SkyWest's Plans to Circumvent Impending Pilot Shortage

[XPOO]

SkyWest Airlines and Westminster College are teaming up to help train the airline's future pilots.

The college recently announced that it has entered into a partnership with the St. George-based airline that will bring together students from Westminster's Aviation Studies program with SkyWest captains, with the goal of eventually helping graduates get hired as SkyWest first officers.

Link to the full article can be found here.

 

[JustaNumber]

Great plan, but where do all the college students get 1200 or 1000 hours from? Traditionally, CFI's move up because they have a greater number of students coming up behind them who need teaching. Where are these great multitudes of new students coming from?

It's getting much harder to finance flight training these days (as the banks are tired of getting screwed by over-zealous students who end up unable to repay because they are making peanuts for years). But more importantly, the college students themselves are telling the market that the payoff is not worth the investment.

There is no way this program will provide all the pilots that the airlines are going to need in the next year or even several years.

 

[Carl_Spackler]

I'm pretty sure that any CFI with ATP mins will be able to get any regional interview they want.

 

[livin'thesim]

Isn't there a reduced hour part of the new reg for certain college flight programs and military pilots?

 

[JustaNumber]

Isn't there a reduced hour part of the new reg for certain college flight programs and military pilots?

Yes, if you train part 61 you'll still need 1500 hours for an ATP. If you go to an "approved" 2 year college, you'll only need 1200 hours, an "approved" 4 year university, 1000 hours, and military training 750 hours (if I recall correctly).

 

[JustaNumber]

I'm pretty sure that any CFI with ATP mins will be able to get any regional interview they want.

Agreed, but how many CFIs with ATP mins are left, and how many will be needed by the regional industry just to make it past the FTDT rule change? Big pilot shortages and big changes are coming for the regional industry.

 

[Nevets]

Agreed, but how many CFIs with ATP mins are left, and how many will be needed by the regional industry just to make it past the FTDT rule change? Big pilot shortages and big changes are coming for the regional industry.

The question should be, of those with ATP mins, how many would want to work at Skywest or any regional? Only time will tell.

 

[wms]

This is a poor option for a new pilot. A couple years to finish school, instruct another 3-4 to get the hours with a 5 year commitment at the regional to get an interview at ml. Instead you could go corporate(theyre having staffing issues also) after college, make good money and meet the mins for the majors much sooner, and have better qol in the mean time.

 

[livin'thesim]

Are there enough corporate gigs to absorb a lot of 400hr pilots?

I could see some enterprising 135 companies try the pay-for-right-seat thing again, which is awful.

 

[livin'thesim]

One thing will happen, though, is that wages for sub-1500 hour jobs will go down, because more people will be competing for them.

 

[Nevets]

This is a poor option for a new pilot. A couple years to finish school, instruct another 3-4 to get the hours with a 5 year commitment at the regional to get an interview at ml. Instead you could go corporate(theyre having staffing issues also) after college, make good money and meet the mins for the majors much sooner, and have better qol in the mean time.

Five year commitment at the regional to get an interview at mainline? Wouldn't you be competitive enough to interview at mainline before five years? Reminds me of the flow thru days where people were getting hired at other mainlines before their number was up.

 

[BushwickBill]

This is a poor option for a new pilot. A couple years to finish school, instruct another 3-4 to get the hours with a 5 year commitment at the regional to get an interview at ml. Instead you could go corporate(theyre having staffing issues also) after college, make good money and meet the mins for the majors much sooner, and have better qol in the mean time.

Corporate staffing problems? Please let me know details. I've been looking for over a year.

 

[Erlanger]

SkyWest has tried this twice before in the past 15 years with 2 different colleges and twice SkyWest ended it because of poor results.

 

[CX880]

Why would you want a guaranteed job at a regional? ThatS like saying well guarantee you'll have a crappy job. Pay here.

 

[nerjdriver]

Link to the full article can be found here.

But XPOO I thought Skywest only hired the "best of the best" the "cream of the crop" the "most professional aviators". I hope these new pilots can handle the rigorous demands of life at mainline, like learning to live on 19,000 a year.

 

[XPOO]

But XPOO I thought Skywest only hired the "best of the best" the "cream of the crop" the "most professional aviators". I hope these new pilots can handle the rigorous demands of life at mainline, like learning to live on 19,000 a year.

I'm not sure what you are trying to get at, the title of this thread is mostly a joke. As Erlanger said, this has been done before with no success. Sure, the company is thinking ahead, but its not going to solve the issue. I was just passing along the info to those that come on here looking for this kind of information. You want to dog a whole group of pilots, that's your prerogative.

 

[badog]

I'm not sure what you are trying to get at, the title of this thread is mostly a joke. As Erlanger said, this has been done before with no success. Sure, the company is thinking ahead, but its not going to solve the issue. I was just passing along the info to those that come on here looking for this kind of information. You want to dog a whole group of pilots, that's your prerogative.

Dearest skywest dispatcher, you in no way inferred that at all.
The fact is, you will be proven wrong on most of the subject matter you post on here. Get ready for some real good times at the new skywest !
Let the games begin.

