MartinBishop

This is a very short sighted, self centered, and myopic viewpoint.

An artificial scarcity places the market for labor out of equilibrium. Yeah it makes us more valuable, but it also makes us more expensive. Airlines will have to pay us more which means either they make less profit, or they pass that expense on to the pax in way of higher prices. There is elasticity to much of airline travel.

Not only that, but because of the shortage, it will make the airlines seek out other ways to fill their slots... and that includes a form of cabotage which will be pushed once the airlines get desperate.

The 1500 hour rule is only one part of the equation of course, low starting pay (thanks to the unions), high cost of training (thanks again to the government) also play a major factor in why there is a pilot shortage.

Point being, having the market out of equilibrium may benefit us in the short term, but in the long term it could have really bad consequences to the entire air travel market. It is not a good thing.

WaveRider

You know very little about the airbus.......

What happens at Alpha Prot?

Go.....

Pacman

Definitely not true.

Winston

There is no such thing as a natural equilibrium in markets. When most free-marketer ideologues such as yourself discuss this term they in general refer to the absence of any and all restrictions on the actions of management, whether they be regulatory, environmental, or labor related. This is not "natural" (again: nothing is), this the dominance of one party over all other stakeholders.

Essentially, you are coming onto an airline pilot forum and arguing against unionism in general; an "unnatural" market distortion which has provided so many gains in compensation and safety over the decades counter to the whims of airline managers everywhere. Good luck with that.

crxpilot

Well let's see I know you're a dumbass.....am I getting warm?

2StgTurbine

Talking about Sully is a great way to find out which of the two possible kinds of pilots you are: A d!k or a dork. The d!ks will try to throw mud at Sully and the dorks will start talking about the glide ratio of an Airbus and how he could have landed it on the Intrepid.

Adlerdriver

Artificial scarcity? There's nothing artificial about establishing minimum qualifications for a pilot to hold an ATP. Just because there are X million yahoos in the world who can takeoff and land reasonably safely in a Cessna doesn't mean all of them should be flying passengers. Excluding most of them from employment with an airline because of their lack of qualifications is hardly "artificial".

Are the education, med school and residency requirements for doctors creating an artificial scarcity in that field too?

And you see a problem with this dynamic why? This is EXACTLY how a free market economy is supposed to work.

There is no pilot shortage. There may be a shortage of 250 hour wonders willing to fly an RJ for $17 an hour, but that's it. Well paying airlines are filling their classes just fine. If RJ operators can't fill their training classes, then they'll offer higher pay until they can. If that means passengers won't be able to buy transcon airline tickets for bus fare prices any longer then I'd say the market forces are working and coming in to balance.

Molon Labe

It seems by reading between the lines that MartinBishop has either listened to management too much is is a manager posing as a pilot. His posts all have a curious undertone, and at best very much lack any historic perspective about the profession. re read them and it becomes more evident.

CBreezy

If I remember correctly, he's still working on his instrument rating.

gettinbumped

You've GOT to be kidding me. Are you a millennial? You truly don't see the positive effect Sully's decision making, professionalism, and efforts have had on our profession? Get over your jealousy and be thankful for what Sully has done for the image of an airline pilot.... and then be quiet because you're doing the exact opposite.