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Pilot shortage article

Old 07-30-2007, 05:46 AM
  #21  
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Originally Posted by SkyHigh View Post
Thanks for clearing that up. I thought that XJT was Executive Jet.

Sorry,

SkyHigh
yeah, no problem.
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Old 07-30-2007, 06:06 AM
  #22  
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Originally Posted by SAABaroowski View Post
ok so ill be in my twenties and an RJ Captain, I am getting involved with the union, and participate in a lot of local volunteer stuff in my community and I have a lot of friends at major 121 airlines...................so I think Im actually doing ok
You are well on your way. I wish I had such good fortune when I started. I had to spend most of my 20's living in the Alaskan bush flying Cessnas. It stunk.

As always, the best of luck

SkyHigh
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Old 07-30-2007, 06:17 AM
  #23  
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Originally Posted by SkyHigh View Post
You are well on your way. I wish I had such good fortune when I started. I had to spend most of my 20's living in the Alaskan bush flying Cessnas. It stunk.

As always, the best of luck

SkyHigh
thanks, sad thing is I would enjoy that lifestyle the most, me, a simple airplane and no one to bother me
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Old 07-30-2007, 06:21 AM
  #24  
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Originally Posted by SkyHigh View Post
You are well on your way. I wish I had such good fortune when I started. I had to spend most of my 20's living in the Alaskan bush flying Cessnas. It stunk.

As always, the best of luck

SkyHigh

Life is full of experiences and Alaska bush flying I always though would be an exceptional one.
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Old 07-30-2007, 06:38 AM
  #25  
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Originally Posted by SkyHigh View Post
The cream of the pilot pool is and will continue to be RJ captains and military superstars. Both prove that they can take huge amounts of abuse and are willing and able to be a cog in the machine. A 121 jet captain has already proved that they can handle all the aspects of a 121 career. All that a learjet type can prove is that you can fly an ILS at 147 knots.Skyhigh
That there is some funny chit. Let me tell you...121 flying is the easiest, least challenging flying I have ever done. It is a joke really. I flew those Lears and worked 100% harder doing it. I am now at a 121 carrier without any 121 PIC time. SWA didnt seem to mind me flying those little Lears around. They have hired a lot of FlexJet pilots and continue to do so. Get off your 121 high horse, because it is not all that challenging.
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Old 07-30-2007, 07:04 AM
  #26  
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Originally Posted by SkyHigh View Post
I watched as single pilot IFR MEL piston time became worthless. Soon MEL turbine will be disregarded as well.

SkyHigh
There's a great deal of old turboprop guys still on major hiring boards. Why would they cut off the guys that have truly taken the abuse that you speak of (turboprop life is harder than jet life, you know that), fly harder, handfly, fly shorter legs, etc., etc...

I won't believe there's a pilot shortage until it trickles upward to the majors.
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Old 07-30-2007, 07:08 AM
  #27  
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Originally Posted by SkyHigh View Post
Besides all that what grown up would want to start over at middle age at a legacy airline that most likely will furlough them a few years later anyway?

I watched as single pilot IFR MEL piston time became worthless. Soon MEL turbine will be disregarded as well.

SkyHigh
Urrgh, I guess me, I am middle aged and starting over.

IFR MEL Piston time is not worthless. In fact, that is more than enough to get you in a job that results in flying a 75,000lb jet international. The regionals are begging for IFR / MEL pilots.

I think what is "worthless" is the way our profession has allowed the outsouring of almost 50% of network flying. SkyWest, or ASA, are many times the operations that airlines like Southern, NorthEast, Val-u-Jet, Piedmont, Allegheny, or any of those national carriers that were thought of as Majors were back in the day.

As an MD88 pilot, I feel comfortable in saying a CRJ900 is a whole lot more aircraft than a DC-9 was.

Not picking on you - you write interesting things that are worthy of a reply.
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Old 07-30-2007, 07:13 AM
  #28  
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Originally Posted by kansas View Post
I won't believe there's a pilot shortage until it trickles upward to the majors.
The majors have outsourced the majority of any growth in narrow body flying. NorthWest is shrinking their DC-9 and Airbis fleet in favor of CRJ's at Compass, Pinnacle and Mesaba.

Those major jobs are nearly twice as rare as they once were. Between the loss of 3 seat jets and RJ's Delta's list is 6,900 down from almost twice that number. With age 65 looming (which shut the door at FedEx even before it happened) there is not going to be a "shortage" for the good jobs any time soon. Now is probably as good as it gets.

Pilots need to focus on improving the lot of the professionals at the non-brand regional carriers who are the defacto narrow body majors these days.
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Old 07-30-2007, 11:58 AM
  #29  
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Originally Posted by SAABaroowski View Post
Im 26 I am pretty sure there are not 20,000 23 yr ol CAs at the regional level that will cause me and "me generation" to miss out and the industry "pass us by". Even if it takes me 10 years to get out of XJT I will only be 36....................I understand that at 36 making 50k a year is terrible, but thats if it takes me that long, and at this rate I doubt it will....................
I know plenty of 36 year olds that make about the same or less than 50k year. Not everyone has six figure salaries at least not were I live. Most of my family lives in north New Jersey. My uncle their only makes about 60k per year and thats probably all he will ever make.
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Old 07-30-2007, 06:31 PM
  #30  
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Hi!

The Pilot Shortage has already trickled up to the majors. SWA cut their PIC requirement by 300 hours. DAL didn't get as many Mil guys as they wanted. UAL (and, I think, NWA) aren't getting anywhere as many qualified applicants as they planned on.

The big Asian carriers are sucking wind bad. They used to require a type rating and a lot of time to hire a street captain. My buddy has no widebody, no heavy, and no oceanic experience, and he was told he met the qualifications for a -777 street captain.

When UPS, USAir, FedEx, SWA and AA are all hiring again, it will be unbelievable. Good for us, a NIGHTMARE if you're a recruiter.

cliff
YIP

PS-The FAA says that by 2011 the domestic pax #s will be up by 26%.
The number of ATP pilots will be flat.
The number of commercial pilots will decline.

How is THIS going to work???

Last edited by atpcliff; 07-30-2007 at 06:36 PM.
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