I don't know how other flight schools are doing with amount of student pilots coming in but I did speak with the chief flight instructor at the fbo where I trained at and he said students are down and other cfis from other schools are sending in apps cause their flying is down as well. Granted this is western Pa, I'am talking about. But if this is true in other locations, what are new pilots (cfi's) going to do about getting a job especially if they are those 250 hr pilots? And on another note what do you tell new student pilots who approach you in the airport and ask what they should do? I know this has happend to us at least once. I'm for one always hesitant to say stay out of this industry but I don't want to be the one too crush their dreams of being a proffesional aviator. I don't know if the solution is too re-regulate the airlines again, the golden years of aviation are behind us, back then the public had whole different view of flying.We are in a recession and not just the airlines are hurting alot of other proffesions are hurting as well. I do agree that mass hiring will come again in the next couple years. Can't stop whats coming this happens to this industry all the time hence the whole "cycle" theory.