Bingo.

The public demands the highest safety standards. Until they are five minutes late or can find a fare for $5.00 cheaper. Then it's get my butt to Des Moines right now no matter what!

 

There does appear to be a shortage on the horizon, but I think it's the shortage of starry-eyed kids willing to fly multimillion dollar jets for unemployment wages.

I'd love to fly for a regional again, but I'd only consider doing it at the very top of the seniority list pay scale.

 

Look at what is happening in Europe as we speak:
RYANAIR EUROPE'S GREATEST ROBBERS OF YOUNG PEOPLE...

19 year old flying a 737 for an airline that barely pays it's pilots:
Teenager offered Ryanair job set to become one of youngest airline pilots ever | Mail Online


The airlines have already been deregulated. You don't think that the FAA will help the airline lobbyists get on the same level as the world?

 

De-regulate the safest system in the world? I think not. The politicians have hung their hats on the fact that we have the best, most reliable, aviation system on the planet. Look at all the incidents/accidents overseas. When my phone, computer and satellite based T.V. are "crash proof", then, and only then would I even consider it.

 

A minor pilot shortage will be a boon for the major airlines. The Low Cost Carriers have been a constant drag on ticket prices for decades. If the major airlines can slow them down by hiring their pilots away (at food-stamp wages), the majors can start raising ticket prices again. The majors still own and sell tickets on regional routes, it will be easy for them to take over the most profitable routes with planes they were scheduled to retire, and new pilots poached from the regionals. It would be a self-driven cycle.

The major airlines need a pilot crisis to get rid of the remaining rules on pilot experience, fatigue, maximum hours, minimum breaks, etc. Remember the sequester FAA controller "crisis", and how quickly congress changed laws to fix it? The airlines and their lobbyists will make sure the press reports on airlines shutting down and markets losing their air service. They need a lifeline.

Who thinks there will be a pilot shortage?

- Roger Cohen, President of the Regional Airline Association: Loath to Project Trends, Cohen Breaks with Form on Pilot Shortage | Aviation International News
Regional Airline Association chief warns of pilot shortage - Wichita Business Journal
Dearth of pilots raising worries

- Chuck Howell, CEO of Great Lakes Airlines: http://county10.com/2013/05/17/great...-a-better-job/

- The FAA: Activities, Courses, Seminars & Webinars - Event Details and Registration - FAA - FAASTeam - FAASafety.gov

- The University of North Dakota: Pilot Career Is Losing Its Appeal, Shows Survey | Aviation International News

- MIT: http://dspace.mit.edu/bitstream/hand...pdf?sequence=1

- Air Transport World: Looming pilot shortage major concern for US regional airlines | Labor content from ATWOnline

- Aviation Accreditation Board International: http://www.aabi.aero/AirlinePilotLaborSupply1.pdf
http://www.aabi.aero/News&Calendar/P...20position.pdf

- The National Business Aviation Association: Faced With Workforce Shortages, Industry Must Attract New Talent | Personnel Considerations | NBAA - National Business Aviation Association

- The travel and tourism industry: Aruba Rentals Experts Explain Impact of Pilot Shortage | Aruba villas

- Jones Day: Jones Day | Pending Deadline for Airline Transport Pilot Certificates May Place U.S. Carriers in a Lurch

- Performance Pilot: The Airline Pilot Shortage in the U.S. to Effect Smaller Markets Most | Performance Pilot

- The U.S. Air Force: http://www.fighterpilotuniversity.co...-fighter-pilot

- Republic Airlines: The Durango Herald 02/04/2013 | Carrier’s staff shortage triggers delays--

- Delta and United Airlines (bottom of article):
New terminal kicks off renovations at Skyhaven | digitalBURG


- Chicago Tribune: Chicago Tribune

- Aviation Week: Who's Up Front?

- Travel Weekly: Things that should change in 2013 - Travel Weekly


etc, etc, etc. There was a good Wall Street Journal article a while back, somewhere in my files.

So, this is going to happen, is already happening in many parts of the world and a few sectors in the U.S. The airlines have been using it to raise the retirement age, to water down rules, to make more money. They are well prepared to keep you and I from making a dime more or working an hour less in our lives. What can we do? Not much. I'm not a fan of unions, and in this industry they've been effectively neutered. Wildcat action or wait for the next string of fatal accidents, and hope none involve you or your loved ones, or your airline.

 

Excellent compilation of posts. Thanks for taking the time.

 

"Cohen said the number is arbitrary, especially when one considers the aircraft they will have to fly to get those hours will not be comparable to the kind of aircraft commercial pilots will need to be flying.

His reasoning: why aren’t pilots ready at 1,499 hours, when they are at 1,501?

“What’s the difference across the line?” he asked."

This is so true, just an arbitrary line in the the sand.... But I really wish they would stop calling it the "1500 hour rule" when in actually it's the asinine 500 hours of cross country that is jamming people up...

Thanks Scottm for actually backing up your post with facts...

 

I find Roger Cohen and many of his media releases abhorrent—He is a scum bag.

He and the Regional Airline Association represent much of what is wrong with the aviation industry. Media sources are often manufactured by corporate interests. All media have a habit of trending stories off of eachother and corporate interests. FAPA is touting a hug pilot shortage because it's good for business—The RAA and Boeing are no exception.

Will there be a shortage of pilots in the world? —Yes, there as ways has been and the need for skilled labor is getting higher as aircraft become more idiot proof.

Will there be a shortage of cheap regional pilot indentured slave labor? —Yes, but the regionals will also disproportionately shrink... Hopefully, Delta doesn't lead another round of scope relaxation.

Will major airlines have a problem recruiting pilots? —No.

There is only a shortage of people willing to work for nothing, which may be easily fixed with ab initio programs and further economic decline.

 

Spot on. When the Fed stops pumping and monetizing our debt we're in trouble again.

 

Anyone know; is that spray tan, or does he keep a tanning bed in his office?

Every interview he does has me wondering if something is wrong with the color settings on my screen.