly automated jets, such as the CJ3 that I currently fly, are easier to keep in the air than airplanes like the Chieftain (which I used to fly).

However, the CJ3 requires MUCH greater situational awareness and planning. Without question, it will get you in trouble a heck of a lot quicker than my old navajo ever would.

You could take a low time 172 pilot and throw them into a Navajo fairly easily. The same cannot be said AT ALL about throwing that guy into a PIC role in a light jet.

 

[wrxpilot]

Flying is more difficult than say... attending to a parking lot. But it is insufficiently hard to require decent pay in the free market.

Just is what it is....

The interesting thing about aviation is that the complexity and technical aspects are highly variable. If one chooses to operate in an environment with minimal demands (and in some cases, supervised), I think a reasonable level of safety can be accomplished with an average or even somewhat mediocre pilot. If one desires to have a much higher technical understanding, or to operate in a much more challenging environment that is intolerant of mediocrity, it is very easy to do so (as the NTSB database so clearly shows).

I used to work as a mechanical engineer in a fairly demanding field, so I see what you're attempting to say. But the problem is your perspective is one sided. You've yet to cross over to a more challenging segment of professional aviation, and apparently believe that your limited experience of Seneca flying is typical of professional aviation. You say "...it is what it is". I say: You don't know, what you don't know.

More importantly, you appear to be crossing over to a couple of the hazardous attitudes you may remember from the FOI: Macho and Invulnerability. Your online persona conveys that you've seen it all and are above this simple act of flying. I could of course be misinterpreting what you're writing, but you clearly aren't very humble about your limited experiences. That's not a good trait in a pilot.

 

[pilotyip]

Back to the beginning, almost anyone can learn to fly, only a certain level of skill and desire is needed. However that does mean that everyone will be a good pilot. I look at my squadron experience flying P-3's, not everyone made Patrol Plane Commander. These were pilots who made it through Navy flight training, landed on aircraft carriers, but the CO did not have confidence in their leadership and judgment skills and elected not designate them as PPC's, back in the late 60's this was around 10% of the first tour pilot pilots. We have not found a way to do this an the civilian side. BTW They became career co-pilots and their Navy career was over. Some got out and became major airline pilots due to the shortages in the late 60's, and had careers with no layoffs, max historical pay scales, and lived the glory years. Again luck and timing have more to due with success in this career than skill and desire.

 

[CX880]

First off.... single pilot IFR in a twin piston turbo with no autopilot is WAY more difficult than flying around in an RJ or a citation. you guys are nuts!

Yes. It does take some coordination. So I'll amend my assertion and say '*almost* any bar tard with a credit card can get a commercial pilot's license and a job at a regional airline'

The free market has set my salary at close to 100K a year with 10 weeks of leave. That's because what I do is REALLY hard and not many people can do it.

Flying is more difficult than say... attending to a parking lot. But it is insufficiently hard to require decent pay in the free market.

Just is what it is....

We don't get paid based on how difficult our flying is, I don't know if you made it past your private pilot's license but we get paid based on returns and the level of responsibility. The easier the flying the better and the higher the pay. If you ask an int crew flying heavy equipment they'll tell your their job isn't that difficult but they do have more responsibility and do make more for their company. Just because anyone can get into flying doesn't mean that they're willing to do it, because it still is a demanding job even if it's not difficult.

Plus difficult is a relative term..... if your doctor is finding it hard to operate on people day in and day out you better find a new doctor.

 

[Fly-By-Cable]

More importantly, you appear to be crossing over to a couple of the hazardous attitudes you may remember from the FOI: Macho and Invulnerability. Your online persona conveys that you've seen it all and are above this simple act of flying. I could of course be misinterpreting what you're writing, but you clearly aren't very humble about your limited experiences. That's not a good trait in a pilot.[/QUOTE]

Best advice I've seen on here in a long time.

 

[Jackie Moon]

More importantly, you appear to be crossing over to a couple of the hazardous attitudes you may remember from the FOI: Macho and Invulnerability. Your online persona conveys that you've seen it all and are above this simple act of flying. I could of course be misinterpreting what you're writing, but you clearly aren't very humble about your limited experiences. That's not a good trait in a pilot.

Best advice I've seen on here in a long time.[/QUOTE]

+1

 

[Jetjockey]

The interesting thing about aviation is that the complexity and technical aspects are highly variable. If one chooses to operate in an environment with minimal demands (and in some cases, supervised), I think a reasonable level of safety can be accomplished with an average or even somewhat mediocre pilot. If one desires to have a much higher technical understanding, or to operate in a much more challenging environment that is intolerant of mediocrity, it is very easy to do so (as the NTSB database so clearly shows).

I used to work as a mechanical engineer in a fairly demanding field, so I see what you're attempting to say. But the problem is your perspective is one sided. You've yet to cross over to a more challenging segment of professional aviation, and apparently believe that your limited experience of Seneca flying is typical of professional aviation. You say "...it is what it is". I say: You don't know, what you don't know.

More importantly, you appear to be crossing over to a couple of the hazardous attitudes you may remember from the FOI: Macho and Invulnerability. Your online persona conveys that you've seen it all and are above this simple act of flying. I could of course be misinterpreting what you're writing, but you clearly aren't very humble about your limited experiences. That's not a good trait in a pilot.

Well put.

 

[psycho]

There never has been and never will be a pilot shortage, period. Even the Wright Flyer had twice as many pilots as it had seats.

Regional airlines will never be more than a few months behind the staffing curve.

They only need to find a few willing candidates with no felony convictions and access to money, and presto! Zero to hero in a few months. Oh wait, " We fixed it"

 

[pilotyip]

There never has been and never will be a pilot shortage, period.

is that you Avbug? we have missed you

 

[resetjet]

Can you teach a 250 wonder how to fly a profile in a CRJ? Absolutely! Get back to me when they are in the right seat flying an approach in the dead of winter into GRR to mins with blowing snow and crazy crosswinds with a full load of passengers. This job requires a certain attention to detail, there are all sorts of Mx/Px/Wx and routing considerations every single flight. If you don't know your limitations and the limitations of the aircraft you are flying bad things will happen. Don't even try and tell me flying a piston a/c and flying a fully loaded turbofan at F370 and M.80 are the same thing. It has nothing to do with ego and everything to do with experience and time at the yoke!