Regional Hiring Observations

[Murdoughnut]

This is me asking as an industry consultant - is the "pilot shortage" waning. I ask because I'm increasingly starting to see posts on Reddit of people who did not receive CJOs after interviewing with regional carriers, which seems like it would have been unheard of a year ago. I was asked by a client last week how much longer the pilot shortage would last, and I told him I thought we were seeing signs that it is - and that a flood of FNGs who started working on their ratings in 2021 would hit the job market in the next six months.

Am I off here, or is it just that a shortage of Captains is restricting FO hiring at the regionals?

 

[CoffeeIcePapers]

This is me asking as an industry consultant - is the "pilot shortage" waning. I ask because I'm increasingly starting to see posts on Reddit of people who did not receive CJOs after interviewing with regional carriers, which seems like it would have been unheard of a year ago. I was asked by a client last week how much longer the pilot shortage would last, and I told him I thought we were seeing signs that it is - and that a flood of FNGs who started working on their ratings in 2021 would hit the job market in the next six months.

Am I off here, or is it just that a shortage of Captains is restricting FO hiring at the regionals?

The latter. The real shortage is on the horizon. By this time next year, it’s going to get interesting with all of the legacies and LCCs hiring so many.

 

[EIR]

I believe the folks who did not receive CJOs did zero prep for the interview. Just because the flood gates are open doesn't mean you have an automatic ticket to the right seat.

There also is a lack of qualified CAs at the Regional level, as you stated.

 

[killbilly]

The latter. The real shortage is on the horizon. By this time next year, it’s going to get interesting with all of the legacies and LCCs hiring so many.

I would agree here. It's a lack of qualified Captains willing to slug it out at the regional level, especially when the "flow" programs are proving to be snake oil.

 

[Hiboglossi]

The latter. The real shortage is on the horizon. By this time next year, it’s going to get interesting with all of the legacies and LCCs hiring so many.

Yes, unless things have changed recently, my understanding is most regionals won't hire FOs at all, or only hire them in very limited numbers. They are so short on captains that they only hire pilots with enough time to upgrade immediately and don't have the training capacity to hire any new FOs.

 

[Maurus]

Lack of CAs. I am convinced that is what the age 67 crap is all about. The RAA is pushing it for a reason. They want to re-balance the "shortage" back to a lack of new FOs so they can complain about the ATP rule again. A 2-3 year delay could do just that. That is assuming major airlines don't decide to grow or get ahead in hiring.

 

[🦈💜]

I just want to take a moment to say that the quality of my FOs, even the ones who went from a 172 to the 175, is actually pretty stellar. Good attitudes, good attention to detail, and not bad flying skill at all, considering the change.

There's a loss of some of the good parts of the culture, but honestly, we've kept a lot of the senior captain cadre... at least on the west-coast.

 

[Autothrust Blue]

Lack of CAs. I am convinced that is what the age 67 crap is all about. The RAA is pushing it for a reason. They want to re-balance the "shortage" back to a lack of new FOs so they can complain about the ATP rule again. A 2-3 year delay could do just that. That is assuming major airlines don't decide to grow or get ahead in hiring.

Yeah, Mister Sydney every Tuesday can’t wait to relive the glory days of the Mad Dog and fly 5 legs a day from and to the ‘burgs and ‘villes…

 

[CoffeeIcePapers]

I just want to take a moment to say that the quality of my FOs, even the ones who went from a 172 to the 175, is actually pretty stellar. Good attitudes, good attention to detail, and not bad flying skill at all, considering the change.

There's a loss of some of the good parts of the culture, but honestly, we've kept a lot of the senior captain cadre... at least on the west-coast.

Congrats on the new job.

 

[///AMG]

I just want to take a moment to say that the quality of my FOs, even the ones who went from a 172 to the 175, is actually pretty stellar. Good attitudes, good attention to detail, and not bad flying skill at all, considering the change.

There's a loss of some of the good parts of the culture, but honestly, we've kept a lot of the senior captain cadre... at least on the west-coast.

With the right attitude, inexperience isn’t an automatic handicap. There is probably some truth to some of the stories and angst floating around amongst senior CAs, but for every one of those valid stories of an idiot FO who just sucks at life, there are probably 4 out of that 5 that just want to be good and will take the time to get there, even if a little under skilled right now.

 

[roundout]

I had many sharp young FOs come through at the old place. Were there opportunities to teach or mentor? Of course. Most were eager to learn. I’d put the ratio of great to lousy at about 20:1.

In the class I’m in now, there are plenty of people under 35 with good amounts of experience and good attitudes. Yeah maybe there’s a know it all or someone whose lack of hubris will probably bite them at some point, but out of a class of 53 people the ratio is again pretty good.

 

[Maurus]

Yeah, Mister Sydney every Tuesday can’t wait to relive the glory days of the Mad Dog and fly 5 legs a day from and to the ‘burgs and ‘villes…

Oh no, haven't you heard? ICAO will fold under pressure from the US once we change our retirement age...

 

[Autothrust Blue]

Oh no, haven't you heard? ICAO will fold under pressure from the US once we change our retirement age...

Well, I hope not, anyway.

 

[Wardogg]

Last week I was at a career fair for a major 141 program. 1 regional showed up. PSA. Anecdotal.

 

[drunkenbeagle]

Last week I was at a career fair for a major 141 program. 1 regional showed up. PSA. Anecdotal.

I went to a regional hiring event last month, I think maybe 5 pilots showed up. Also anecdotal.

 

[Wardogg]

I went to a regional hiring event last month, I think maybe 5 pilots showed up. Also anecdotal.

My buddy went to RTAG last week. Lots of pilots showed up. He got hired.

 

[DeltaAlphaNovember]

Last week I was at a career fair for a major 141 program. 1 regional showed up. PSA. Anecdotal.

PSA recruiters have text me twice over the past six months to come back to work there. No thanks.

 

[phill1174]

PSA recruiters have text me twice over the past six months to come back to work there. No thanks.

I got a post card in the mail today about a 150K bonus and an email from PSA. Apparently some of our folks at brown were getting emails from American, something to the tune of “if you need a place to land during hard times in the cargo industry American is hiring, blah blah blah”.
Funny thing was it was a few senior folks on the whale who got the letter and now the junior folks who would be more at risk of being on the street if it came down to that.

 

[DeltaAlphaNovember]

I've received the cards as well. Skywest, Republic, PSA and Envoy have sent them. Pretty certain it's just mass mailings to all eligible pilots. But it makes me chuckle when I get them.

 

[CoffeeIcePapers]

I've received the cards as well. Skywest, Republic, PSA and Envoy have sent them. Pretty certain it's just mass mailings to all eligible pilots. But it makes me chuckle when I get them.

You can opt out of your info being public in the FAA database. I suggest it.