The recession of the early 1990s was brutal for pilots. The economy recovered quick enough however the lasting effects on the aviation job market seemed to drag on for many years after. I was working as a flight instructor in Anchorage at the time. Once the recession hit it was like flipping a switch. One day the students were there and the next they were not. I was laid off and so were plenty of other pilots across America. It was late summer and I knew that there was little hope of resurrecting my CFI career in Alaska. Winter was coming and it was time to leave.
I sold or gave away most of my belongings since it is so expensive to move anything in or out of the state and hit the road. I traveled south in hopes of finding warmer weather and a fresh start as a CFI. When I hit Seattle I discovered that those flight schools required $5,000 at the time to be hired as a CFI who was limited to Private pilots, BFR's, Check outs and Commercial pilot licenses. Their reason for the charge was to "cover training expenses". The real reason was that they asked for the money because they could.
I headed even farther south in search of the golden sunny corporate flight flight schools that I had read about. When I reached Phoenix I found a bunch of guys in suits sitting on the sidewalk in front of each flight school. The suits all held a single piece of paper in their hand. They were all there awaiting a specific target to walk by, the chief pilot. As soon as he would appear they all jumped up and brushed the dust off and proudly held out an extended arm with a resume in it. The chief pilot would graciously scoop them up with a nod and head into the building. At that point the ties came loose, the cigarettes broke out and group began to dissipate until the next morning.
I moved across every state stopping at each airport and found a similar story. In pueblo the single instructor jumped up startled when I came through the door. He told me that I was the only person to come through the door all week. He seemed lonely and was eager to talk. Eventually he received a call from his boss giving him permission to take the 152 around the pattern since it had been so long since it had been flown. My next plan took me to the library to find phone books from other states and began a phone campaign. After a few dozen calls a guy in Albuquerque invited me in for an interview.
I was on the road the next day. When I got there I discovered that it seemed to be a fairly large school with over 6 planes. The interview was reasonably long. He was impressed with how much time I had and after bunch of the usual questions he extended a hand and gave me the job. I was very happy and thanked him profusely. At the conclusion of our meeting he told me that "the student comes in on Thursday". In silent horror I waited for him to depart the office and rushed to the schedule book. I had to flip through several blank pages before reaching the single entry on Thursday. The entire business was deceased except for one person. I was being paid by the hour so I immediately knew that it wouldn't work out. I was back on the road again 15 minutes later.
I began to bounce around the west coast crashing at old and forgotten friends houses until my welcome was worn out and then I would move on. Before I realized it occurred to me that I was homeless. I mostly lived in my truck and was getting by on my scant savings and from unemployment checks. I could not risk spending the little money I had left on a deposit and move in expenses unless I had a job there and in aviation. I had to be able to go where the jobs were however there were no jobs to be had. I drifted for 9 months before an old flight student was able to track me down.
He offered me a job as an Alaska river guide. He had purchased a Cessna 150 and needed me to teach him how to fly in it. He also wanted to have me use it to check on groups as they made their way down river. Once he was done with his training I moved on to instruct his brother and a few of the other guides as well. Eventually I was able to buy the plane from him and I began to instruct others. My truck became my home and flight school. Most of the summer I spent in a tent on the river. I would do ground instructing at my students homes. They would throw in lunch as a tip. A year later I was flying my 150 in the bush on my way to a potential new student and I lucked into an airtaxi job.
I had pestered this guy for months and months but he told me repeatedly that I did not have enough flight time. He wanted 2000 hours and an ATP in order to fly the 207. However on this day Someone did not show up for ground school and now he was scrambling to find a replacement. I was short of his minimums but he still took me up in one oif his planes and had me fly some maneuvers. That afternoon I had a spot in ground school. Along with actually being paid I was given modest housing.
My time as homeless and thinly employed was over. I was a flying drifter for 20 months and completely homeless for 9 of them. The rest of the time was spent on couches or sleeping in my cot in a friends laundry room. Times now really remind me of the recession of the early 1990's however this time it could be much worse. Hope for the best but plan for the wost. I could be many years before hiring really gets going again for anyone.
My advise is that if you are sleeping in your car or truck remember to crack a window. The condensation will give you away to the cops. Pick a spot that is not overly remote. The police and criminals are attracted to lone vehicles parked in alleys. Truck stops often have showers that they rent by the half hour. If you are crashing at a friends house diligently clean up after yourself. Do the dishes. Buy lots of food for yourself and for your hosts. Do chores for them. Become sensitive to their needs and frequently disappear so that they can preserve their sense of privacy. Make yourself a asset to them and your ability to stay will be greatly extended. And lastly leave before it is to late. You want them to be a bit sad when you leave so that in two months you can return.
SkyHigh