I agree, at first it looks like that. However I bring this up every time this topic comes up, many of those are not Americans, maybe even the majority of them are not. Go around the country and look at some of the big flight schools, almost all of their students are Indians, Chinese or handful of other nationalities. I'm not saying there is going to be a huge shortage, I have no idea but if jet fuel comes down in price and if the world economy ever improves I think there will at one point be a pinch for pilots. How that plays out or how that will effect you and me, who knows, hopefully we can take advantage of the opportunity if it presents itself.

 

You're probably right to some extent, I'm not sure there is majority of foreign pilots, but definitely a significant number (maybe 20-30%). It is probably a somewhat better than the graph shows, but there isn't a huge shortage of pilots out there atm. The economy will probably improve, but I think the days of low fuel prices have long since passed. The best thing that could happen for pilot demand would be an increased demand in part 91 and 135 charter ops (they need 1-2 pilots just carry around a couple pax). My fear is that with increasing oil and fuel prices, more and more corporate jets will be dumped. If all of those King Air and Citation pilots were suddenly out on the streets looking for work it would totally kill any demand there is for pilots.

The other thing I'd like to point out about the graph is that it shows why it is so difficult for CFIs to make it these days. At least half of the pilots training in this country are going on to become commercial pilots themselves (and many picking up their CFI certs, too) and joining the ranks of commercial pilots and flight instructors looking for work. The private pilots that get their private and maybe instrument, and then come back for BFR's, aircraft checkouts, IPC's, etc, etc, are a dying breed.

 

Some anecdotal evidence. Recently coworkers of mine flew for a few weeks up and down the west coast with a lot of time spent in the LA basin, the CA central valley, and around Redding, CA. They came back with stories to tell of airwaves filled with Chinese speaking students and it seemed that many of the FBOs were filled with foreign students in the airline pilot style uniforms milling about the place.

USMCFLYR

 

A couple of months ago a CFII at the largest flight school at KHIO told me 80% or more of the students are foreigners.

 

My husband's flight school gets about 70% of their students from China.

 

Banned US Commercial about the national debt - YouTube

A bit off topic....