 

[livin'thesim]

Why would you want a guaranteed job at a regional? ThatS like saying well guarantee you'll have a crappy job. Pay here.

Given the way some regionals have managed their business models, I think the most important thing to me would be flow-back rights to the airport Starbucks or a job at Home Depot.

 

[OPECJet]

This is a poor option for a new pilot. A couple years to finish school, instruct another 3-4 to get the hours with a 5 year commitment at the regional to get an interview at ml. Instead you could go corporate(theyre having staffing issues also) after college, make good money and meet the mins for the majors much sooner, and have better qol in the mean time.

You obviously don't have much insight to the corporate world. Only two types of pilots get hired. Those who know someone in the company, or those who are already typed.

Insurance companies want experience in the cockpit. Both guys typed, both with time in type. My company furloughed 495 guys. Only one I know, except for the Gulfstream pilots found jobs flying corporate jets. For whatever reason the Gulfstream club is very exclusive and mere mortals can't handle such a complex piece of machinery. Just ask one.

 

[imacdog]

This is a poor option for a new pilot. A couple years to finish school, instruct another 3-4 to get the hours with a 5 year commitment at the regional to get an interview at ml. Instead you could go corporate(theyre having staffing issues also) after college, make good money and meet the mins for the majors much sooner, and have better qol in the mean time.

Yes, please tell us more about these corporate staffing issues.

 

[jmreii]

The question should be, of those with ATP mins, how many would want to work at Skywest or any regional? Only time will tell.

Ding! Ding! this person gets it and we have a winner! how many people out there would want to work for any regional.

 

[wms]

Sorry, I was misleading about the current corporate staffing situation. But of you google "nbaa pilot shortage", you'll see that there is a concern about the future of corp and pt 135 pilots, about the time many students will be hitting the market.

When I did it you had to hang around the airport sweeping hangers and washing planes to get your foot in, a concept most mil and airline pilots cant fathom. I think in the not-so-far future the low-ball operators looking for free labor will pony up or not find pilots.

You also have to look in the right areas. South FL, SOCAL, TEB, PWK, etc. These have always been charter/corporate heavy environments. If you're looking in other areas you're limiting yourself too much.

If you do recurrent at FSI as our airline does, or know someone else who does, check with the corp jet training department. Every time I go in I learn of jobs and areas where jobs are, and they'll tell you who is looking. I have learned of jobs there and have almost left my current job in the past as a result, but decided to stay in the airline environment.

 

[paid4training]

Corporate is about who you know gets you the interview, and how cheap they can get you on the line gets you the job.

 

[DHPFLYN]

Sorry, I was misleading about the current corporate staffing situation. But of you google "nbaa pilot shortage", you'll see that there is a concern about the future of corp and pt 135 pilots, about the time many students will be hitting the market.

When I did it you had to hang around the airport sweeping hangers and washing planes to get your foot in, a concept most mil and airline pilots cant fathom. I think in the not-so-far future the low-ball operators looking for free labor will pony up or not find pilots.

You also have to look in the right areas. South FL, SOCAL, TEB, PWK, etc. These have always been charter/corporate heavy environments. If you're looking in other areas you're limiting yourself too much.

If you do recurrent at FSI as our airline does, or know someone else who does, check with the corp jet training department. Every time I go in I learn of jobs and areas where jobs are, and they'll tell you who is looking. I have learned of jobs there and have almost left my current job in the past as a result, but decided to stay in the airline environment.

You dont have your own sims ?

 

[PBRstreetgang]

SAPA is now pimping pay cuts, the smoke and mirror puppet show will be Muppet grade no doubt! New guys come on down just bring your mom and dads credit card.

 

[JustaNumber]

SAPA is now pimping pay cuts, the smoke and mirror puppet show will be Muppet grade no doubt! New guys come on down just bring your mom and dads credit card.

Have they said anything specific?

 

[PBRstreetgang]

Have they said anything specific?

Think soft time slaughter. Deadheads for free ect. I hope this place implodes, 15+ years in and I think a freight job flying in and out of some of the 'stans will be preferable! Without a legally binding CBA they will just take until there are no applicants, then offer a 5k signing bonus, and then make sure that they take the full 5k worth of pain out of the new hires starfish.

 

[badog]

SAPA is now pimping pay cuts, the smoke and mirror puppet show will be Muppet grade no doubt! New guys come on down just bring your mom and dads credit card.

Hopefully this is the salvo that drives the skywest pilots towards unification with expressjet. Look at the pay and benefit packages of your upper management for an indication of corporate wealth. We would be 8,000 ? Strong !
Nah, won't happen, that koolaid must be tasty stuff !

 

[JustaNumber]

Hopefully this is the salvo that drives the skywest pilots towards unification with expressjet.

So who has the greatest opposition to this? Everyone I've talked to is in favor.

Considering how things are turning out (and the potential whipsaw yet to be seen), I say we start a serious push for merger.

 

[Nevets]

So who has the greatest opposition to this? Everyone I've talked to is in favor.

Considering how things are turning out (and the potential whipsaw yet to be seen), I say we start a serious push for merger.

Welcome to 3 years ago!