Pilot shortage-give your report

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04-19-2015 | 05:49 AM

#81

MD11

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Joined: Dec 2007

Posts: 296

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From: Out of Regional Jet flying

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cubdriver

^^ Cliff is essentially a part-time pilot mythology and folklore scholar so his comments should be taken with that in mind.

I like reading ATPCliff's posts.

What he says does have validity although he gets some flak for what he posts.

04-22-2015 | 07:11 AM

#82

NineGturn

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Joined: May 2014

Posts: 265

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From: Captain - Retired

Quote:

Originally Posted by atpcliff

There ARE tonnes of pilots with their ATP, both flying now and in training...they are flying for Lufthansa, Chinese airlines, and other Asian airlines. The numbers the FAA puts out include all foreign pilots.

Atlas hired quite a few last year, and their net gain was less than five. They tried to expand, but could not.

Atlas doesn't exactly offer the most competitive jobs do they?

Quote:

Originally Posted by atpcliff

Salaries? I'd call going from $12K/month to $25K/month a big pay increase...it is happening in various parts of Asia, starting with China. They aren't paying more because of a surplus of pilots.

You are talking about peanuts for wages....two peanuts is still peanuts.

In Asia there is actually a pilot shortage due to massive growth and insufficient supply so what do they do?...They recruit in the west where there is still a surplus of pilots. They also offer ten to fifteen times the starting pay of US airlines.

Quote:

Originally Posted by atpcliff

Guys leaving UAL during class, turning down class dates at the majors....that is a sign of the pilot shortage.

It's never been unusual to turn down a class at a major when hiring is good. If a guy gets two good offers he still must choose....so a good offer gets turned down...this isn't a new thing and I've seen this plenty of times in the 90s.

Quote:

Originally Posted by CBreezy

The counter argument would be, why would you keep your medical active if you weren't already employed?

Quote:

Originally Posted by CBreezy

That database is based on getting a first class medical. Why get a first when a 2nd or 3rd will more than do the trick?

It's really very simple....insurance costs. The very large number of pilots in the US are usually active in general aviation if they aren't fully employed. There are a great many ATPs that work other careers but fly on the side. Those pilots will typically obtain a first class medical but may renew it less frequently.

Quote:

Originally Posted by CBreezy

That's a ridiculous argument. Regionals operate on razor thin margins. They might be able to raise pay slightly but their entire business model is based on a cheap labor force with low overhead. This big shift in pilot pay will occur only if service is greatly impacted and the regional carriers say they can't staff at those rates. At that point, though, it would be cheaper to take on the flying themselves. This big sudden shift of massive increases wouldn't happen if a single pilot wasn't ever created again.

Their "razor thin margins" are artificial based on the business model. They serve the interests of the large airlines and if they're not profitable, they can cease to exist without any detrimental effect on the aviation economy. It's not our job to support the regional airline industry. If it's a flawed business model it should fail and go away.

In Asia they pay regional jet pilots competitive salaries with any other large jet type. In fact regional pilots can often reach higher salaries than those flying Airbus or Boeing. The regional model as it exists in the US simply doesn't exist in Asia as there is no supply of cheap labor for them...really ironic isn't it? Yet they still make money flying regional jets.

04-22-2015 | 07:26 AM

#83

WesternSkies

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Joined: Feb 2015

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From: Downward Dog

Not detrimental? Hello situational awareness. Thousands of flights a day.

04-22-2015 | 07:34 AM

#84

NineGturn

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Joined: May 2014

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From: Captain - Retired

Quote:

Originally Posted by WesternSkies

Not detrimental? Hello situational awareness. Thousands of flights a day.

Thousands of flights a day that will get done as long as there is the demand and the availability of pilots...which there in fact is!

This will happen due to a principle often forgotten by the airline industry known as the free market. It works!

If an airline can't be competitive they will be replaced by someone who is. The only people who will mourn are the CEOs.