Australia has traditionally been one of the countries that exported pilots. I, as an American citizen, now have 0 chance of flying in Australia.
Actually, you, as an American citizen, not only could fly in Australia, but join the defense force, be trained as a pilot, serve a tour, and come home without ever relinguishing your US citizenship. You have zero chance of flying for Quantas.
When I lived there, I knew other "americans" who lived and worked there, too.
Australia is a poor example, having a very low population density and far less flying opportunities. If you can obtain sponsorship, however, the necessary visa, and find work, you can certainly go there to work. I did. Australia has traditionally long brought in skilled employment from all over the world...including the US, and including pilots.
This, from your first link:
The shortage is raising concerns that some pilots don't have adequate training or experience to deal with adverse conditions, especially in developing countries. In Brazil, pilots at TAM Linhas Aéreas SA last year overshot a São Paulo runway and smashed a new Airbus jet into a building during stormy weather, killing more than 190 people. The pilots were apparently confused about how to reduce engine power and apply reverse thrust.
Are we truly expected to believe that the airbus crew didn't know how to reduce power? Of course not. This is idiotic. Are we expected to believe that the airbus crew did not know how to apply reverse thrust? No...we know that's not remotely true. But somehow the brilliant, truthful, and accurate reporting from the Wallstreet Journal tells us that this mishap occured because such a shortage of pilot exists that only pilots so inexperienced that they can't figure out how to reduce power or apply reverse thrust get used.
Therefore we can safely give zero credibility to that article. Next...air india.
With apartments in New Delhi going for up to five hundred thousand dollars US, excessive population density and lower quality living, and internal disgruntlement by air india bypassing the seniority chain and giving direct entry to captains...any wonder that they're having problems? Not a pilot shortage, just a less desirable destination. Given the choice of flying a 777 for United, Cathay, Emirates, or other operators vs. Air India..you're not seeing a pilot shortage. Just not a lot of pilots who are interested in voing over there. No shortage in numbers, just in willingness to put up with Air India.
In particular, whereas Air India is a government operation with payoffs and kickbacks by recruitment agencies to certain officials,and artificial pilot numbers used to bolster requests for more aircraft in a corrupt system, don't get too carried away with using air india as a representative example of a pilot shortage. There isn't one.
There is no pilot shortage.
As for the Aussie article, it states that only 16,000 student pilots are trained globally a year. Ironically, here in the US alone we had over 84,000 student pilot certificates held as of last year (last stats available). Go figure. We have over 92,000 flight instructors in the US...yet mysteriously only 16,000 pilots trained worldwide? Are we to seriously believe the statistics claimed in the aussie article? No. We don't have a shortage of students, applicants, pilots, or instructors.
Japan Contract Jobs:
Some of the 767 operators have just been given a raise and better working conditions. They are reported to need twice as many contractors as they presently have, in the near future.
JAL and other Japanese operators aren't hurting for pilots. They're rejecting pilots. They routinely reject pilots for their body mass index (fat pilots) or for very exacting tolerances...they haven't a shortage of applicants. That they may need more pilots is really irrelevant to the issue of a shortage. A need which can be filled isn't a shortage. It's just a need. There isn't a shortage.
Likewise, even if a large influx of pilots enters Australia (unlikely, as there isn't a great need), it still doesn't equate to a shortage. There isn't one.
Fact is that pilot hiring is winding down, somewhat.
We don't have a shortage of pilots domestically, nor internationally. Where operators are having difficulty obtaining pilots, it's not for lack of pilots. Just a lack of pilots willing to work there.
smattering of accounts as to why "there are no good flying jobs".
