The airlines are creating the Pilot Shortage
06-24-2012, 01:18 PM
#21
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Joined APC: Oct 2011
Posts: 205
Originally Posted by galaxy flyer
The regionals compete for talent NOW, what changes is the pool will be smaller, not larger, than the demand. Prices for pilots are like any prices--the oversupply is the problem!
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06-24-2012, 01:21 PM
#22
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Joined APC: Oct 2011
Posts: 205
Originally Posted by BZNpilot248
Its a pretty messed up situation. In the past 135 companies had a tough time keeping people around and now I feel its reversed. After 3.5 years at my company I cleared almost 50K for the year and still get small raises every 6 months. I usually only work 5-6 hour days and I"m home every day with weekends and holidays off. I can't fathom going to a regional for a substantial paycut with a drastic change in QOL and not seeing more than what I'm making now until a captian upgrade which looks like 5-10 years at a lot of places.
The big downfall where I"m at is we don't have turbine equipment which makes taking a big step up a lot harder. For now I enjoy going to work and respect who I work for and work with. I'm ok taking 50K flying a Navaho vs. 25K for an E175 or CRJ-700. Unless I saw fast upgrades or massive pay raises I can't justify leaving home for 18-20 days a month just to commute and fly a shiny jet.
I got tired of putting my life on hold for an aviaion career so I bought a house and I"m starting a family. If better options don't present themselves when I"m lacking the turbine time I'll probably leave the industry. For now I'm happy where I"m at and even small 135 outfits have competitive job security with the airlines. Remember to make your job what you do and not who you are.
The big downfall where I"m at is we don't have turbine equipment which makes taking a big step up a lot harder. For now I enjoy going to work and respect who I work for and work with. I'm ok taking 50K flying a Navaho vs. 25K for an E175 or CRJ-700. Unless I saw fast upgrades or massive pay raises I can't justify leaving home for 18-20 days a month just to commute and fly a shiny jet.
I got tired of putting my life on hold for an aviaion career so I bought a house and I"m starting a family. If better options don't present themselves when I"m lacking the turbine time I'll probably leave the industry. For now I'm happy where I"m at and even small 135 outfits have competitive job security with the airlines. Remember to make your job what you do and not who you are.
06-24-2012, 01:40 PM
#23
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Joined APC: Oct 2007
Position: 737 FO
Posts: 81
Originally Posted by drrhythm2
Well said, and you are the perfect example of the kind of guy that the airlines will have to compete for if / when their available and qualified supply of cheap labor dwindles. Which could lead to rising wages in the 135 world as well, which is a good thing for everyone.
Exactly.
06-24-2012, 01:52 PM
#24
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Joined APC: Aug 2006
Position: fins to the left, fins to the right
Posts: 1,723
I don't see how you can say its an over supply if pilots when the mins to get hired have dropped. Sure they might come up with the new rules, but it won't increase pay.
Look at history, Eagle mins were 1500/300 to make 18/k year in the late 90s.
Comair, ASA, Express jet were basically 1200/200 and PFT.
If there was an over supply, why would the mins be so low lately?
Look at history, Eagle mins were 1500/300 to make 18/k year in the late 90s.
Comair, ASA, Express jet were basically 1200/200 and PFT.
If there was an over supply, why would the mins be so low lately?
06-24-2012, 02:13 PM
#25
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Joined APC: Dec 2008
Position: Seat 0B
Posts: 1,214
ok so i think we can agree that supply is going down. demand is holding steady or increasing over the long term. regionals now struggle to turn a profit with their current low wages. how could they possibly afford to increase wages to attract applicants. i think its a real possibility that some will increase pay but that will only price them out of the market. the ones that continue to have low pay will survive thus leaving low pay rates and being the only options for pilots to work at. kind of a vicious circle. idk...im just yammerin.
06-24-2012, 02:33 PM
#26
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Joined APC: May 2010
Posts: 195
A pay raise is needed for sure, but will do little to stop whipsawing and undercutting. Even if first year pay was $40 an hour, it wouldn't be as good if you're constantly following your planes around to different regional carriers and starting over every year or so.
06-24-2012, 04:32 PM
#28
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Joined APC: Mar 2006
Position: FO - 757/767
Posts: 1,228
Originally Posted by tomgoodman
That sounds like the restaurant Yogi Berra described: "It got so crowded that nobody goes there anymore." 
06-24-2012, 04:46 PM
#29
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Joined APC: Jun 2007
Posts: 662
the only thing that will hurt demand is if frequency is cut...if that happens then the pool floods again. and it could very well happen with the additional of 76 seaters and the closeness of scope to be operated under mainline.
06-24-2012, 04:52 PM
#30
Banned
Joined APC: Mar 2009
Posts: 562
Originally Posted by DeltaBravo
No Shortage is on the horizon...IMHO...I think the airlines will get relief from the Aug 2013 deadline. Business is business...the gov't will not let an artificial shortage happen in one of our most important forms of transportation. Low pay has never stopped pilots from applying and accepting low ball offers. Management has long figured out that pilots love to fly and will accept just about any working conditions and abuse in order to their SJS fix.
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