Pilot shortage here?

aloft

aloft

New Member
No less than three threads in the Jobs Available section with the word "desperate" (or a derivative thereof) in the title. Is Kit Darby's pilot shortage really here?
 
I think it would be "no fewer" .... I'm not 100% though.

There's huge demand, just not where it should be:

Scope those bitches out!

If it has doesn't have props it's on mainline! (seg, we'll talk about the q400s later... ;))

FF for ALPA prez.
 
frog_flyer said:
I think it would be "no fewer" .... I'm not 100% though.

There's huge demand, just not where it should be:

Scope those bitches out!

If it has doesn't have props it's on mainline! (seg, we'll talk about the q400s later... ;))

FF for ALPA prez.
Click to expand...
lol
 
There is definitely a shortage at the entry level positions - CFI's, regional pilots, and freight dawgs. However, this will probably not effect the big name players because everyone and their brother wants to get in.

That being said, it just might. A lot of senior Captains (6 - 8 year longevity) that I've flown with don't want to leave their $100k job to go back on reserve making less than half of that. They have too much debt to take a paycut and like their 18 days off a month. It seems most of the people leaving at my company are the Captains that have been PIC for <2 years.

This is starting to have a positive effect on pay (at the entry level), as there are several companies I know that have instigated pay raises for their new hires at the entry level point, the most recent of which would be Republic. Their new hire pay went from something like $125/week to $400/week in per diem in addition to lowering the minimums.

There won't ever be a shortage of pilots applying at the bigger name carriers like DAL and FedEx. I think I remember seeing that DAL had something like over 1000 applications in the first day of accepting them!
 
Kit Darby's an ass.

And if there is a shortage of applicants its because the job sucks and nobody wants it. Plenty of pilots willing to fly if the employer is makes it a decent job.
 
Enthusiasm based career = not gonna improve much

Flight Simulator is a huge money maker for Microsoft, but I don't see them releasing "Accountant Simulator" or "Middle School Teacher Simulator"
 
wheelsup said:
There is definitely a shortage at the entry level positions - CFI's, regional pilots, and freight dawgs. However, this will probably not effect the big name players because everyone and their brother wants to get in.

That being said, it just might. A lot of senior Captains (6 - 8 year longevity) that I've flown with don't want to leave their $100k job to go back on reserve making less than half of that. They have too much debt to take a paycut and like their 18 days off a month. It seems most of the people leaving at my company are the Captains that have been PIC for <2 years.

This is starting to have a positive effect on pay (at the entry level), as there are several companies I know that have instigated pay raises for their new hires at the entry level point, the most recent of which would be Republic. Their new hire pay went from something like $125/week to $400/week in per diem in addition to lowering the minimums.

There won't ever be a shortage of pilots applying at the bigger name carriers like DAL and FedEx. I think I remember seeing that DAL had something like over 1000 applications in the first day of accepting them!
Click to expand...

I agree with wheelsup on this one. I think there is a greater demand at the regional/135 level than in previous years, but I think we have plenty of qualified pilots fighting for the coveted jobs at the legacy level.
 
I find it amusing when those say that this job sucks or that there's a lot of whiners in this job .......when most of those saying those things have never had another career (no, a college/high-school job doesn't count as a "career").

The plain and simple truth is that there are whiners in every industry. EVERY career has it's BS politics and downsides.

In my 13 years in the legal field, I can say that I know literally HUNDREDS of attorneys who are making well into the six figures who are absolutely MISERABLE people. I also know a handful who are happy as larks.

My point: Pilots do not have the corner on whiners & complainers. Hell, some of the biggest complainers on this site are Captains at major airlines who are all making six figures.

Money ain't everything - it helps, but it's not everything. If you want to fly to put money in the bank - you're going to have to wait.... a LONG time. If you can't do that - you shouldn't pursue aviation as a career.

Now... to address this thread: Is the "pilot shortage" here? On certain levels (regionals, CFI, entry-level jobs) - yes. At the majors - no.

Will it last? No. Too many people want to fly for a living.

R2F
 
frog_flyer said:
I think it would be "no fewer" .... I'm not 100% though.

There's huge demand, just not where it should be:

Scope those bitches out!

If it has doesn't have props it's on mainline! (seg, we'll talk about the q400s later... ;))

FF for ALPA prez.
Click to expand...

Planes with more than 37 seats should be flown on mainline seniority lists. Prop OR Jet.
 
wheelsup said:
That being said, it just might. A lot of senior Captains (6 - 8 year longevity) that I've flown with don't want to leave their $100k job to go back on reserve making less than half of that. They have too much debt to take a paycut and like their 18 days off a month. It seems most of the people leaving at my company are the Captains that have been PIC for <2 years.
Click to expand...

