Pilot Shortage

[bobbysamd]

Still try . . .

Good analysis, Brian. I would add that many of us forget, or don't remember, that there was a pilot shortage as Brian defined in the 1960s. Places like United were hiring people with Commercials at the mins or even with Privates (as an aside, United still does, sometimes!!). But, that was only briefly in the sixties.

Despite the deceptive, shifting sands of Kit's pilot shortage, people should still try for the career. Just realize that attaining your goals won't be the easy, breezy experience as Kit and his sycophants lead you to believe. It takes a lot more to get a pilot job than just being persistent and optimistic.

 

[Timebuilder]

Right Bobby.

Nowdays, it takes a LOT more.

 

[bigD]

For me - I don't really care how long I have to wait, as long as I get there at some point. Yeah, it'd be nice to make the bigger money earlier, but I'm beginning to realize that the process of getting there is half the fun. So what if I have to instruct another year or two, or spend some more time flying RJ's or Brasilias? It's still flying. Each step of the process is going to be a blast in its own way.

I just see a couple of my buddies plunking down 40K and getting their 1000/200 in like 18 months, and wonder how much time they've had to sit back and really enjoy being up there? Do they ever fly a cub to a 1500' grass strip to get some BBQ in the small town nearby? Or do the date flight where you watch the sun go down from the air and have dinner somewhere 300nm away? Not to knock the rapid training method - it's certainly faster and cheaper!

Yeah, I know - I don't have a family to think about yet, so maybe I'm being naive, but at the moment I'm just enjoying where I am now, and will worry about the airlines when I finally get the minimums to apply.

 

[bobbysamd]

Good attitude

Absolutely. Part of the fun is getting there. Some of my best experiences in aviation were when I soloed my first student, when I soloed CAP cadets during two CAP flight encampments, running one of the encampments, and building something like 250 hours of multi in one semester instructing at ERAU. (Finally) getting a phone call inviting me to my first interview was a good experience. My best memory: The last day of my last job before starting aviation full time. Arriving at that day was a journey in and of itself.

Enjoy the ride. There's plenty to enjoy.

 

[publisher]

fun

I would agree that getting there is half the fun.

Most of the time when I tell people to consider an accelerated program, it is someone who is a mid life career changer, older and someone trying to catch up. In addition, sometimes the persons personality is such that they are a lousy instructor and that is just not the route.

As to Brian, to me there is a shortage any time I cannot find someone I want. If I have to lower my standards, there is a shortage. I am not sure that there is not a shortage today of people with the work ethic I want. The me generation is not what I want so there is a shortage.

Lastly, life is competitive. You do not go become a lawyer or doctor because someone like Kit or some college runs ads about the doctor shortage. Pilots have always had the giant ego and the confidant nature,,,,,, unless they were being interviewed by a chief pilot,,,,that the competition should not matter.

 

[enigma]

amazed by you

.............. I am not sure that there is not a shortage today of people with the work ethic I want. The me generation is not what I want so there is a shortage. .................

Man you amaze me. I just can't imagine how someone who seemingly makes a living ( I assume that publishing a magazine is your livelyhood) from pilots, and who professes a love of the industry can have such a low level of respect for the people that constitute his bread and butter.

I don't know who you are observing when you come to the conclusion that there is a shortage of people/pilots with a proper work ethic, but it isn't anyone that flys for a living. When was the last time you spent a week with a ditch driver, or even a Brasilia crew flying 7/8/9 legs a day? When was the last time you went through upgrade training? Even the PFT'rs that I despise still have to work their tails off to succeed.

Are you an employer of professional pilots?, or are you just speaking hypothetically when you say that the me generation is not what you want?

For that matter, just what do you want, indentured servants or maybe just plain slaves?

later

 

[publisher]

Enigma

Enigma,

Sorry about that. I was using an actual example from a Director of Operations of a Part 121 carrier who will remain nameless. It was a discussion on crew scheduling and all the people who did not show for work.

While he may have been facetious in making the remark, I know where he was coming from. There are many today who worry more about their time off than their time on and it is not necessarily the younger generation.

I have a friend who is an American Captain who was on reserve and who whined when they called him to actually go fly a trip. It interfered with his golf and fishing.

You have to read these things with the grain of reality that is there and not get too offended. If you fly the line, you know some of these people.

 

[Timebuilder]

I knew a guy like that.

He would get all bent out of shape when I would "volunteer" to fly his 767 if he had a tee time he wanted to make.

Talk about a shift in priorities....

 

[enigma]

Re: Enigma

Enigma,

Sorry about that. I was using an actual example from a Director of Operations of a Part 121 carrier who will remain nameless. It was a discussion on crew scheduling and all the people who did not show for work.

