Pilots looking for work

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Pilotcollin

Well-Known Member
The current state of the global economy and covid response has me wondering how many qualified pilots who are looking for work are actually out of a job. I work at a mid size 135 charter as I have for the past decade. I have worked for bottom feeders as well as quality operators. I have never been as busy as I am now. The 135 charter world is ridiculous on how busy it is. 121 not as bad.

Two questions

Are there corporate typed pilots struggling to find work?

Are there 1500tt with 50-100multi pilots struggling to find work?

Please do not change this thread to I want a job. I’m just trying to find out how bad the pilot market is. If you want information about a job pm me in a separate thread.
 
I work at a small 135 charter. We’re busy as hell and colleagues at other 135 shops report the same. I’ve also got some hooks in the water on the east coast looking to relocate but it seems that pickings are slim at the moment.

Hypothesis - 135 managers are ”making hay while the sun shines” - relying on existing crews to maximize revenue while demand is strong, without risking capital on expansion due to ongoing worries of an economic downturn. I suspect that in the coming months as the economy recovers quickly (more quickly than generally predicted), we will return to 2019 levels of “can you fog a mirror?” hiring. Cant wait. I’m pretty good at mirror fogging.
 
Fixtur said:
I’m pretty good at mirror fogging.
Click to expand...

I’ll even write an inspiring note for the next mirror fogger!

My 135 was rocking in 2019, lighter but steady in 2020.
Currently hire-to-replace as well, with some upgrades and base/plane shifting.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
I was just at the school house for G550 recurrent, and it’s busy.. most of my friends in “big” corporate, if you will, have done pretty well. Not many furloughs if at all. I’m northeast based if that helps any..
 
My 135 operation is the busiest we've ever been. Hiring/upgrading pilots due to growth more than attrition.

In talking to our chief pilot, it sounds like there are plenty of applicants for our jet SIC positions (1000 TT minimum) but very few applicants for our jet PIC positions (3000 TT minimum).

They've somewhat shot themselves in the foot by hiring a bunch of SICs over the past couple years who aren't able to upgrade to PIC due to low total time. I'm sure there's a budgetary constraint they're dealing with too, but it's still a problem to be considered.
 
jrh said:
My 135 operation is the busiest we've ever been. Hiring/upgrading pilots due to growth more than attrition.

In talking to our chief pilot, it sounds like there are plenty of applicants for our jet SIC positions (1000 TT minimum) but very few applicants for our jet PIC positions (3000 TT minimum).

They've somewhat shot themselves in the foot by hiring a bunch of SICs over the past couple years who aren't able to upgrade to PIC due to low total time. I'm sure there's a budgetary constraint they're dealing with too, but it's still a problem to be considered.
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It occurred to me the other day that there might be the most generally experienced set of CFIs in a while sitting out there, waiting for a chance. I know that most of the instructors at my busy flight school are now over 1000TT and climbing.
 
I have coworkers shuffling around and so far no one seems to be getting left out. With vaccines to be available to all who want them by early summer now, there’s gonna be a lot of pent up travel demand. Should be interesting.
 
Roger Roger said:
I have coworkers shuffling around and so far no one seems to be getting left out. With vaccines to be available to all who want them by early summer now, there’s gonna be a lot of pent up travel demand. Should be interesting.
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Is that all?

One more. Late addition.

Who?

Garland Greene

Should be interesting.
 
Part 91 but we’ve been the busiest ever since July 2020. On my way back from recurrent right now and I’m already dreading reposition flights on the airlines again. I think there’s going to be a huge surge in travel this summer.
 
killbilly said:
It occurred to me the other day that there might be the most generally experienced set of CFIs in a while sitting out there, waiting for a chance. I know that most of the instructors at my busy flight school are now over 1000TT and climbing.
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We have a large number of instructors that are nearing or above 2,000TT at my school. A tiny percentage are leaving for available 135 gigs, but most are in cadet programs (PSA, Envoy, etc.) and don't want to risk losing their spot once hiring does resume (which is starting to happen with some Regionals). So they're electing to stay instructing opposed to being locked into a training contract, even if the experience is more valuable elsewhere. No movement at the top, so few to no new instructors are being hired.
 
killbilly said:
It occurred to me the other day that there might be the most generally experienced set of CFIs in a while sitting out there, waiting for a chance. I know that most of the instructors at my busy flight school are now over 1000TT and climbing.
Click to expand...
The day instructors are required to have 1000+ TT before they can start to offer dual given is the day we will know the aviation industry is on the path to recovery and redemption.
 
killbilly said:
I believe in the spirit of this, but think the specifics are crap. I think you do too.


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I do think so, too! You're a clever one, you. How'd you know?!? ;)

Just saying... if we're gonna conflate skill with hours, at least we oughta do it consistently. Especially for, you know, the people who are actually teaching other people the funda-freaking-mentals.

ps. Gratias Catonis et: "and furthermore, hours should be sacked as a measure of skill, knowledge, and proficiency."
 
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We (and I'm placing myself in this camp) need to be better instructors. I do it part time, and if I did it full time I know my proficiency would be better in a few areas. I try my best, and I've got a good pass rate and I'd like to think my students are good pilots.

This topic comes up every few years. There's a surge happening in the CFI ranks (as far as I can see) right now and with a larger population you're going to have your super-skilled outstanding instructors, and you're going to have some mediocre morons out there, too. I'm seeing both - whenever the next hiring wave happens and retreats, we'll be back to the small-cadre again.

I do feel like we can raise the bar on the quality of flight instruction.
 
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