Same here. I'd be willing to say that the top 40 guys in MEM aren't going anywhere. I flew with a CA last week that is pretty much FedEx, UPS or nothing. He even said he considered places like AirTran and Spirit a LATERAL move for him. I have to disagree since if I were flying for AirTran or Spirit, I'd be looking over my shoulder at places like Delta, Southwest and jetBlue, not worried about Mesa, Chautauqua or Skywest underbidding my company and potentially putting me on the street. There are also a LOT of guys here focused on one carrier (cough....cough...FedEx) and holding out for that call instead of looking at other opportunities. Some guys don't want to commute, so they're picky about which airline they apply to because of base choices. That's totally understandable as well. I know guys that don't want to go to SWA because of how many legs you fly in a day. They view it as "regional flying in a 737." Well, if it's "regional flying" that gets me based in MCO with a hefty paycheck, I got no problem with it.

This is starting to have a positive effect on pay (at the entry level), as there are several companies I know that have instigated pay raises for their new hires at the entry level point, the most recent of which would be Republic. Their new hire pay went from something like $125/week to $400/week in per diem in addition to lowering the minimums.
Click to expand...

Man, I'm hoping. The bridge program and 200 hour wonders aren't even keeping up with attrition over here....

]quote]
There won't ever be a shortage of pilots applying at the bigger name carriers like DAL and FedEx. I think I remember seeing that DAL had something like over 1000 applications in the first day of accepting them![/QUOTE]

If that's the case, why the $500 finders fee at Delta? Seems like a waste of money if you've got stacks of resumes from qualified applicants. FedEx I'll agree with. They'll never have a shortage of qualified apps, but I think times are gonna get tough for some of the majors as more attractive employers such as Delta, United and US Airways start hiring again in bulk. One of the check airmen that did my IOE got THREE job interview invitations in four days, Continental, Southwest and ANA. He wound up taking the ANA job, and they said "If you know anyone else qualified, please tell them to apply. We need the help." His last day at Pinnacle was yesterday, and he'll be in Tokyo on Saturday to start training.

There used to be a small pipeline going up to the majors, but the pipe is starting to get bigger.
 
I hear United is going to bust open a hiring spree before Summer. The grass is always greener syndrome. :sarcasm:
 
Aeroman said:
Enthusiasm based career = not gonna improve much

Flight Simulator is a huge money maker for Microsoft, but I don't see them releasing "Accountant Simulator" or "Middle School Teacher Simulator"
Click to expand...

With some of the macho male attitudes on here maybe I should approach Microsoft about that idea.

So they could simulate the experience of getting molested by a hott 23 yr. old female teacher fresh from university.

It's the shiznitt111!!!111!!!

:rolleyes:

But lets stay on topic!
 
"Hell, some of the biggest complainers on this site are Captains at major airlines who are all making six figures"

Well, I think some of the regional guys on here whine a lot more than the six figure major Capts. Which is as it should be.

But....

Maybe the six figure major Capts are the ones that have been around long enough to see so much of what was good about the career eroded away?

And if we don't speak about that, does the "new world order", become the new "normal", and then the newbies coming up from the bottom don't know any better?

Would you rather the six figure major pilots here just keep quiet?
 
If I am used to making $70,000 a year flying 2-3 legs a day as an RJ captain, live in base, have 18 days off a month, why would I want to go to a United, Southwest, Delta, Alaska, Continental, or American and start out at the bottom?

People don't like change.

I am VERY happy that some out their flying an RJ don't want to move on to those places and are happy where they are. It will hopefully open up a lot more jobs and options for me.
 
Mark, I totally agree with you. The issue with me personally is one of stability. I just don't trust Pinnacle to be an airline that will still be around (or one I'd want to still be with) when I retire. Works for some guys, but just not me. But hey, like you said, less compeition for the jobs we DO want. :)
 
DE727UPS said:
"Hell, some of the biggest complainers on this site are Captains at major airlines who are all making six figures"

Well, I think some of the regional guys on here whine a lot more than the six figure major Capts. Which is as it should be.

But....

Maybe the six figure major Capts are the ones that have been around long enough to see so much of what was good about the career eroded away?

And if we don't speak about that, does the "new world order", become the new "normal", and then the newbies coming up from the bottom don't know any better?

Would you rather the six figure major pilots here just keep quiet?
Click to expand...
It was not an attack on you. Just an observation on my part.

My point was conveniently ignored.

All you apparently read was "Hell, some of the biggest complainers on this site are Captains at major airlines who are all making six figures." .....then went white noise.

So, let me re-post my point(s) :

1. Pilots do not have the corner on whiners & complainers.
2. Money ain't everything - it helps, but it's not everything.
3. ..there are whiners in every industry. EVERY career has it's BS politics and downsides.
4. If you want to fly to put money in the bank - you're going to have to wait.... a LONG time. If you can't do that - you shouldn't pursue aviation as a career.

In every industry, be it the airlines, the medical field, the legal profession....to NASCAR....the old guard thinks the young turks got where they are too easily, haven't "paid their dues" and are reaping the rewards that the old boy network took longer to achieve.

That's how it is. That's how it'll always be.
 
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