Pilot shortage?

B767

B767

Well-Known Member
I was talking to an HR woman from AE yesterday and she had mentioned something how in the next couple of years, airlines will basically be begging you to fly for thm. She had mentioned how there is a current pilot shortage for pilots in the U.S. and it's not seen as getting any better anytime soon. Is this the case? I have only heard that there are pilot shortages in Asia and the Middle East.
 
You will know that there is a pilot shortage when wages start going up instead of down.
 
Well, just read a 4 page thread in APC that stated AE is about 25% understaffed. So maybe that's why the AE rep mention a pilot shortage to me.
 
AE is understaffed because they pay you 23 grand your first year and 33 grand the next 6 years. So yes AE is having a shortage of pilots who are willing to work for this much. In the U.S. there is NO pilot shortage.
 
I've heard mixed opinions about whether or not there is a pilot shortage or not. I don't know that anybody can say as fact, there is, or is not. I know some people believe there will be one, in the coming years. That all remains to be seen.

I have heard that many of the regionals, especially AE are understaffed. NorthWest Airlines is understaffed, etc. AA is recalling sooner than many people would have expected, etc. This all leads some people to believe there is, or is soon to be, in the coming years, a pilot shortage.

As has been mentioned ... when the airlines really start hurting for pilots, the pay will go up.
 
B767 said:
I was talking to an HR woman from AE yesterday and she had mentioned something how in the next couple of years, airlines will basically be begging you to fly for thm. She had mentioned how there is a current pilot shortage for pilots in the U.S. and it's not seen as getting any better anytime soon. Is this the case? I have only heard that there are pilot shortages in Asia and the Middle East.
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I don't believe it - and here's why.

When there is a pilot shortage the pilots mills will ramp back up - it takes about a month to turn one on and about 6 months to take a student from nothing to "meeting he requirements" for a right seat job. While in the US it's traditional for those jobs to be at regionals, in many other parts of the world those jobs can be in anything including 747s - no reason the US can't do that. So an short term pilot shortage will get resolved quickly.

The reason the regionals like AE are under-staffed is that they choose to be under-staffed. Depending on what you look at for most airlines labor is their number 1 or 2 cost. A small percentage reduction in staffing can have a significant effect on the bottom line. Under-staffing leads to crappy service - but since NO airline is currently competing on service that's not really an issue.
 
There isn't a pilot shortage per se. But ALOT of companies are understaffed for various reasons. One of the biggest reasons is there is movement in the industry right now. Many airlines are hiring and pilots are upgrading. Why?? Various reasons... I worked with recruiting at my last job. Starting about 6 months ago, I heard "we need to start putting more pilots in each class.." Then two months later I heard "We need to get more pilots to interview.." Then two months after that I heard "Man, we just can't get enough pilots to interview.." Why?? Various reasons... The word is getting out. Just about everybody is hiring. An airline I recently interviewed at is staffing FO seats with Captains because they are hurting so bad for pilots. Another airline I applied at can't get everybody to show up for class. Another airline I DIDN'T apply at can get hardly anybody to come back from furlough. One airline I will have an interview with soon wants to hire 500 pilots as fast as they possibly can.

Who isn't hiring?

The main problem is filling "entry level positions". The pay is low enough that because of the vast amount of jobs available, everybody is chosing to be picky. I mean, what's the difference between making 20/hour in an RJ and 20/hour in a Beech. Depends on preference. Everybody keeps asking about QOL. That's a sign that we're hesitant about moving to another job. But sooner or later, there will be an influx of freshly experienced people to interview. I keep hearing that 8710s are down, really down. Hopefully that trend won't create a problem, but raise some saleries and thus, the cycle continues. Here we go again!
 
They're retiring. Don't worry about that. There are plenty of jobs to go around right now. It just so happens this is all going on during a time of transition, pay-wise. Alot of the carriers just brought the pay down to a level that will allow them to recover in their eyes. They're not gonna bump the pay back up right away. When the short-staffing starts to hurt profits and they believe what they see and can blame it only on pay, you bet your #$% they will bump up the pay in a heartbeat.
 
My company is now paying for initial Jepps and offering a larger uniform allotment (don't get me started on why we weren't before).

We have had a problems of people not showing up for class (as mentioned above) and we are supposedly one of the top regionals to work for. I hope it rebounds for us all soon!
 
If the industry collectively improved work rules and offered respectable compensation at all levels and they couldn't find candidates, yes, that would maybe qualify as a shortage.

But "We can't find anyone to work for this!" isn't a shortage, it's a hint.
 
bike21 said:
My company is now paying for initial Jepps and offering a larger uniform allotment (don't get me started on why we weren't before).

We have had a problems of people not showing up for class (as mentioned above) and we are supposedly one of the top regionals to work for. I hope it rebounds for us all soon!
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Apparently my class was the last class to have to pay for both the Jepps and the Uniform (there was no "allotment" before). Still losing the $35/check to prove it too.

As far as a pilot shortage goes I've been saying there's going to be one and that one is actually here for a long time now. Sit back and look at the facts and it's pretty clear. If you want my observatins on it do a search I don't feel like re-arguing the points. :)

But the more people who ignore it/disbelieve the better for me (and all of us) because it's going to catch these companies blindsided and the scramble will be something to behold.
 
Colgan doesn't make you pay for your jepps but you do pay for your uniforms. SKW makes you pay for the jepp binders but they pay for your uniform, with the exception of the jacket.
 
GaTechKid said:
Colgan doesn't make you pay for your jepps but you do pay for your uniforms. SKW makes you pay for the jepp binders but they pay for your uniform, with the exception of the jacket.
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$500 for one Jepp binder, Initial Jepps, Two pair of pants (which I then had to alter), epaulettes, Hat and a Blazer. I kept my tie and shirts from Scenic.

Yeah ...
 
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