Publisher

If I missed something from the ongoing string that would have explained your post, I appologize. But I didn't see anything in that post that would have indicated that you were quoting someone else. I know, because you've said so, that you sometimes write some things to get a reaction; and I considered that before I responded, but I couldn't find any way to justify that kind of attitude towards hard working pilots.

 

[NYRANGERS]

I knew a guy like that.

He would get all bent out of shape when I would "volunteer" to fly his 767 if he had a tee time he wanted to make.

Talk about a shift in priorities....

This is why high paying mainline jobs are becomming a thing of the past.

Do you mean volunteer to fly his 767 for free?

 

[publisher]

Hurry

Sometimes when I get in a hurry, I skip stuff just trying to make the point, which was, anytime I (proverbial I) cannot hire who I want, there is a shortage to me.

As with any group, there are a bunch of hard working pilots, and , there are those on cruise control. The American guy is my friend but I don't see him getting too stressed out having to crank that 767 to South America and back every other week or two.


When I get paid to write, we take a bit more time.

 

[Timebuilder]

>>This is why high paying mainline jobs are becomming a thing of the past.

Do you mean volunteer to fly his 767 for free?

Let's not go down that road again...

I would tell him that to remind him that a lot of guys would love to be inconvenienced in that way, and to further remind him that this had been a goal for him, and he should be d*** thankful for the job he had. I'd have been happy to relieve him of $200 per hr for a flight to Paris!!

 

[NYRANGERS]

>>This is why high paying mainline jobs are becomming a thing of the past.

Do you mean volunteer to fly his 767 for free?

Let's not go down that road again...

I would tell him that to remind him that a lot of guys would love to be inconvenienced in that way, and to further remind him that this had been a goal for him, and he should be d*** thankful for the job he had. I'd have been happy to relieve him of $200 per hr for a flight to Paris!!

Fair enough, I just wasn't sure what you meant by you r previous statement. Sorry for implying otherwise.

I am thankful for my job....

 

[bobbysamd]

Absolutely

I would have jumped for joy had all my commuter job-hunting efforts resulted in just one invitation to class. I would have been joyous, still, just to hold a good line and drive around a 1900 for several years. RJ controversies notwithstanding, to be in the right place at the right time for an RJ seat would have been beyond my wildest imagination.

 

[TurboS7]

We had to turn down a 40K 727 charter tonight because we didn't have any crews....yes there is a pilot shortage on Sunday nights, holidays, and when the weather is great for golf. It is a great life but somebody has to do it.

 

[Flightjock30]

There certainly is not a pilot shortage in the civilian aviation world, but there is one in military aviation.

 

[bobbysamd]

Military v. Civilian Pilot Shortage

Perhaps. But, you can't compare the two. Many factors govern the number of military pilot slots, such as whether the military feels it needs pilots.

Maybe what you really should look at is if there is a shortage of people wanting to be military pilots. To the best of my knowledge, there is no shortage of wannabes. The military sets specific, narrow criteria for trainees and there might not be enough of them available. This may be a situation of whether there are enough qualified applicants available for the slots to be filled.

In the case of the civilian pilot "shortage," there is never a shortage because the airlines adjust their requirements according to their needs. In times such as now, they raise the quals. In better hiring times, when they're not running short of better-qualified applicants, they lower their requirements and the void is filled. On the other hand, the military's requirements are rigid.

 

[Austpilot]

I know I keep saying it, but there may not be a pilot shortage in your part of the world, but there will be in the Asia Pacific soon if the future aircraft orders are anything to go by.

 

[skydiverdriver]

Austpilot

So, do you think they will be hiring expats for those jobs? Which asian airlines are ordering planes? Thanks for the info.

 

[PilotOnTheRise]

I believe what the guy who originally posted the question about pilot shortages, was really wanting to know, is whether getting into aviation is a good thing at this time to do. Will he have a chance of getting hired down the road? I do not believe there will be, or is a pilot shortage as far as there being no pilots to take the places of retiring pilots. However, I do believe the rumor of all the pilots that will retire over the next 10 years, which is alot of them. The part that makes there "no shortage" is the young training pilots like myself and many others who will move in to take the regional jobs, that went to the majors to take the retired pilot's jobs. In that respect, there is no "shortage" in pilots, however, there will be a NEED for them and plenty of jobs for people like myself to get. But, also plenty of young pilots to go after those jobs, again like myself and others currently going after their ratings and building time. So, now is probably one of the best times to get into aviation. I will not be applying to an airline for another few years, and by then, things should be back to normal, as they are already beginning to pick up. The regionals have announced when they will call back their furloughed pilots and some regionals are even hiring again.