Pilot Shortage (again and again)

[trucker]

Pilot Shortages ARE real (sometimes)

sometimes the shortages are real.

I personally have no use for the parasites AIRINC, Darby, AEPS, and once upon a time FAPA who put out all that self serving drivel about shortages. However, In the time period 98-01 there was a real shortage. My company (a freighter op out of business now post 9/11) was so desparate for pilots in early 2000 that flight crews were solicited by management: "Do you know anybody needs a flying job?" and were given flyers to handout at random FBOs we passed thru. It was quality jet time and we had vacant slots needing pilots. But who wants to fly night freight when the regionals were hiring so strong at the same time? When I was returning from Simuflite one time (summer 2000) I ran into a couple Northwest pilots who encouraged me to put in an app there because they needed pilots real bad.

As recently as last summer Executive Jet was also very desparate for pilots and had planes parked with nobody to fly them. They were hiring direct at job fairs and on the road at FBOs also.

I have seen real pilot shortages in the recent past and I hope the good-ole-days return again real soon.

t

 

[bobbysamd]

"Real" pilot shortages

Pilot shortages are real until H.R. lowers the current requirements. Then, there are no more shortages until requirements have to be lowered again, ad infinitum.

Now, if H.R. lowered requirements to the point where it was hiring 250-hour pilots, then, yes, there would be a pilot shortage. Something like that happened briefly in the '60s. Don't hold your breath for that happening again. I'm not counting the 300-hours wonders whom United hires, who are aberrations, or 300-hour MAPD grads, who are qualified strictly for Mesa.

I agree with the above. The only time I like to see airplanes parked is when they need pilots. Other times are tragedies. I still remember the day when the original Frontier shut down.