Originally Posted by
tom11011
All hail the pilot shortage. Just read this today. Several errors in the article but that is to be expected from outsiders.
Great Lake Airlines in Nebraska cancellations due to a shortage of pilots Airline Safety and FAA ...
Airline Safety and FAA Extension Act caused disruption in air services
By
Thomas Steinmetz
Created
10 Nov 2013 - 8:18am
Great Lake Airlines in Nebraska cancellations due to a shortage of pilots
A shortage of pilots after on Aug. 1, US based had to comply with the new Airline Safety and FAA Extension Act, which lengthened the time for pilots and co-pilots to earn their ATP flight school certification.
The law raised the minimum requirement of flight hours for pilots from 250 to 1,500 hours of flight time before being hired by an airline.
This new law ultimately caused a shortage in pilots at every level and this effect is being felt at GLA and the airport, leaving customers unhappy with their services.
Great Lakes Airlines has canceled nearly two dozen flights out of Scottsbluff over the past few months, and Western Nebraska Regional Airport officials are looking for a solution.
WNRA Director Darwin Skelton said the airport is aware of the cancellations and is worried that the airport might not reach a target of 10,000 annual boarding numbers by the end of the year in order to receive federal funding for the airport. Failure to reach the threshold could cost the airport $850,000 in federal funding.
In October there were 22 canceled flights. The airport operated 120 flights with 796 passengers. There have been nine canceled flights in November as of Nov. 9. WNRA Chairman Don Overman said GLA works hard when there are issues to re-accommodate passengers on other airlines and flights at the airport.
Total boarding numbers this year with GLA through the end of October are 8,035 plus 176 on charter flights. Skelton said continued cancellations could leave the airport short of the boarding goal.
In October there were 22 canceled flights. The airport operated 120 flights with 796 passengers. There have been nine canceled flights in November as of Nov. 9. WNRA Chairman Don Overman said GLA works hard when there are issues to re-book passengers on other airlines and flights at the airport.
“The staff works very hard at Great Lakes,” Overman said. “They are customer friendly and they know the problem and they can’t control it, but they sure do the best for the customer that they can.”
Overman said he is very concerned about the GLA cancellations, but the shortage of pilots is due to the trickle down affect with pilots choosing to take jobs with larger airlines, causing the shortage. Overman added that even the military is having a hard time keeping pilots since they can make more money at major airlines as a captain. In October, GLA lost an estimated 12 pilots.
“We have been in contact with the top executives of Great Lakes and they well know our concern,” Overman said. “I think they’re are as frustrated or more so maybe than we are because they can’t do anything about it when a pilot quits.”
Skelton said he didn’t want to cause any concern for passengers who have booked future flights with GLA out of th airport, but it is an issue that officials want to resolve soon.
“I don’t want anybody worried that Great Lakes is going to pack up and go away because that’s not going to happen either,” Skelton said. “They’ve got some issues they’re working through and they’ve got to fix, we agree, but they will be here tomorrow.” Skelton said.
And here is some more stories starting to roll in. So who's going to flinch first to solve this problem? It seems clear someone will have too or airplanes simply won't fly.
Pilots wanted: How a pinched pilot pipeline is threatening aviation - Wichita Business Journal
Pilots wanted: How a pinched pilot pipeline is threatening aviation
Kellen Jenkins / WBJ
In 10 years, the number of private pilots has fallen 20%.
What some describe as a coming pilot shortage is already here for others.
Kansas State University Salina’s professional pilot program is having trouble finding flight instructors.
Other flight schools are having trouble making a go of it.
And over it all looms the problem of commercial airlines needing an increasing number of pilots, which aggravates the situation in general aviation.
The pilot shortage is a complex problem, and
in this week’s Wichita Business Journal I took a look at its impact on the general aviation industry.
I know plenty of private pilots in Wichita who use their aircraft as business tools, so we aren’t simply talking about hobby pilots here.
It appears that that demographic — older business owners — is still interested in becoming pilots. Sources I talked with said the most demand for flight training seems to be coming from people over 40.
That, I think, is evidence that the cost of becoming a private pilot — about $8,000 to $14,000 depending on where and how you train — is pinching the pipeline of new pilots, particularly younger ones.
Numbers from the
Federal Aviation Administration show that even though the number of active, registered private pilots has decreased, the number of flight students entering training is on the rise.
The problem seems to be getting those students to finish the training and become private pilots — and then continue on to higher ratings.
Cost is a difficult issue. Fuel prices aren’t going to get drastically cheaper, nor are the costs of operating an aircraft.
Some are looking at ways flight instructors can generate additional revenue in the hopes that could lower the cost.
And there is some thought that perhaps airlines could do more to supplement the training.
But, what most told me is that the key is really to get more people interested in flying.
I’m interested to hear from you on this.
What ideas do you have to lower the cost of training, get more people flying, or both?
Daniel McCoy covers aviation, manufacturing and automotive.