Pilot Shortage again (non-121)

Ya, a "certain" fuel valve.

Oh yeah but it had nothing with the bonus it had to do with the pay raise they dangled in front of us but took it away because so many $$$ going out the door for muck ups
Ah ok. Still a lack of money. Not that we need to air all of AMFs dirty laundry in this public thread today, but that memo had a bunch of costly screw ups on it.
 
Ya, a "certain" fuel valve.


Ah ok. Still a lack of money. Not that we need to air all of AMFs dirty laundry in this public thread today, but that memo had a bunch of costly screw ups on it.

I was just trying to not reveal any details. :D I still get a chuckle of out guys that hit cones. Really, REAAALLLLY????
 
Well anyway back to topic at hand. Yes there is a shortage of pilots on my base at least. A 99 pilot, 1900 pilot and PT metro pilot in one month. And maybe another 2 1900 pilots in a month leavin
 
Well anyway back to topic at hand. Yes there is a shortage of pilots on my base at least. A 99 pilot, 1900 pilot and PT metro pilot in one month. And maybe another 2 1900 pilots in a month leavin

Seems to be that way everywhere. I don't know how we're even running.
 
Well anyway back to topic at hand. Yes there is a shortage of pilots on my base at least. A 99 pilot, 1900 pilot and PT metro pilot in one month. And maybe another 2 1900 pilots in a month leavin
2 more hundo pilots eh? You find a cool new jerb?
 
There was a pay raise when I was working there.

They started paying Chieftain drivers what 99 drivers made.

I'm pretty sure there will never be another raise at that company ever again.
Last raise went only to the Ho's and 99s and cuts went to bro FOs and nothing for 1900 and sewer pipe turds
 
Well... Thanks to the 1500 hour rule the low-time pilot jobs that one used to be able to find are pretty much dried up. Even most CFI jobs want CFI/II/MEI with at least 100 dual given before they hire. Instructors with less time than that that manage to work at busier schools are usually students at said school before working there. All the jobs that used to hire pilots with wet commercial licenses (250 to 300 hour) don't even look at them anymore because they have a stack of resumes from guys with 500 to 1,000 hours sitting on the CP's desk. For instance all of the diver-driving jobs in my area require a minimum of about 700 hours, the Traffic Watch job requires a minimum of 300PIC and at least a CFI, the survey company in the area requires 700TT or if they hire lower it is because the pilot had his CFI. There aren't many local flight schools that train part61 but the ones that do have all the instructors they need. All of the 141 schools hire from within unless they need a 2 year CFI. There really isn't a whole lot out there. This is part of the reason I think that the pilot shortage may actually come to fruition to some extent. There aren't even many low time jobs available to encourage students to get through a training program. I can't tell you how many of the guys I went through flight school with who are now just "free-lance" CFIs who have other jobs that they work full time and maybe fly 3 to 5 hours a week.

Is it really that bad though? I had a friend get hired at UND (not a UND grad) before he even got his CFI and CFII with no dual given, and about 250 hours TT.
 
Is it really that bad though? I had a friend get hired at UND (not a UND grad) before he even got his CFI and CFII with no dual given, and about 250 hours TT.

Indeed, I was the same. I depends on where you are or where you're willing to move. There's jobs out there when you're low time, but you've gotta be willing to go GET them.
 
That's great news! Guys working doors with residential buildings on Upper East Side would be very glad to hear that. So many of them are wearing two and more stripes on epaulets for decades. All working as doormen. Finally they get into Lears and a kid I know gets his dream job in that marble lobby. :)
 
Well, hopefully maybe some places in the 135 world will raise compensation so it's worth staying for a little while.

Seems like a lot of the same management that complains about how hard it is to find good pilots thinks that wages that were competitive 15 years ago when guys could still go somewhere from 135 other than a regional, are still competitive. As much as I'd like to fly freight down south there's just no reason to-if I move back down south it might as well be for a regional job that might actually get me somewhere, oh and have decent benefits and time off.
 
I spoke with a rep from a large flight academy the other day and he told me 95% of the students a foreign. Problem they are having is the visa they come on doesn't allow them to work as a CFI. His issue now is no Americans are in the pipeline, so hiring is a constant challenge for them. Without banks lending for training very few can write a check for 60k-100k. This issue alone compounded with the 1500 hour rule I believe will put great pressure on regionals and 135's
 
I spoke with a rep from a large flight academy the other day and he told me 95% of the students a foreign. Problem they are having is the visa they come on doesn't allow them to work as a CFI. His issue now is no Americans are in the pipeline, so hiring is a constant challenge for them. Without banks lending for training very few can write a check for 60k-100k. This issue alone compounded with the 1500 hour rule I believe will put great pressure on regionals and 135's
I asked a buddy of mine who is a DPE about this issue and he has said the same thing... Not many American students anymore. And I know my flight school has been having trouble trying to hire qualified applicants over the past few months. No $ = no flight training. And unfortunately, I don't think it is getting any better in the foreseeable future.
 
Whats wrong with the 1500 rule or companies requiring more time and experience to hurl metal tubes through the air at 500 mph? Also, I know a few guys who CFI on freelance and do extremely well. Freelance doesnt mean "part time". Sure, it might be a little inconvenient for the folks who had their minds set on 250 hours>commercial>CFI>airline bliss with 500TT. I don't see a pilot shortage. I see a lack of interest in people wanting to make airline flying a long term career.
The requirement isn't the problem, it's the "reward" after starving for countless more years as a result of it. Back when regionals only hired people with 1500 or 2500 or more TT, they only had to spend a few years at said regional then get hired for 6 figures at a major. Now you spend 10+ years at the regional 5 of which pay less than 40k a year. Why go thru 60k of training and 60k+ of college when you can go to state school, become a nurse, and make 60k+ fresh out of college? (for less than half the training cost too). Pilots at ALL levels need WAY more compensation for the required sacrifice. That's why no one wants to do it anymore. 250 hour wonders made sense when they got a 20k a year job coming out. But 20k a year doesn't make sense for someone who spend 2 years already starving as a CFI, only to make less than 40 for the next 5 to 10.

I will fall into that category of full time IT guy by day, moonlighting as a CFI by night and weekend. If 1500 hour rule wasn't an issue, then I'd full time CFI to get my 500 or whatever. How does forcing me to keep my head in 2 places (and not 100% into flying) make me a better pilot? Can't think of too many careers out there that require you to do another full time job in A TOTALLY DIFFERENT FIELD just to have a "shot" at making it to that highly coveted 20k a year regional job. There has to be a sweeping reform for this to ever work out.
 
Want to fly a blimp, we've got a "pilot shortage". Pilot shortages aren't really a shortage, just a lack of people willing (or stupid enough) to work for the offered compensation package & quality of life.
I'd totally do it just to do it for a while if I could figure out how to get into it.
 
I'd totally do it just to do it for a while if I could figure out how to get into it.

Haha, I said the same thing when I started. Now, I wish I would have sucked it up and found a CFI gig. The pay isn't anything to write home about, but the plus is you have zero living expenses, other than food. As such Quality of Life, on a scale of 1-10, is about a -6
 
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