Classes: Hard to fill?
 

I wanted the title of this to read, "Have any regionals had a hard time filling classes?" but it is limited in characters.

So that's the question? I have heard rumors (you know how reliable those are.....) that some regional airlines have had a hard time filling classes. And some have had a hard time getting folks through training (that is not a rumor).

I know the flight schools have not been doing booming business for the past 3 or 4 years. I am wondering if the pool of qualified young pilots (CFIs, night freight, banner towing, etc.) is being drained pretty fast.

Many regionals are now hiring and I can't believe the pool of qualified new hires will be endless.

i think were still a ways off from airlines actually having trouble filling classes. IMO

I had a buddy that didn't make it through training. Seemed qualified, just couldn't hack it in the end.

Heard RAH is. Word is the last class they wanted 26 and only got 15. Don't know for sure though.

I also heard that Pinnacle/Mesaba are having a hard time filling full classes,,,

I think you heard wrong!! I was told by a friend in HR that Pinnacle received over 6,000 resumes within the last few months and can pick and choose who they want to hire...Also, Pinnacle is going to need to hire around 250-300 pilots in the next year, this is just what I was told, nothing in writing.

Really? That number may be slightly over estimated. Sounds like the place to go. Maybe I should apply. Apparently I'm missing something.

The CFI world is going to see a shortage soon due to the lack of Americans training. I would assume the 121 world still has plenty of resumes. My guess is late this year to early 2012 you will see the regional aggressively going after applicants. Once all the majors are hiring the regionals will be hard pressed for qualified applicants.

For the record I do believe in a big shortage unless the system changes (wages, 1500 hours, financing, ect).

Pinnacle told us at the interview last week that they want to hire 260 in 2011.

Watch what is happening to the posted mins of regionals and that is a good indication of how hard it is to find pilots. During this recent binge of hiring, most regional started with 1000TT-1500TT for mins and many are down below 800/100 already.

Eagle is trying to hire 600 in 2011. Key word is "trying." They have also had to park 2 brand new CRJ700s because they dont have the staffing to fly them, with 4 more deliveries left in the coming months.

Reading the Eagle threads, it seems they are also having trouble filling classes but slowly getting that under control. I think this mini hiring sprint by Eagle kind of got Eagle's HR needing to play catch up. When things started, they wanted 50 in each class and the norm was around 15-20. It seems now that classes are starting to get up into the 40 range.

Just lurking in all the other airlines thread's, I would agree that most are having problem filling classes, yet are of no shortage of qualified applicants. I wonder where the hold up is?

Compass is dropping their hard 500 Multi Engine minimum... maybe that says something?

I think eagle is a little picky, and yet needs pilots to fill class. 5 coworkers that I know had applied in eagle got turn down, one of them because he had 1 CFI failed check ride with previuos 121 experience, the other 2 had 3,000+ hours with ATP and the last 2 had CRJ/ERJ experience also got turn down.

On the other hand, RAH turn down a few, because of ATP certificate including my self regardless of 121 experience. Colgan won't even look at your app. if you have any FAA failed check ride and it's obvious they need to fill classes so bad, because every 2 or 3 days advertising on climbto3... web site.

The local flight school that in the past were pack of students, now is like a ghost place and on top of thet prices went up.

driver

so no one at eagle has ever failed a single checkride? hmm...

I think the 2 CRJs being parked is more related to that fact that eagle management was late in starting to train more CRJ crews. I think they sent LGA CA to CRJ class in June when the planes started flying in July, and have been trying to catch up ever since.

I don't know about that, why don't ask a former eagle pilot.

There will never be a shortage of qualified applicants for a well paying job.
There will however, exist a shortage of qualified applicants willing to work for $20000/year. The regionals are counting on people who can (and will) sleep in their parent's basements and sustain themselves on Ramen noodles. All to fly for less than the legal minimum wage.

So if wages doubled (which would never happen) then there will be a massive influx of applicants willing to work for the astounding sum of $40,000/year?

Bull.

Yes, If that was starting pay.

I know a guy who got in recently. He has had 1 or 2 failures, and I doubt he's dumb enough to lie on the app.

I think stbloc is right. If starting pay was 40k there would be more qualified people applying.

I know that Compass cannot fill classes

although i stand by original post, i did hear from a co-worker who interviewed last week at Eagle that the talk over there is lowering the ME down to 75.

I find it funny that someone said Compass was having trouble filling classes... I applied about 5 months ago and go a no thanks letter... lets see.... 3400 hours... all but 60 ME/turbine....ATP, SIC type in the 170... 121 experience.... maybe things have changed there

yea no more delta flow and now owned by trans States

Do you have the 4 year degree from an accredited institution?

