Originally Posted by
rlh724
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.
Flight schools down here is southwest FL are hurting too. I was talking to a CFI the other day that said she now has only a few students. I walk around the fbo and there are all these parked training planes, maybe one out at a time. There is a wall in the one school that has all the "First Solo" and "Private Pilot" pictures. On another wall they have the "Wall of Fame" with students that got hired at airlines. I laughed when I first saw it and the girl at the desk asked why I laughed. I asked "How many still have jobs?" She said she knew 5 of the 9 guys were furloughed, not sure on the others. It is hard to tell someone that this career is a good choice (especially when you are furloughed). A girl actually asked me about being a flight attendant the other day. Since my girlfriend is a F/A, I have a hard time telling anyone that it is a good choice either, since I see all the stuff they have to deal with.