Scary Numbers

[Skyline]

I got these numbers from the AOPA web site.

All numbers are for fixed wing.

United States Total Pilots 600,575

ATP 139,157

Commercial 127,389

Private 250,150

Student 83,567

Instructor 85,865

There are over a quarter of a million certified professional grade pilots in the US for a handful of good positions. The number of active pilots over the years has remained relatively the same but the percentage of pilots who intend to go pro has gone up significantly over time. Of the private pilots I am sure that at least 70% are intending to make a career out of it. If you accept that assumption then there is a potential of 441,000 professional pilots out there, and that doesnt even take the military into consideration. I think there is around 44,000 active duty military pilots who don't show up since they don't have FAA certificates. CFI's have it the worst, there is a one to one ratio for students to CFI's in this counrty. Anyone who gets a CFI is nuts.

SkyHigh

 

[avbug]

I know instructors who stay busy and make a living at it. I flew with one a few days ago who quit his career job to instruct full time. He intends to do nothing other than instruct, and he does well at it. He instructs in some fairly specialized equipment, and has people flying internationally to stay with him and receive instruction. He's turning work away.

Statistics are very misleading.

As far as most private pilots going for a career in aviation, it's probably only a very, very low percentage. A lot of folks get their private and then hardly ever fly again...few seek any higher certification.

I keep resumes out all the time, because you never know when you'll need one. I get several interview offers a week when I keep after the resumes. So far this last week, three. The jobs are there, and you need to remember that not every certificated pilot is going to apply for every job. I even know of companies that can't seem to find pilots. Go figure.

Don't let the stats get you down. They're misleading, and if you look at them long enough, they lie.

 

[GravityHater]

I thought total new pilot numbers were dropping over the decade.
I'm not so sure any of these numbers are at all related plight of pilots in any case.

 

[Fly_Chick]

Yes, statistics can be misleading.

How is their information gathered on number of student pilots? Those with a medical and no private certificate? Over what time frame?

Also, as far as CFIs go, could the number perhaps include all people who have a CFI certificate - including those who do not currently instruct or let their CFI expire (maybe instructed in the past and moved on to another job - whether or not in aviation)? Again, time frame needs to be considered.

Where I instruct, small FBO, I currently have five private students and four instrument students, only one wants to pursue aviation as a career. The instrument students want their ratings so they can get places easier, and perhaps take off in a fog layer to get to VFR on top. The private students just have a dream to be able to fly.

Be careful of statistics.

 

[A Squared]

There are over a quarter of a million certified professional grade pilots in the US for a handful of good positions.

How many is "a handful" ? where do you get that number?

Of the private pilots I am sure that at least 70% are intending to make a career out of it.

On what do you base that statement?

 

[Skyline]

Stats

These are not statistics. They are facts as presented by AOPA. You can interpret them anyway you wish but there are almost 300,000 professional pilots already out there. There simply isn't room for the majority at the best employers. I disagree about your assumptions about the number of private pilots and pro careers. If I had more time I would pull the numbers from colleges in the US that have students in flight programs. I am sure that a large number are from there. As for CFI's most are probably on to better things and are staying current but it still is tuff to make anything out of a CFI in most areas of the country. If you are at a college program then 100% of grads will become a CFI that means that most will have to seek elsewhere for that first job. Is it tuff to make it outside of your home training airport. By estimating the number of good airline jobs at the best majors and averaging attrition over a 20 year cycle that means that an average of 2500 jobs are available every year on average. If there are at least 100,000 to 150,000 serious contenders that means that the odds are not good. If you like tomorrow I can present a detail of my estimates.

Skyline

 

[Gutenberg]

At least we're not cleaning septic tanks, although from what I've seen on the discovery channel, the money is pretty good in that particular field. Gives the term "multi-whore" a whole new meaning.

 

[ToiletDuck]

My old CFI made over $40k a year... Not bad for a starting out CFI. He just worked his ballz off.

 

[avbug]

No, skyline. Those are stats. Meaningless stats. First, you make the assumption that there are three hundred thousand professional pilots because you added the number of ATPs to commercial pilots. If you stop and think about it before posting more on this, you'll realize that all ATP's are commercial...and many of us hold ATP-this, commercial-that. In other words, many of us are one and the same, from both lists. Further, a great many also hold private pilot privileges in something else, (eg, private pilot-balloon, etc). On that alone, those numbers go out the window.

Second, not all those pilots are working. Many of those certificates are for 60 and older, and many retired. Many have gone on to do other things. Others simply don't work.

The statistics you quoted are also wrong, because most working professional pilots have been or are currently holders of a flight instructor certificate. It's also axiomatic that most of the instructors who hold certificates do not teach, or if they do, it's very, very little.

You need to do a little more research.

 

[ToiletDuck]

nice avbug. To have ATP must have commercial and inst rating. So no reason to add them together.