I would think you're a shoe in if you do. Maybe re-check your resume. I know allot of companies put resumes through a computer and compile a profile of the candidate applying. Spelling errors and poor grammatical structure will get your resume discarded immediately.

If you really want to go there...try re-applying. The worst they can say is "no."

So what are peoples thoughts about the future hiring? If its true 121 are having trouble find applicants and we are only in the beginning stages of hiring, whats going to happen? Some estimates I read is a need for 30000 pilots this decade. Where are they going to find all these pilots to fill classes. The pipeline at the academy level is drying up already due to lack of financing and interest in pursuing this career.

Are these rumors or is it true these regionals are starting to have a difficult time find the right applicant. Whats your prediction going forward? My thought are once Majors start hiring it should deplete the regionals leaving back to hiring with 250 untill 1500 kicks in(which I fell will be squashed once media gains attention of the shortage).

They've been saying there's a supposed pilot shortage "right around the corner" since...ohhhh 1903. And ever since there were two pilots, Wilbur and Orville, for just one plane, there's been a surplus. There is not now, nor has there ever been a pilot shortage.

I'm not saying it's not possible, I'm just saying that stories like this seem to come out once a year. I would love it if there was a pilot shortage because then regionals would be forced to pay more than $20 an hour to new hires, but I just don't see it as likely.

AGreed about Eagle.

I agree. I don't think we're on the cusp of a 'shortage' but a storm is brewing. There will be retirements in large numbers at all majors and even regionals starting in just over 18 months. That is not very far off into the future. There is no saying that that means 'shortage', but there is no doubt it will change things. There will be movement of some sort after years of stagnation.

There will be a shortage of qualified pilots at the regional level for a few reasons. There are fewer kids coming out of flight schools because the return on the educational investment is absolutely laughable. Most smart parents and almost all banks have realized this already.

Again, there will never exist a shortage of qualifed applicants for well paying jobs. I have yet to hear how this aging population will result in a lawyer shortage. Only aviation and her low wages keeps the dreams alive by the promise of something better for your many many sacrafices.

AMEN!

Pay more and you"ll fill your class!

No doubt pay will attract qualified applicants. I know there are hundreds of flight instructors, chief pilots, guys in management at flight schools all who will never leave their job because they don't want to take a pay cut to to go to a regional, have a worse schedule, and not see their family every might.

Now, will more pay put more students into the system. Perhaps, but I know these type of students all too well. They aren't there because they have a passion for it. They are much more difficult to train and will try to kill you around every corner. Good luck getting these guys to 1500 hours when that time comes too.

Just think about it, how many doctors do you think successfully pass med school that are only in it for the money. I would venture to say not many. Even with a modest pay increase, you will be hard pressed to motivate the average individual into this career.

lets not forget that hiring pilots is not just about having the time, the degree, and knowing how to fly airplanes. Some companies want good employees with good attitudes that are going to get along with others and do their job without complaining that is something that not everyone has. Ive seen a lot of bad attitudes and maybe that adds to the shortage. I think that airlines have plenty of resumes to search thru, but most of those resumes are old and people have moved on to bigger better things by now, some may have just applied without meeting the reqs, and then of the ones that meet the requirements and look good on paper what is the percentage of people that make it to an interview and either have an off day and ball it up, or have a terrible attitude and dont get hired?

Just a thought...

Now that the SLI is out, just imagine how hard it will be to fill classes now!

who would come here knowing there's no upgrade in sight and you could be on crappy fo pay for a while

And which company as of today, have quick upgrade in sight?

driver

I was just talking to a friend of mine about this topic. He sat in a XJT check airman ground school a few weeks ago and had a management guy (JN for those who know) say they can't find people, very few applicants and how their plans of hiring 96 a quarter is about to be changed. He was talking about parking aircraftnext year and "when the majors hire and get you 8, E and G guys outta here, we are screwed."

I have a friend finishing class at XJT now. Some of the tales he had of the poor performances put on by some of his classmates indicated that they're scraping the bottom of the barrel to get butts in seats at class.

It seems there's going to be enough attrition at the majors, coupled with hardly anyone filling the lower ranks, coupled with rest rules that require more of us to staff an airline that within the next 5-8 years, pilots will be the single most valuable commodity in the airline industry.

I just read on another forum that beginning in December of next year, United will have a pilot retire every 18 hours. That is a pretty amazing statistic especially when you add in all of the other carriers that will have similar numbers based on age 65 retirements. Couple this with improved rest requirements, and there could be a huge hiring boom in the near future.