Yeah, it's been worse, a few times. The times I know best are the late-'80s-early-'90s, when I was trying. Hiring was going great guns at least from 1987. Then, that boom ground to a halt beginning in the summer of 1990; ironically, when I had my first interview.
I remember on that day how there was so much buzz about hiring stopping everywhere. That was the day after Iraq invaded Kuwait. I've read since that the early-'90s recession had begun. There was a little hiring here, a little hiring there, but commuter hiring ground to a halt in mid-1991. Factor in the Eastern and Pan Am shutdowns and those pilots competing for both jobs at the majors and commuter jobs. Hiring really didn't recover until maybe 1995. And, of course, the brakes has been put on that boom. Similar circumstances to 1991, if you view it that way.
There's always some hiring. You just don't see massive hiring booms that often. It's either big time feast or big time famine.
Oh yes! Early 90's I remember being told I needed 1,000 hours to instruct! Yes it has been much worse. At least there is some movement with small jet carriers and regionals hiring. Its only a matter of time before things turn around. Timing is everything in this industry.
For the old timers out there they'll remember how bad the entire decade of the seventies was for new hiring and furloughs. IMO, that was the worst period for pilot hiring.
Since this current downturn hasn't played itself out yet, it is hard to say if it'll be like the last one.
My gut feeling is this one could last a lot longer for those who'll have to wait for the furlough recalls to zero out, and the new hiring to start up again.
My best wishes to all who are waiting for their turn to get back out on the "diamond" and play ball again.
Oil embargo, long gas lines, every airline had furloughed pilots, Boeing nearly shut down. I thought life as we've known it was over. The more things change, the more they stay the same. Stay tuned.
The first part of every decade is slow, and this isn't by far the worst. This is average, really.
Things are picking up. I've been offered interviews or jobs from probably ten companies in the past month, and four jobs in the past week. (One of which I took on a temporary basis).
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