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The U.S. is facing its worst pilot shortage ever, forcing airlines to cut flights and growth plans
The U.S. is facing its worst pilot shortage ever, forcing airlines to cut flights for a summer travel season that is expected to surpass 2019 levels... (www.aviationweekly.org) Más...Sort type: [Top] [Newest]
this pilot shortage is not due to COVID. This shortage has been building for over 15 years. I operate a flight school and new pilot starts were dismally low prior to COVID. It is all but impossible to convince young people leaving High School to invest $60-80K required to get a R-ATP only to find out they would make $2500-3500 per month at a regional carrier, sit days on reserve at a crapy location and be stuck with crapy schedules. This was even worse prior to the change raising the R-ATP minimums to 1500. One flight instructor left teaching (prior to the R-ATP rule) and took a job with a regional carrier for $23000 per year, less than the underpaid police officer in out town. People with families and bills to pay can't live on that amount of money. Until and unless the airlines fix the compensation for all of their pilots, this problem will not go away. We are noticing an uptick in new pilot starts, but nowhere near the levels to fix the shortage. By the way, I have a flight instructor working for me form the Republic flight school they claim is just like military training, and nothing could be further than the truth. The kid didn't even know what the multi-color levers in the BE-58 were for. If the FAA grants that waiver request, Republic will be the next Colgan Air we read about.
"It is all but impossible to convince young people leaving High School to invest $60-80K required to get a R-ATP only to find out they would make $2500-3500 per month at a regional carrier, sit days on reserve at a crapy location and be stuck with crapy schedules"... EXACTLY!! Funny how some people are kind of "perplexed" that there are pilot shortages... it should be pretty obvious...
Everybody knows what the multicolor levers are. White is vanilla, brown is chocolate, and red is strawberry!
The rest of what you say is spot on.
The rest of what you say is spot on.
My son wants a career as a professional pilot and is becoming exasperated with the whole proposition. He comes from a family of pilots. He has his ratings up through multi and CFII, about 550 hours and enjoys instructing. He instructed for one of the top universities for an academic year and his Chief Pilot wrote a strong recommendation letter for him when he resigned because he couldn't even pay rent based upon the 25 or so hours a month he flew. He is willing to bounce around in a 172 until he gets 1,500 hours, but the flight schools treat these guys like crap. Apparently, they have 20 other guys willing to work as a contract employee for $25/hour (flight time only with no expectations for hours per month), sit around the airport even on days they have no students just *in case* someone wants a Discovery flight, pay for their own insurance, and give up instructing his own Dad and two partners in a jointly owned Cirrus for BFRs and IPCs. They told him he would *probably* get 10-15 hours/month of instructing at first, but could be as much as 50 hours within six months. So, how many guys with $75K invested in their ratings can now spend 18-24 months making between $250 and $1,250 per month to get from 300 hours to 1,500 hours? So, the REAL problem for the airlines is getting these guys from 250-300 hours to 1,500 hours and eligible for an ATP. There are plenty of forums on the internet with low time guys desperately looking for ways to build time, but the insurance requirements for the corporate and charter fleets eliminate all of these guys and the flight schools just take advantage of them.
Truth!! My nephew is in the same boat here in Dallas. It's a shame. So now seriously considering joining Air Force.
Mine is doing the same, but he may have an asthma problem. Although my Dad was a career Air Force pilot and all that I ever wanted to be, I was unable to qualify due to inadequate distant vision. So, I switched to the airline career path, but this was in the early 80's and new pilots were making less than my secretary. I just couldn't afford it.
send your son out to the local gliderport and have him do aerotows to build time. they always need tow pilots. won't be paid, but a way to build time without a dime.