United Airlines Top Pilot Has A Lot To Say About Perceived Pilot Shortage

[tbflyer]

Bad example. There are 11 flights a day between both SAV-ATL and BNA-ATL. All of them are mainline flights.

The places that Delta serves with RJ flights usually only have 4-5 flights a day to begin with. Those people are more likely to drive from the closer places because there is less frequency and longer layovers in ATL. Something like Chattanooga TN to Columbus GA. And even CHA has mainline service. So does AGS and GSP. It's a 20 minute flight to those places.

Sorry I didn't look to see what that route was served with every day, I just picked 2 relatively close cities, but I can say that half the flights on that route used to be rjs as I used to fly that route for my last job regularly. I also know that up until about 4 months ago bna was served heavily by rjs but demand was way to much for rjs

 

[Cloud Surfer]

Just spoke with a buddy of mine who recently graduated from UND. Most flight classes are overflowing with students who have been put on a waiting list to take courses. He instructs in FAR at a part 61 FBO. Several students there who wish to learn for a possible future profession. What is happening there is most likely occurring at other flight schools in the USA. This so called shortage at the regionals is but a temporary hiccup that could and will be relieved one day if pay and QOL keep on increasing at the regionals. Disclaimer: I have no hard stats to back that statement up, just a strong hunch.

And this
http://www.news-journalonline.com/news/20170919/embry-riddle-enrolls-most-future-pilots-since-911

 

[alaskadrifter]

And this
http://www.news-journalonline.com/news/20170919/embry-riddle-enrolls-most-future-pilots-since-911

From the article.

On the career ladder, flight instructors are often are somewhere between a student and commercial pilot. Many are certified, but not necessarily commercial pilots...

*instert CA Pickard face palm here*

Are we in a pilot training bubble, or is this sustainable?

 

[Richman]

From the article.

*instert CA Pickard face palm here*

Are we in a pilot training bubble, or is this sustainable?

Weird stuff happens. Back in the 1966-67 there was a brief pilot pinch and the then majors were advertising in Flying and AOPA Pilot for pilots. That time period everyone likes to point to as "SEE SEE 300 hour pilots can do it LOLZ!"

1) Most, if not all those guys were hired as FEs, so not much flying involved.

2) None of those training programs were "post-bankruptcy"

3) 3 years later all those guys who had been hired were furloughed, some for a LONG time.

Roll the bones....

 

[AA34]

Weird stuff happens. Back in the 1966-67 there was a brief pilot pinch and the then majors were advertising in Flying and AOPA Pilot for pilots. That time period everyone likes to point to as "SEE SEE 300 hour pilots can do it LOLZ!"

1) Most, if not all those guys were hired as FEs, so not much flying involved.

2) None of those training programs were "post-bankruptcy"

3) 3 years later all those guys who had been hired were furloughed, some for a LONG time.

Roll the bones....

I know a retired UAL 747 Capt that was hired during that period. He was an actor/dancer in LA who happened to have his Private after getting out of the service. Funny story.

 

[Richman]

I know a retired UAL 747 Capt that was hired during that period. He was an actor/dancer in LA who happened to have his Private after getting out of the service. Funny story.

Problem in this business now, that you won't see the industry groups talking about, is the "suck" and the "blow".

1) The Suck: It's hard to draw people into the industry when the overall career earnings is where it's at, AND, the hassle that goes along with it. I don't hear any of the big airlines addressing THAT part of the problem.

2) The Blow: It's hard for people to enter the industry because of the high cost of entry. I haven't heard ANY of the schools or universities talking about reducing the cost of flying.

I would say the players, both on the industrial side and the GA side are being stupid by ignoring each other and/or pointing fingers. The airlines are playing dumb that they didn't benefit for DECADES for the essentially free training pipeline that spit out people fully qualified with ATPs & 1,500 hours with plenty of multi time. Plenty of people were lining up because the cost was so darn reasonable. GA is ignoring the fact that the throughput of people through the GA pipeline is what kept a lot of the industry afloat for many, many years, and many players made a lot of cash from that.

There is a venn diagram of solutions with overlap that helps both parties.