FlyGuy0507

Hey guys, I'm not sure if I'm in the right section here but I wanted to share this article that USA Today published. Demand for airline pilots set to soar - USATODAY.com

I'm pretty excited after reading that because I'll be entering college in 13 months.

Culguy99

This is exactly what airline management is hoping. Persolly I think the article was a ploy to get yougsters excited about becoming a pilot. It's a perfectly timed article so that when the so-called shortage hits, these people will be ready to fill the slots. No more shortage. No pay raise. Min wage continues...

Outlaw2097

"You've got a guy who'll walk out $100,000 in debt, and we're going to tell him, 'We'll pay you $22,000'? The airline industry has relied on passion for years — that people love to fly and will do whatever they have to do to fly. But there comes a time when it's a matter of dollars and cents."

Well...if its $100k we are using as the benchmark, then it sure wasn't Riddle that he was referring to.

Cruz5350

Couldn't agree more.

TonyWilliams

BINGO !!!

Mission accomplished.

bear2duby

It's in the USA Today so it must be true..Right?

http://http://travel.usatoday.com/flights/story/2011/06/Demand-for-airline-pilots-set-to-soar/48661596/1

Welcome aboard to the latest FedEx class that started Monday the 20th. 19 or so New hires with more to come.....

USMCFLYR

Already being discussed in Hangar Talk,

USMCFLYR

airline NooB

MY OPINION WILL NOT BE POPULAR. But it is, nonetheless, my prediction of the shape of things to come. Take it and all other opinions with a grain of salt and form your own.

It is my humble opinion....pure speculattion...that there will be no pilot shortage...because there is a abundant supply of eager, hungry, optomistic, experienced, qualified pilots ready to fill ALL of the projected vacancies...and then some. All it takes is a signature.....a flip of the regulatory switch...a thumbs up....and the cockpit staffing problem miraculaously goes away. Cuz, you see....the only thing keeping that OCEAN (not just a pool) of candidates from filling the seat....is the fact that the card in their pocket doesnt say FAA. Thats it.

We like to think that we (as an industry) will be able to force the market to pay higher wages...improve out quality of life...make it all better for us (by making the customer pay more...unlikely due to too much competition. or by making the corporation pocket less...also unlikely because like it or not, the airline does not exists for the liesure of the employees. it exists to make a profit, and it can best do so by targeting customer satisfaction WHILE remembering the need to have employees and management working together (NON-adversarial) to accomplish that goal. This isnt a business theory...it works really REALLY well and there are a few SHINING examples of this methodology in every industry. Just as there are some less then stellar examples of businesses holding onto...older, less effective ideologies. This is simply commercial darwinism. Those who do not evolve, or who cannot due to layers and layers of extranious obligations or entitlements....will become extinct. More flexible, more durable, more PRO-active (less RE-active) businesses IN ANY INDUSTRY...will prevail.

We have done a (darn) good job of discouraging future pilots. We ***** about the pay. We ***** about the conditions. We ***** about seniority. We ***** about the food...the uniforms...the declining Flight Attendant aesthetics...the aircraft..the airports...the security measures...the ineffective unions...the dasterdly management....we ***** and ***** and ***** and *****. We complain so darn much that AFTER making the investment into training, I seriously question if it is an industry I want anything to do with. If I hadnt already taken the dive, before I saw these VOLUMES of negativity about the work, there is no way in (heck) I'd have even considered this path.

Todays 17-20 year olds are far more tech savy than we are. And while we got our dreams from hanging around hangars and tarmacs....they get their insight from FORUMS and BLOGS. They will have THIS as their primary insight into the industry. And we will have allowed our dissatisfaction and cynicism to deter our "reinforcements" from even trying.

Which leaves the industry in a bit of a pickle....what are we gonna do...

Resistance is futile.... the easiest and most economical answer.... Allow them darn foreigners to take a bigger portion of the pie. And rather than snivel about how miserable they are with $50k on their W-2....and having to stay with 4 others in their crash pads.....them darn foreigners will celebrate the vast improvement over their national standard.

The FAA and congress will make noise about "protecting american jobs"...for a while. But consumer groups will become louder and louder and eventually, someone will change the regulation (its not even a formal law) and open the gates. And then the consumer will be happy...which will make the politicians happy....which gets the heat off of the regulatory agency.

And as the passengers depart the plane....the Captain will greet them with a big bright smile and say: "Thank you, come again. Next week, sale on slushies."

Some say it'll NEVER happen. We're "protected"! Ever heard of a work visa? It works both ways. All the industry has to do is say "there arent enough workers to fill the vacancies" and then the state department and Federal Trade Commission....make things happen.

All because we have priced ourselves out of yet another industry and complained our way out of domestic career. If you cant afford the wages offered...find another career. Nobody tricked you into this job. They didnt offer gold bullion and then pay peanuts. Make your educated decisions based on the reality of what exists...not the hope that at some point someone will become desperate enough to double your pay.

At least, thats my best guess on where this is headed.

I could asily be wrong. But for now, I'm working on a patent for a headset....that'll fit over a turban. (just kidding...mostly)

I am Absolutely NOT advocating that anyone should paint a rosey picture, give false hope, blow smoke, or otherwise attempt to lure the unsuspecting victim into a career trap. But I do think it would probably serve us all well if we would stop pouting about not getting some of the things we want, be thoughtful of getting some of the things we DO want......and try to take into consideration some of the things we DONT get...that we DONT want.

block30

I have seen more than a few a commericial websites (and of course flashing print media) promoting glory-day images of being a pilot. So my concern is the young'ens aren't necessarily hearing from actual pilots' points of view. Certainly we see some here on these forums which is great, but I think of Jet University. A few flashy ads touting "Catch Me if You Can" (The movie) like lifestyles, and boy did they come to Jet U in droves! Same at most flight schools.

I went to a university with a four year flight degree. (I minored in flight majored in something else) None the less, their website was flashy, and talked about how exciting it is to be a pilot, what a great time now is, images of military and airline aircraft, pilots in their uniforms. Oh boy!

So my point is, I think we need to ensure we actual pilots get our message out, and Captain Sullivan's testimony isn't lost/forgotten. Folks should understand what they are getting themselves into to compare with the onslaught of flight school propaganda. The problem is a bunch of individual ****ed off pilots are up against the bank rolls of institutions trying to catch the starry-eyed.

EDIT: I just remembered, back in my aviation classes in college, it wasn't until the junior/senior classes (read it's too late to change!) is when the profressors (many former airline pilots) would start delving into the topics of furloughs, whipsawing, the $15 maybe 20,000 a year pay, food stamps, paying off massive student loans on said $15- 20,000, Frank Lorenzo and pals, and "do you honestly think your spouse will put up with the airline life style crap?" Wow. When I came here it was all sunshine and flower petals. What the ....? Gosh, I wish I had the internet back then.

block30

Please elaborate on saying "it sure wasn't Riddle he was referring to."

I'm actually not flaming, I honestly want to know what you mean. Thanks.