flyguy25

The university I instruct at has a record high number of new enrollments in our private pilot course this year. We are having a hard time keeping instructors around very long. After they get there time they are gone, including me.

flyguy25

I have also been through a few airline interviews and some sounded much more desperate to have pilots then others. The new ATP rule has defiantly hurt the regional airlines in their hiring.

flyguy25

Hopefully the new ATP rule will lessen the supply of new pilots. So your going to tell a aspiring pilot that here is how its going to be. You need to pay around $100k to get your ratings, plus more to get your college degree then your still not qualified yet. You will have around 250 hours, but now you need to go get another 1000-1500 hours before a regional can even consider you. Then once you get there your going to start off at a pay of $20k a year and if your lucky you'll upgrade to captain in 5-7 years but while your a FO you'll still be making $20k-40k a year. Good luck paying off all those student loans and having money left over to eat. Most of us were not in the silver spoon club where mommy and daddy paid for all our training and education.

Not do be a downer but the reality isn't as great as it seems to an aspiring pilot. But if you can get over all of that and work incredibly hard for low pay you may have a real shot in the future. Honestly if I can talk you out of it, you probably wouldn't make it all the way through anyway. Less supply of pilots helps all of us out there.

Zwestwood

to your point, I flew (as a passenger) a regional last weekend.... Delay after delay.....

JohnnyG

I'd like to see actual proof of record enrollment, and actual proof of a shortage. Stop spreading this crap just because you 'heard it from someone at the school or the airline'. I keep track of several major schools in my area. None of the CFIs have offers, non can get interviews, and there is not record enrollment.

OBAP

one word. PAY

OBAP

You speak the truth! solution: PAY

PROFILECLIMB

My take on this home so called pilot shortage in order to fly those really cool aircraft that you want to fly you basically need a second income stream like a business to supplement your low pay that most companies will pay you. They would love to eliminate pilots and general if they could get away with it and the public would accept it.

krudawg

There may not be a shortage according to ALPA but to me the future looks pretty bright for aspiring pilots. When I was looking for a pilot job back in the late 70's to mid-80's flying jobs were scarce - commuter airlines were very hard to get hired into. The majors were hiring like crazy in the late 70's then slammed into reverse and started furloughing. There were few ad's in the newspaper and magazines for pilots. Fast-forward to now; I'm getting postcards from Regional Airlines requesting that I call them for a job with some even paying a hiring bonus -they are about 29 years too late as I am in the sunset of my career with a Legacy Airline. Flight Training schools have programs that will have pipelines to regionals who are paying those pilots a $10,000 rebate for the flight training expenses. It's not a lump sum but is paid monthly up to $400/mo in return the new pilot must sign a 2 years contract with the regional. Folks, these kinds of deals did not exist back in the 80's (when there was no shortage, apparently). You can make comments of poor pay for those regionals but it looks to me like that pay will be rising.
Best of luck in your career; the sacrifice is worth the effort.

bedrock

I guess the question is, is the career you had going to be the career the future pilots will have and will it be worth it? 7-8 yrs as an airline pilot topped out at 45K? Commuting across the country, living in crashpads for 80K as a captain with 11-13 days off? Constantly being threatened by whipsaw? Waiting, waiting for a legacy job that may not happen and which will cause you to restart again? Envoy tops their FO pay at 4 yrs, and it is pretty pathetic pay. CA tops at 12.