Pilots Wanted!!!

[Guitar Guy]

Ol' Kit Darby and his "there's a shortage a-comin'" diatribe. Doesn't matter what is really happening in the industry, it's always the same song from him.

 

[Falconjet]

What, you can't fill the seats at $17K per year?

The shock!

FJ

 

[NW_Pilot]

What, you can't fill the seats at $17K per year?

The shock!

FJ

Just be glad the border jumpers don't figure out how to start learning how to fly!!! They will work for $8.5k a year and also help load the bags and think they can buy a $250k house on that income and get a loan with out a valid SSN.

Wonder why I have no desire to go to the airlines... sheesh....

 

[avbug]

You don't want to be an airline pilot because of a fantasy about illegal aliens who become airline pilots? That makes no sense at all. Nor does the rest of your post. Again.

 

[UndauntedFlyer]

There is a worldwide shortage of pilots. Much worse internationally than here. It will only get worse everywhere, including the USA. Anyone learning to fly now will find more and more opportunites, especially in about 5-years when the Age 65 rule kicks in. For a young person just finishing high school I recommend the profession. The pilot profession will have many more jobs than applicants. Of course, the wages will be about the same as school teachers.

This shortage is driven by the fact that training is down significantly all accross the US. The costs of training is just too high for many people.

 

[skyaddict]

You are right about the international shortage, and it will spread to the U.S. by osmosis no matter what the economic downturns are... well, barring a global depression anyway. Although, as you say, with downward pressure on pay, because the overseas jobs pay are low (they seem high only because the dollar is so low). We won't truly know there's a real pilot shortage in the U.S. though until Air Inc. seminars are *free* and paid for by the employers, the way that job fairs are for most skilled professions. AIR Inc. fairs can be valuable to jump up the que, but I find it offensive that one has to shell out major cash simply to show up at a job fair.

 

[sqwkvfr]

There are some people in Europe claiming that the "shortage" is starting to slow. There seems to be no shortage of FTOs cranking out integrated students for direct hire to the likes of BMI, British Airways, RyanAir, Thomas Cook, etc.

In fact, three of the aforementioned are dropping people from their hiring pool or pulling sponsorships from students enrolled in integrated programs, leaving them stranded with a considerable training note and willing to take any job they can find.

I've said over and over again that foreign pilots don't want to work here.....there is no way that they would "lower" themselves to enter the fray that is the US regional "1000 turbine PIC" game and would certainly go bankrupt repaying a considerable training note on the wages paid here.....even on a regional captain's pay.

I am, however, concerned that the trend may be starting to reverse. I still think that foreign pilots are a long way away from lusting after entering the US aviation workforce.

Anyway, I realize that I may have gotten off on a bit of a tangent, but my point was that signs are starting to appear that would indicate that the "worldwide pilot shortage" is soon to be over.....at least this time around.

 

[Amish RakeFight]

The term "shortage" is all relative. Depends on how you wish to define it.