Originally Posted by
ERflyer
HB1B visas?
There are quite a pilots who would love to come here.
Expats returning?
Many would like to come back.
'Lower tier' new hires?
It always cracks me up when I hear, "OMG, we might have to take 'lower tier' pilots." By whose subjective standard? Remember Erich Hartmann? He was at one time considered 'lower tier' after some difficulties. Went on to have 352 confirmed kills in WWII. 'Lower tier' often becomes 'upper tier' due to many factors.
There will be no pilot shortage.
ER Flyer:
I am in agreement w/you.
I rarely post here but this "pilot shortage" mantra is driving me crazy! In 1 minute I was able to find numerous pilots on our seniority list with 2059 mandatory retire dates (which makes them 23 yrs old at a major). For the same reason people flocked away from the airline pilot career post 2001, it will bring them back....pay and QOL. Restore the profession and people will migrate back. It doesn't take 10 yrs to make a pilot.
These young hires are not the norm, yet, but with pay and QOL advances, more and more will consider this as a career again. The aviation schools are packed, the RJ world is adjusting the best they can with incentives (doubt it will help long-term) and the Majors still have a big pile of well qualified pilots looking for work in the short-term. JMTCW