Pilot shortage?????

[Andy]

Yeager worship? His reputation as one of the world's biggest jerks was reinforced to me a decade ago. One of my UPT students asked Yeager what he could do to be a better pilot. Yeager gave him an answer that can't be repeated here.
A Guard unit that I flew for was retiring the F-4. They contacted Yeager offering him a spot in their final flight. His response was that he could fly any plane he wanted at Test Pilot School; why would he want to fly an old POS F-4?

Yeager would have made a terrible airline pilot.

http://www.hdforums.com/forum/off-topic/194348-i-meet-chuck-yeager.html
http://www.aviationbanter.com/showthread.php?t=56569
http://www.airliners.net/aviation-forums/general_aviation/read.main/4659990/

 

[waveflyer]

yea like all those guys who came and went to NWA, DAL, SWA, NJ, FedEx, UPS, etc. It is a real joy in my life that I helped them get that experience that allowed the next move. Most are still my friend and we stay in touch. I love that part of this job

Sounds like a great opportunity. Actually, I have a pilot who might be a perfect fit for you, Yip. Are you hiring? Tell me a bit about the operation, what are the pay and schedules like?

(c'mon, trying to help you sell this gig)

 

[Sir Innocenti]

Don't forget we have regional pilots because the mainline guys did not want those little T-prop pilots on their seniority list. If far thinking pilots at the majors had said sure come board, sure you will start a dirt wages, but in 5 years you be making good money as a 73 F/O we would not have this problem. Look at Comair, they raised their costs to the mainline in order to pay the pilots, so flying get set someplace else to keep the wages at the mainline. This is not so much a management problem as it is a senior pilots protecting themselves at the expense of the junior pilot.

RH: This is the truest statement EVER written on FI! If more egotistical, megalomaniacal pilots would have realized this, we wouldnt have ever derived to the current regional crapshow we have today.

 

[Ridgeback]

NEVER!???!!! What if we educated the up and coming pilots to command their righteous earnings. To me, being paid equivalent to a carpet cleaner is not a leveling playing ground. With all due respect to laborers, most pilots have spent money on a 4yr. degree plus flight school and have accumulated student loans only to qualify for food stamps. We CAN do something and SHOULD. I lecture at high schools and warn the bright and eager shiny jet syndrome scholars of their futures. May be that's not enough. I love AVIATION and want to encourage our youth. I am asking all of you to share your thoughts and wisdom in this matter. If we can start from the bottom, we can recreate a well respected aviation community that was lost in our generation.... Any thoughts????

The problem is young pilots never get into flying for the money. The get into it to tell chicks at the bar they fly jets. They are already told not to expect any money until they make to the majors.

 

[vetrider]

I heard that during the CAL strike Yeager made a comment about the Continental pilots 'being a bunch of babies who should get back to work.' I don't know if that is true or not, does anyone remember one way or another?

 

[pilotyip]

The college degree box is just there to weed out applicants. Gotta agree with YIP, it really has nothing to do with flying. Just a way to shove apps into another pile.

Personally I don't care if the person sitting next to me has a degree or not as long as they are a good pilot and are enjoyable to work with but I don't design hiring criteria and I'm guessing that nobody else here does either.

One can also prove their trainability through work experiences outside of college as well. Some of the smartest people I have ever met have no college degree, and some of the dumbest people I have ever met are college professors with PHds. There is an old saying, those that can, do.....those that can't teach college. If not for a college campus some of these guys would starve to death.

Thanks, you guy seem to get it.

BTW All this talk about running up all this debt for college and then taking a crap paying job. Why run up the debt for college, you can get the crap paying job without the degree. You can do like the JUS pilt, get the job, have the company pay for a good deal of your degree through tuition reimbursement and get a job as a Corp pilot at Fortune 5 company.

 

[waveflyer]

Originally Posted by pilotyip
Don't forget we have regional pilots because the mainline guys did not want those little T-prop pilots on their seniority list. If far thinking pilots at the majors had said sure come board, sure you will start a dirt wages, but in 5 years you be making good money as a 73 F/O we would not have this problem. Look at Comair, they raised their costs to the mainline in order to pay the pilots, so flying get set someplace else to keep the wages at the mainline. This is not so much a management problem as it is a senior pilots protecting themselves at the expense of the junior pilot."



Credit where credit is due- I didn't see this quote- but very true Yip-

 

[mbw]

Chucky

While we're waiting for the greatest pilot shortage to happen....

FYI...Originally, Yeager was never supposed to fly the X1. Bob Hoover was to fly it. Hoover recommended Yeager after he couldn't do it and the rest is history, (I think Bob was hurt or too tall or something...can't remember)

 

[HA25]

the saddest thing is I still talk to pilots today who really believe there is a shorting gonna come... It's just like the Koolaid people in Guyana, so sad.

 

[Whine Lover]

The "Pilot Shortage" has been here for 10 years:

Pilots have been "shorted" in their :

- Paychecks

- Healthcare benefits

- Retirements

Etc., etc., etc.

 

[BrickTop]

the saddest thing is I still talk to pilots today who really believe there is a shorting gonna come... It's just like the Koolaid people in Guyana, so sad.

Good to know "practical perception" still exists.

 

[waveflyer]

I'm not going to read this thread- but when I hear pilot shortage- I hear that movement will begin again, not that airlines will be paying kids to go to flight school out of high school-
There was a shortage in 2000- I saw hundreds of flights cancelled as airlines tried to keep up- but it wasn't so short, every mediocre pilot would get sucked up into te majors-
I see that scenario happening again -
If you want to be average to below average and are looking for the "shortage" that will get you a job at the majors- good luck with that... Probably won't happen. You might want to put in work and get better

 

[HA25]

I'm not going to read this thread- but when I hear pilot shortage- I hear that movement will begin again, not that airlines will be paying kids to go to flight school out of high school-
There was a shortage in 2000- I saw hundreds of flights cancelled as airlines tried to keep up- but it wasn't so short, every mediocre pilot would get sucked up into te majors-
I see that scenario happening again -
If you want to be average to below average and are looking for the "shortage" that will get you a job at the majors- good luck with that... Probably won't happen. You might want to put in work and get better

So would you define 7 type ratings with, 6000+ total time with both 121 and 135 PIC and with no failures over 15 years, a 4 year degree in accounting and never fired at a job as as below average?

Still no word from WN, FedEx or anyone else good.

Problem? No strong internal ref. It's "who you know", not quality that gets you "in" these days.

 

[vetrider]

So would you define 7 type ratings with, 6000+ total time with both 121 and 135 PIC and with no failures over 15 years, a 4 year degree in accounting and never fired at a job as as below average?

Still no word from WN, FedEx or anyone else good.

Problem? No strong internal ref. It's "who you know", not quality that gets you "in" these days.

You're timing is off. Anyone else 'good?' Are you like cousin Eddie's unemployed for 6 years relative holding out for a management position? Even if times are good, not everyone gets on at some place 'good.'

It will get tight for the airlines again. And there will still be guys with degrees, time, and everything else at the wazoo who aren't on someplace 'good.'

 

[HA25]

You're timing is off. Anyone else 'good?' Are you like cousin Eddie's unemployed for 6 years relative holding out for a management position? Even if times are good, not everyone gets on at some place 'good.'

It will get tight for the airlines again. And there will still be guys with degrees, time, and everything else at the wazoo who aren't on someplace 'good.'

...thus my point about the pilot shortage, or lack thereof.