Are the airlines really hiring more pilots?

Roger Roger said:
Except the part where it's old timers balling up caravans and sleds and the low time Era FO who called for a go around before the captain ripped the gear off a 1900.
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You're totally correct with this, still, I personally would like to see more mentoring, and a healthy mentoring environment. A lot of guys that are new to the environment don't know what they don't know, yes, some of the old timers sucked, but also many of them didn't - that's how they got to be old-timers. You don't fly VFR in Bethel for 20 years and live without knowing every inch of the terrain, the problem lies in taking guys who've flown VFR for the last decade and throwing them into the left seat of an IFR airplane (even if it is one that is as forgiving as the Caravan) and telling them to ignore their instincts and file IFR everywhere. Add in some management pressure to be on-time and make it in and the old bush adage of "if it's bad, go IFR, if it's really bad, go VFR" starts to be used. It would be good if the guys going from into the Van from the sled actually had some IFR background to draw from other than their instrument rating and what they've gleaned from flying the 207 around (and make no mistake that is instrument flying, but it's weak on procedures). I'd also say that the learning goes both ways in the cockpit, if you encourage a good environment with "real" CRM a lot of those issues wouldn't happen.
 
Blackhawk said:
The 1500 hour rule will help me. It is creating a pilot shortage and will lead to an increase in FFD pilot wages- I think. But I don't think it will help safety.
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I would like to think you are right. Sadly, I know you're not. If FFD's get much more expensive, it'll be cheaper to bring the flying back in house. Remember, we have to pay all the support people too behind the scenes.
 
I will give you the single best piece of advice that I have recieved in my flying career by someone who started late like me and is now at the pinnacle of corporate flying. When I asked him how he did it, this is what he told me,

"Say YES to any opportunity that will improve either your pay, or Quality of Life. You can chase three things in this career; pay, QoL, or equipment. Chase pay and QoL, you will rarely lose. Chase equipment and you are betting the house in a rigged game."
Sure, some have done that, and lost, and that's called odds. Sucky odds, but odds nonetheless.
 
A Life Aloft said:
Again, there really is no such thing. If you had followed the industry for the last few decades, (and especially at the regional level) you would know this. Realistically, how far away are you from even being able to apply at a regional if that's your goal? While it's a good idea to try and plan ahead somewhat, it really makes a difference as to your current situation what your respective short term vs long term goals are/should be and your focus. What happens one year, does not necessarily reflect upon/correlate what will occur the following year. The players and even the game for each player changes and fluctuates. You can't look at a current snapshot and assume that picture will still be relevant even a year from now.

It might be more pertinent to look at where you are currently, how you plan to attain the next steps/ future stages and ask for some advice from this position rather than being so concerned with something that is not in your immediate future. Plenty of minds to pick on here and good ideas/suggestions can abound that may be far more useful for you in your present situation. For instance, what are your plans for college?
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I am currently considering the military. But I am still far off from obtaining any pilot job since I just recently got my private.
 
Then you are putting your cart way forward of your horse. As far as the military, that is not a guarantee of any flight position/career either. A person should only join the Military because they have the true desire to serve, the mettle and can make the sacrifices and commitment to do so. You shouldn't join with the expectation of hey, I'll be able to get a flight job there or even any position related to aviation or bennies to go to school at some point, as you are delaying that process. There are many things that can come into play as to weighting the benefits and the downsides of such a decision. There are plenty of current and former Military guys on this forum that would be glad to give you the skinny. Start a thread in the Military forum on here and see what they have to offer.

What do you plan do you plan to do about college and getting a degree? What are your plans for how you will get the rest of your training and other ratings?

Instead of being concerned over the state of 121 ops at the present, let alone in the future or how much 121 pilots may make, I think it would be far more advantageous/useful to you, to discuss your current situation, know what your plans and goals are, how you plan to accomplish them and get THAT advice first.
 
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Bogus. The only time I hear that crap is when someone joins for flight school. No one ever says that to someone who joins to be a Ranger or SEAL.
Now granted you may end up someplace other than the flight line, but there is no problem with going to a recruiter for flight school.
 
Blackhawk said:
Bogus. The only time I hear that crap is when someone joins for flight school. No one ever says that to someone who joins to be a Ranger or SEAL.
Now granted you may end up someplace other than the flight line, but there is no problem with going to a recruiter for flight school.
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What I meant by my comments is that we've seen a lot of young guys who seem to all be convinced that of they go into the Military it will be a guarantee to a flight job and that narrow vision is the only reason they are joining. That's what I tried to clarify. If you are at the level mentally and physically of wanting to be a SEAL or a Ranger, that's a whole other kettle of fish and such a person generally knows what they are getting themselves into, understands the process and is somewhat prepared. That's all I meant. This is also why I suggested to him that he start a thread over on the Military forum and get some good, experienced input from those who have been there, done that and weigh the positives and the negatives.
 
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Blackhawk said:
Bogus. The only time I hear that crap is when someone joins for flight school. No one ever says that to someone who joins to be a Ranger or SEAL.
Now granted you may end up someplace other than the flight line, but there is no problem with going to a recruiter for flight school.
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Right now I am just looking to join the AF reserve to be a loadmaster since I am still in college. Military pilot may possibly be my next step.
 
A Life Aloft said:
What I meant by my comments is that we've seen a lot of young guys who seem to all be convinced that of they go into the Military it will be a guarantee to a flight job and that narrow vision is the only reason they are joining. That's what I tried to clarify. If you are at the level mentally and physically of wanting to be a SEAL or a Ranger, that's a whole other kettle of fish and such a person generally knows what they are getting themselves in for and understands the process and is somewhat prepared. That's all I meant.
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As someone who was an 95B (MP), 11B and a pilot, it's no different.
Join the military to do what you want- be it a tanker, a Ranger or a pilot.
Yes, you might also find yourself carrying an M-4 and defending a convoy. I knew flight WOs who ended up doing that. Heck, one of my missions was to fly a bunch of clerks and jerks to
Najaf so they could be shot gun drivers for convoys. They did not sign up to do that but oh well.
 
mshunter said:
I would like to think you are right. Sadly, I know you're not. If FFD's get much more expensive, it'll be cheaper to bring the flying back in house. Remember, we have to pay all the support people too behind the scenes.
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I've seen enough to not make dedicate predictions. I do agree that legacy carriers will have to get involved. How that will happen is tough to predict.
 
So next question... If regionals vanish and flying goes mainline, what options will people have to build experience in preparation for the mainline carriers? I can't see Delta or United hiring someone with 1500 hours.
 
JDean3204 said:
So next question... If regionals vanish and flying goes mainline, what options will people have to build experience in preparation for the mainline carriers? I can't see Delta or United hiring someone with 1500 hours.
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They have done it before.
 
tbstanto said:
They have done it before.
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Maybe back in the 60's, when there wasn't a glut of pilots in the system. The problem is different now, like others were saying there is a considerable amount of talent out there. They just choose not to fly for peanuts at the regional level.
 
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