Posted this in an airline specific thread, but it probably deserves it's own for full discussion.
RAA Pilot Shortage 2012
http://www.raa.org/Portals/0/Pubs/RH...024%202012.pdf
RAA Pilot Shortage 2013
http://www.raa.org/LinkClick.aspx?fi...id=176&mid=647
(great charts)
RAA Pilot Shortage 2014
http://www.raa.org/Portals/0/2014%20...ay3_2014_2.pdf
Bedford reported they had to interview 1,000 elligible candidates to find 90 that were hirable. Where do you think the other 910 went to work? That was in 2012-2013. It's becoming harder now.
Here's Garton talking about it from 2012 (noteworthy stuff at 5:20, 7:50 & 10:16)
RAA Chairman Dan Garton addresses attendees of the 37th Annual Convention - YouTube
Here's Bedford talking about it from mid 2014 (noteworthy 1:15, 1:35, 3:25 is Huge, 5:10 big also, 8:35 FAA & FO Quals, 11:25 Bridge Programs, 15: GAO, 23:23 would have been better to not alienate labor, 24:50 PILOT SALARY)
RAA 2014 Bedford - YouTube
Opinion rant follows:
Filling classes is meaninless. It's graduating certificated part 121 pilots to sit in the seats and retaining them that counts. The attition rates are obvious. Creating fear in our junior pilots to get them to run from RAH, XJT or ENY is just their way of trying to recycle the pool of available pilots. Fear is their greatest weapon. An informed pilot group is THEIR greatest fear.
and they're taking their message to the hill....
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: RAA asks Congress & FAA to return emphasis on quality versus quantity hours; details small community air service threat > Regional Airline Association > RAA Headlines
so should we.