Tell me my friend. Who works for less than US pilots? It's not the europeans, asians, africans, eastern europeans or middle easterners.
It can only go up from here...

 

When you can go to China and Africa and make four times what you can make here that says a lot. Is this as bad as it gets?

 

Pilots in Mexico make less. Maybe South America too. However, compared to other professions, they earn a high standard of living even at the regional level which is usually not the case in the US. If you think our shiny jet FOs look young, those boys look like they haven't hit puberty yet.

Ever since I got into aviation 11 years ago there have been predictions of pilot shortages. I think we saw glimpes of it in the summer of 2001 and 2007. However, 9/11 ruined it in 01 and all the fuel prices for 08. There are so many variables that you can't say when a shortage may happen because a terrorist attack, fuel prices, bad economy, and who knows what else could change it within a month to furloughs throughout the industry.

However, if a lot of companies hedge well, and no terrorists attacks, it is possible that in 2012 the hiring will be up and a lot of Favre pilots will finally hang their hats.

 

There will never be a true pilot shortage. We nearly had one last year, but instead of raising wages to attract more pilots, they just lower the minimums.

A pilot can be created in less than a year. This has been proven. Because of this, there will never be an actual pilot shortage.

 

Hey, which island are going off to? My girlfriend and I just returned from the Carribean. It was FUN.

I agree with your second paragraph.

 

I don't know wher you got that info but it's wrong. Pilots in Mexico do NOT make less than us here. Besides, down in Mexico and in South America, pilots are well respected, unlike here.

 

I agree with most of your statement here except in 2008 pilot hiring at Majors was completely wiped out by AGE 65 rule change primarily AND the incredible fuel price increase.

 

You're missing one thing: flight school admission is way down right now. Flight schools are closing doors because they can't get enough students to start flying, mostly due to their inability to get financing. If that continues, then yes, we may just have a real pilot shortage. We'll see.

 

Agreed! I have a friend that owns a FBO in Georgia. Says hes about to close the doors because he can't BUY students. No financing and the state of our industry right now. He said one student in the middle of training for his instrument just said forget it and went into law. Go figure.

 

Your mouth to God's ears. I hope you are right because we could all use the break in the next 2 to 5 years.