Pilot Shortage

[Pilotadjuster]

Consider the source

Always consider the source of information; if they are trying to sell you a $50k flight training program, then....

No pilot shortage anyone here has seen, at any experience level, but heres to hoping!

 

[bobbysamd]

More "pilot unshortage"

Absolutely. We should all hope that the economy will improve reapidly, all of the furloughees will be recalled, and the airlines will need pilots. Don't equate "need" with "pilot shortage." There's a major difference.

However, Pub, don't forget that although companies may say they need someone with 5000 total-1000 multi PIC turbine, all they have to do, and will do, is lower the mins and voila, qualifiied, trainable applicants coming out of their ears. And, therein lies the rub.

Just as E.L. Cord discovered, there are plenty of pilots available to fly airplanes. Companies are never desperate for pilots. Pilots, though, are somtimes desperate for jobs.

 

[reaperman]

The term "Pilot" may be a bit too generic to apply a concept like shortage to. There are pilots and then there are pilots.

I've been reading about and watching Airnet since before I could get my medical cert. (Finally started training last month), and Craig Washka definitely described a pilot shortage (before September). The shortage was of pilots who could fill out the applications correctly and completely, pass their sim rides, and successfully complete Airnet's training course. Just as a side note, being able to spell 'definitey' does not seem to be a requirement for any pilot job, and may even be a disqualifier

There seem to be a lot of Airnet pilots on this board and, from everything I've read and heard about the type of flying involved, you are all to be congratulated on being among the best civilian pilots out there.

I used to be an electronics engineer, another profession which has suffered a "shortage" since I can remember. There were always plenty of engineering school graduates to fill the jobs, but there were not many of them who could really do the job well. I suspect the same may be true of pilots.

 

[publisher]

point

that was the point Bobby,

There can be a shortage of high time 737 type rated pilots but n overall shortage.

There can be a shortage to the extent one has to drop their minimums.

There can be an abundance in the US and not worldwide.

What there will never be is a shortage of people with licenses.

 

[ShawnC]

There is a pilot shortage, theres a shortage of available female pilots. To date I have only met one that is single, I mean come on normal girls just never understand that much I(and most pilots) love flying. I use to work eight hours on the line, just to get a free tow right before it close up for the day. And that was ontop of my normal job that I held during the week.

 

[bobbysamd]

counterpoint

True, Pub, there are plenty of folks with pilot certificates. I'm just one.

Now, if the airline in question held fast to its 5000 hour requirement and found no takers, then, yes, it is facing a shortage. Drop the requirement to 4000 hours and poof! the shortage vanishes. Ergo, there is no pilot shortage. Now, if it can't find anyone after dropping the requirments several times, then there is a need and people should sign up with one of Kit's 737 type providers and get typed. That fills a need. However, if Kit trumpets a need for 737 pilots when there is no such need, that is a snowjob.

 

[skydiverdriver]

I have never heard anyone talk about a pilot shortage. Now, I have heard them talk about a shortage of qualified pilots, but that is completely different. I think this may happen, and was beginning to happen before Sept 11th. Of course, that changed everything, and nobody could have predicted it. We are in a recession, and the attacks made it worse. Of course you can't rely on information that was given before the terrorist act. I think we will have a shortage of QUALIFIED pilots, but not for a couple years after it was originally going to happen. Good luck, and don't give up.

 

[kilomike]

pilot shortage--Never!!

There never was, and never will be a pilot shortage. Bobbysamd put it best.

I would definitely not object to more people learning to fly for pleasure or personal business, however.

The "pilot shortage" is manufactured by Kit Darby, and money-hungry flight schools feeding off of people's hopes and dreams. I think it's sad that so many people get taken advantage of in this manner.

