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Having worked another career in the past and flying primarily in the GA world at the time, it seemed that the agreed thought was that we needed more pilots. AOPA seems to advertise this notion often.
However, ever since I've gone professional, it seems that pilots are a dime a dozen. No matter how crappy the pay is, how bad the QOL is, or stagnant a company is, there will always be more resumes sitting in the INBOX than there are jobs. Having flight instructed for a while, it always seems so daunting to a new student to build time and get a quality resume. Yet, there seems to be a surplus of folks making it through.
I heard that SWA has 40,000 resumes in hand!!!! 40,000??!!?? If that is true, that is 8x the current pilot workforce. Are there that many people out there with 1,500+ turbine PIC?
My seniority is dropping right now because of the fuel crisis. People are getting furloughed all over the board. I have spoken to a local flight school about getting a job when I get furloughed. They'll hire me, but don't have any positions available at present. Seems every job I find, flight school, corporate, you name it, is completely staffed with no positions available. There are pilots on the streets left and right, even some that have been furloughed since 9/11.
Its disheartening because it feels like a rat race. All these striped shoulders clambering around for their piece of the cheese.
Its frustrating.
I will admit, however, that the regionals were hiring guys with 350 hours. So perhaps that is all they could get for a while.
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My pilot blog: http://www.passionaviator.com
Twitter ID: PassionAviator
Pilots are, like most of the world, always looking for a better deal. I can't tell you how many of my buddies regularly keep their eyes out for a better position. Comes with the unstable nature of the industry.
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More people are killed by donkeys than in airplane crashes each year....
Some people get in the right airline at a young age and make it up the list fast enough before the airline stops hiring or begins the furlough.
Others aren't as lucky. How about those junior American pilots who got furloughed after 9/11, and recalled after 5 or 6 years only to be recalled, retrainined, and now looking at furloughs again after a month back on the line.
It's all about luck. Get in the right place at the right time, and you are golden. How will you know its the right place? You'll have to let us know in 15+ years.
I've updated my resume every month since I started instructing. It's all about being in the position to jump if the need arises. Was kinda nice to have everything ready to go when I got sick of TSA, and it's made things a little easier with the impending furlough.
The sad part is that the good jobs are the ones that are hard to come by. The entry level crap just lowered their standards rather than trying to do more the entice better candidates.
AOPA is only concerned about the decline of student starts and private pilots. Student pilot numbers are going down every year. The number of ACTIVE private pilots is declining as well.
There are too many pilots. It is a fact. Pay is going down. Work rules are getting worse but yet the come.
Today a pilot can go from Zero to Hero in 3 to 6 months. The licenses are just too easy to get and general aviation is too expensive to do as a hobby anymore. Instead of just flying a 152 for fun pilots convince themselves that they have to do it for a living.
Regionals keep the pay low and hire 300 hour pilots because they really do not need experience anymore. Modern airplanes are mostly automated. Who cares if a pilot really can enter a hold while hand flying? Just push the right buttons and sit back with folded arms and watch the plane do it.
Minimums at the regionals are going down while at the majors they are going up. Odds are that most will be stuck at a regional until they realize that they can not make the jump to the majors and give up.
There is no value in being a pilot anymore. The flight director is king.
SkyHigh
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Earn a living as a pilot but have no life. Have a life but earn no living.
Position: Accountant II
Division: Accounting
Full-Time,Part-Time
Summary:
In this position you will fulfill the role of an Accounting Representative for an operating unit of AOPA. Duties will include reconciliations, financial analysis, reporting and overall financial support of operations.
Qualifications:
Requires BS degree in Accounting or related field. A minimum of five years accounting experience. CPA is not required, however CPA or future desire and ability to obtain your CPA would be beneficial. Excellent customer services skills and the desire to interact with fellow employees in a fast pace environment. Must have the ability to organize effectively and control multiple projects while meeting deadlines is essential. Limited travel will be required.
"Minimums at the regionals are going down while at the majors they are going up. Odds are that most will be stuck at a regional until they realize that they can not make the jump to the majors and give up."
Well, things are not looking good at the moment, but it's hard to say what it will be like a few years down the road. We are facing the perfect storm of high oil, bad economy, and age 65. I wouldn't condemn the career based on current events. No one can predict the future.
"No one can really say what will happen.... Skyhigh 5/20/08"
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Dang, five years? You could be a regional Capt in five years some places. Corp/Frac/135 Capt, too. Wonder what first year pay is for that job? Guess you'd get to be home every night but I'd rather work half the month, and be gone. Besides, you have to move to Maryland. Very high cost of living.
Anyhow, to each his own....
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Go here to see how I became a UPS pilot:
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