Regionals can't find pilots?

[73belair]

Seems like there are a few out there right now (ASA among others) that even with 600 TT mins we can't find people to work.
Why?

 

[cpierse]

I hope you're right, but I doubt it. Seems like there's a continuous supply of "starving CFIs" out there who would kill for a job making 18k/yr.

Nonetheless, I heard that PCL was unable to fill classes and had decided to actually pay newhires in training. Anyone verify that? I'd love to say it's the first small step in things turning around, but I'm too cynical and pessimistic to believe it...

 

[73belair]

A quote...


[font=Arial,Bold]

Q: Are we short-staffed?
​

[/font]

A: Staffing is one challenge we experience associated with growth. This year alone we are taking delivery of more than 20 aircraft and Delta continues to restructure its regional feed system in order to maximize revenue. We currently are hiring pilots and also increasing our number of flight training instructors. Our rate of growth, the additional demands of CAT II training and the introduction of flying into JAC definitely are causing our staffing to be strained. We actively are working to get our staffing to the appropriate
​

 

[Victor Meldrew]

Air Wis have also had problems filling classes even after dropping the mins to below 1000TT. But then again uncertainty of bases, growth etc may have played a factor in this also.

 

[fam62c]

Are people getting smarter?

Maybe people are finally starting to do some research and figure out what they are getting themselves into. Airline flying is not the high-paying profession that it once was. Bankruptcies, retirement loss, furloughs, pay cuts, cutthroat competition etc. have changed the profession for good. Career progression is slower and flying for "the majors" is not the dream job that it once was. Don't get me wrong, it's a great career for people who really love flying and who don't want to do anything else; but for people who are just picking it from a list of majors at a school it could be a huge disappointment. I know that I made the correct choice for me but I've run into a lot of newer pilots who are very unhappy with their career choice because it's not what they thought it would be.....buyer beware. Some of these people are leaving aviation to be able to make a living. If I were looking at the career today as a young person instead of 15 years ago when I started I don't know if I would make the same choice again. The best thing that could happen to the industry from a pilot viewpoint, in my opinion, would be an honest-to-god pilot shortage at the regional level that would make pilots more valuable to employers. I don't know if we are seeing the beginnings of this or not. My guess is that the airlines will just accept new pilots with lower and lower experience levels rather than trying to make the industry attractive to people through pay, benefits and better schedules. The airlines and training schools will market the career in an overly optimistic manner and find enough young people to believe in "the dream."

Airline flying is wierd; if any other profession required the equivalent educational and training investment and offered similiar low wages nobody would go into it. Can you imagine becoming an engineer or accountant to make 20K a year and be gone from home 12-18 nights a month? Nobody would do it. I guess that people have a romantic vision of airline flying that includes glamour, status and high pay. Hopefully people are starting to figure out that the career has lost a great deal of it's lustre.

 

[whaleroast]

suck it up!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Hosed COEX]

Excellent post. I believe you are right on. But I wonder how much information about this career really is being filtered down to the starving CFIs or college students. Time will tell.

Maybe people are finally starting to do some research and figure out what they are getting themselves into. Airline flying is not the high-paying profession that it once was. Bankruptcies, retirement loss, furloughs, pay cuts, cutthroat competition etc. have changed the profession for good. Career progression is slower and flying for "the majors" is not the dream job that it once was. Don't get me wrong, it's a great career for people who really love flying and who don't want to do anything else; but for people who are just picking it from a list of majors at a school it could be a huge disappointment. I know that I made the correct choice for me but I've run into a lot of newer pilots who are very unhappy with their career choice because it's not what they thought it would be.....buyer beware. Some of these people are leaving aviation to be able to make a living. If I were looking at the career today as a young person instead of 15 years ago when I started I don't know if I would make the same choice again. The best thing that could happen to the industry from a pilot viewpoint, in my opinion, would be an honest-to-god pilot shortage at the regional level that would make pilots more valuable to employers. I don't know if we are seeing the beginnings of this or not. My guess is that the airlines will just accept new pilots with lower and lower experience levels rather than trying to make the industry attractive to people through pay, benefits and better schedules. The airlines and training schools will market the career in an overly optimistic manner and find enough young people to believe in "the dream."

Airline flying is wierd; if any other profession required the equivalent educational and training investment and offered similiar low wages nobody would go into it. Can you imagine becoming an engineer or accountant to make 20K a year and be gone from home 12-18 nights a month? Nobody would do it. I guess that people have a romantic vision of airline flying that includes glamour, status and high pay. Hopefully people are starting to figure out that the career has lost a great deal of it's lustre.

 

[1973Arrow]

...I meet the minimus at every one of those carriers, have sent in resumes and yet no one calls...
I haven't been arround long enough to be 'black listed,' nor have I done anything that would earn me a spot.
My list of no calls for the past few weeks includes:
ASA
Comair
PSA
Piedmont
Express Jet
Air Wisconsin

...Only heard from two others, and will have intervews shortly. As much as they all complain about the lack of crews, I'm supprised there have been as few phone calls as there have been...

 

[FlamingFUPA]

It's your breath

 

[1973Arrow]

....I haven't taken a shower in over a month....maybe they can smell it on my e-mail....

 

[FlamingFUPA]

the funk..........it is strong with you

 

[cforst513]

....I haven't taken a shower in over a month....maybe they can smell it on my e-mail....

hippie....

 

[SkyBoy1981]

Takes a long time to hear from XJT.

 

[turbodriver]

My guess is that the airlines will just accept new pilots with lower and lower experience levels rather than trying to make the industry attractive to people through pay, benefits and better schedules.

We all know that only works to a point. And once the industry gets to that point, things should finally start to turn around for the better.

 

[mamba20]

You know, the dream of this being a good way to make a living is not dead. This is the regional level, it has, is and will always be rough. Now previous posts are right that this career aint what it used to be. But it will get better. This industry will get better. Sure you wont make 300k a year someday (at least not from flying) but making 150k a year isnt bad money. I tend to think optimisticly though so I'm probably going to be flamed like crazy for this post. Fire away!

 

[mwmav8r01]

Pilot shortage is starting... Pay will have to go up.

 

[k_EAT=ho_ME]

Pilot shortage is starting... Pay will have to go up.

Not picking a fight...serious observation: Yes, one way the "market" could correct itself is by lowering attrition through improved pay and bennies for pilots. The other possibility, though, is lower standards (mentioned previously) AND/OR more aggressive, slick, polished recruiting into the bottom ranks of the industry.

There is no shortage of folks out there that could be sold "the dream." Sometimes I think the powers that be would rather increase the pool of wannabes than improve the standard of living of their employees.

But then again, I'm not paid to think.

 

[180ToTheMarker]

Pilot shortage is starting... Pay will have to go up

Is that you Kit Darby???

 

[arthompson]

I
Nonetheless, I heard that PCL was unable to fill classes and had decided to actually pay newhires in training. Anyone verify that? I'd love to say it's the first small step in things turning around, but I'm too cynical and pessimistic to believe it...

PCL is infact now paying in training and I have heard that we are now paying for hotels while in training.

Adam

 

[Superpilot92]

The industry needs to kick the rudder and get out of the spin its in. So to speak.

Hopefully it happens and people stop getting reamed but crappy companies.