 

[350DRIVER]

I think most if not all flight schools or I should say your "bigger" more notable schools are very guilty of selling the "Pilot Shortage" propaganda- They would not be as successful as they are today without some false advertising and "selling" of this idea to the young and nieve that "only" want to be "airline pilots" and thats all they want....- If it were only this easy....... But if you put things into perspective and look at this whole process that the flight schools are selling "new" airline pilot wannabes-they don't know any better and they truly believe in the flight school and have no doubts in their mind that there is a "pilot shortage"- very good marketing techinques BUT sad because this is not the case at all and by the time the would be "airline pilot" realizes this they have already sunk a large amount of money into these "programs" and for the most part their hands are tied with very few options or "ways out" to turn to...... A few prime examples are Tab Express and Kit's little money maker- BUT they market their concepts and ideas so well that the young next generation of pilots "believe" in them without knowing any better-

I don't think their will ever be a "pilot shortage" but as long as your Tab Express and Kit's of the industry are alive and well they will continue to brainwash and "sell" the ideas to the "young" next generation of pilots who only know or "want" to believe in these misconceptions... Supply will always outnumber demand in this industry.

cheers
350

 

[publisher]

good

I think that one has to realize though that these schools like TAB would fail if they did not have success.

You need to know that TAB just placed some of their students in the last 30 days and so the people that they placed achieved what they wanted to.

Now that is not because of a shortage as discussed.


While Bobby and I debate whether people really come to the desire for this profession because Kit or TAB or anyone else says there is a shortage, most pilots have the self confidence to believe that they can compete with anyone for the job. As long as there are some good positions out there to aspire to, there will be people to compete for them.

 

[bobbysamd]

Desire

I think the great majority of people aspire to the profession because they love airplanes and aviation. That was my sole motivation to learn how to fly. When Kit declared there is/was a pilot shortage, that was the icing on the cake. I thought, well, gee, is this something with which moi can make a career? I found that prospect to be more than exciting; it was a dream come true.

I believe that quite a few other people want the career because of the potential to make money and enjoy a great lifestyle. Others do it because they are military pilots and flying airplanes is all they know. That does not mean they don't love aviation any less. Then, you have the son or daughter of an airline captain, whose father and maybe grandfather was an airline captain. The young person starts training because it was pre-ordained. I remember running in to one or two Riddlers who said they were flying because they had nothing else to do. These students frustrated me. Look up the Law of Readiness in the FOI.

I remember when I started my first full-time flying job that it didn't seem like work. Do it because you love it.

 

[pilotyip]

Shortage of experience

There may have never been a pilot shortage, but there certainly was a shortage of pilots with the potential to rapidly upgrade. In 2000 we were upgrading pilots to DA-20 Captain after three months on line as an F/O, who three years earlier would not have meet our DA-20 F/O hiring minimums. The regionals were hiring 500 hr pilots with under 100 MEL, true there were always people looking for pilots jobs, but we got real deep in the experience barrel. Air Inc provides an excellent forum, about 1/3 of our pilots come from the Air Inc. system because we get to see the guys and talk to them before we bring them in for the interview. I wish they would have had something like this in the 1980's when I was "between jobs". Pilots who avoid using thier services are missing some great opportunities to sell themselves and find out what is going on in the market. Kit Darby does a great job.

 

[pilotyip]

Experience Shortage

There may have never been a pilot shortage, but there certainly was a shortage of pilots with the potential to rapidly upgrade. In 2000 we were upgrading pilots to DA-20 Captain after three months on line as an F/O, who three years earlier would not have meet our DA-20 F/O hiring minimums. The regionals were hiring 500 hr pilots with under 100 MEL, true there were always people looking for pilots jobs, but we got real deep in the experience barrel. Air Inc provides an excellent forum, about 1/3 of our pilots come from the Air Inc. system because we get to see the guys and talk to them before we bring them in for the interview. I wish they would have had something like this in the 1980's when I was "between jobs". Pilots who avoid using thier services are missing some great opportunities to sell themselves and find out what is going on in the market. Kit Darby does a great job. It is $200 well spent for the latest from the mouth intelligence out there. We will be there in July and hiring.

 

[Snakum]

PilotYip ... what were the mins in 2000 for Captain? For FO? You're with Ameristar, or was it Reliant? Just curious.


I take it the closest we've ever been to a 'shortage' was in the early 60s.

I spoke with an older retired UA guy at a local FBO once who told me he was picked up by United in 1963 (if I remember correctly) with a fresh Commercial ME and no high school diploma and sent to FE training on a 707. Boy ... talk about a firehose!


Minh
Sometimes SE Piston Corporate Geek

 

[Timebuilder]

I know one of those guys. You'd be amazed how many were hired that way. I was about twelve years too young for that little hiring frenzy.