From what I’ve read, pilot recruitment effort seems to revolve around the up-and-coming generation ONLY, via Regionals sending recruiters out to flight colleges. Problem is, there isn’t enough in that generation to replace the retiring baby-boomers you eluded to (“10-15 year dropoff, never to return”). However, there are some of us from OTHER generations who have always wanted to be pilots, but because we didn’t get the chance as young men (and women), we did something else. Now that we’ve lived a little, been beaten up by the world a little, and need to ‘retrain’ again because corporate America let us down, we’re looking at the profession again. Some of our personal barriers are gone (children grown enough to be independent, not single bread-winner anymore, etc.). But still, in an era of shortage, we’re denied because of credit ratings. Fully half of all Americans have some credit problem, either because of the times we live in, or unemployment times, or just plain complexity of the credit system and the unfairness of it all: Pay good for 20+ years, but trash your credit the first time your unemployed and have to juggle things.

I’d like to see initiatives that make pilot career training financed like college education: Accelerated program academies (which are in place), lump sum payment with deferrment against future income. They do it for an unclear career path beyond college on the basis of that statistic that says, the more educated people are, the more they’ll make in their lifetime. The pilot career is even more well-defined.

Additionally, pay pilots better upon career entry, and the simple economics of that situation will attract more interest from people doing serious risk-reward analyses of the job.

In my case, I need a sponsor to get SallieMae to cough up the dough. However, I do have a plan to protect this sponsor in the case of Murphy’s Law. There is such a thing out there as Pilot Occupational Disability Insurance for pilots who lose their ATP license for circumstances beyond their control (such as Medical Certification loss).

Any help from anyone out there, whether direct or indirect, would be greatly appreciated. I’ve still got a good 20 years to be had in the profession if I could only get it off the ground, and I’m already a private pilot.

You can view at
http://flightoptions.blogspot.com/2008/01/shrinking-pilot-supply-big-problem_16.html
if you’d like.

Thanks again!

I turn 40 this year, and with a total of 650 hours, (70 multi and 5 jet), a $375,000 mortgage to pay off while now also paying pre-school tuition at $10,000 per year and a now 18 month old daughter recently added…well, I’m done.

Although I would like to see flying become more affordable, I’m kind of glad to see the impending pilot shortage coming down the pike. Finally airlines will have to start fighting for us pilots with better work rules, wages and other incentives.

Regarding hiring with lower standards – that’s already happening. The next time you climb into an RJ just take a look at the baby-face sitting in the cockpit. These guys and gals are being hired right out of Riddle with a whole 300-400 hours under their belts! I have no idea how they’re going to pay off their $100k loans.

Rob – regarding the marketing to flight schools – the idea is to help accelerate the sport pilot movement. The EAA spearheaded the new rules and they have been actively promoting them. This segment of aviation is growing but the problem is not in finding people interested in learning to fly, but flight schools who offer this type of affordable training and aircraft. Perhaps this educating of flight schools can be funded in part by groups such as the EAA and LAMA (the Light Aircraft Manufacturer’s Association).

http://www.SportPilotTalk.com

I lie now when people ask me what my husband does. I tell them that he’s a driver for UPS.
It slays me how much we put into my husband’s career, all the sacrifice to get those many hours he needed for a so-called “real airline pilot job”, the B-scale. Guess what? He’s a 20+ year co-pilot for USAirways making squat, less than he made 1993 when he got off B-scale and a poverty retirement now waits us. He’s gone 4 days of of the week and he’s dead tired when he gets home. 85 grand a year for all that glamor? You have to be kidding me.
If one of my kids wants to be a pilot, I’m locking him in the basement until he comes to his senses.

All the best, Norman

All that warm fuzzy stuff like, “We want you to stop in, we’re glad you’re here, thank you for coming” …

One of the reasons the National Air Transportation Association has essentially dropped their Flight Training committee is they simply tired of trying to explain Marketing 101 to a bunch of people who just want to fly airplanes, like most flight instructors.

If I can learn enough about marketing to make a solid impression as a CFI, so can they.

Problem is the majority of instructors don’t really want to teach, they want to fly airplanes, which is why they have trouble transferring any entusiasm to potential students. 

I’ll be curious to see if Gerald’s group from a few earlier posts is able to develop a successful flight school marketing program. The many times we tried, the clients thought it was all intersting, but balked at paying for the help.

I think the slogan was something akin to Marketing … When business is good, I don’t need it and when business is bad I can’t afford it.

I agree with you that somehow this all going to seek its own level. The question is how long that will take and who or what it will drag with it in the process.

There was an interesting story in today’s Chicago Tribune about the pilot shortage and it mentioned just what you did.

That you can only cut so long before you cease to be competitive to potential employees. They either go to some company that appreciates them or they get out of aviation completely. That is what’s happening to the aviation technician markets.

With a similar problem, nursing seems to have certainly figured out a to turn itself around when Johnson & Johnson advertises on TV for the profession itself.

Can you imagine United Airlines doing that?

Are they under 45 years of age?

The late 60′s found the same scenario. You know, history does ‘repeat’ itself… continually. Pilot, Technicians shortages, et. at.

So… what happen?

It fixed itself! Like everything else on this planet, lack revolves and replenishes its depletions in every category… And actually, to a greater degree than necessary. Meaning in due time (again) we’ll have, and will delivery more pilots and technicians than the industry requires.

In the meantime… Bring It On!!! It’s about time that the well deserved and qualified aviation buffs ‘earn’ their ‘due’ pay! You know, when a A&P/IA or CFI fetches an average of, maybe $35 bucks an hour… well that Sucks!

Come on, let the good times roll for the decade or more for the unrecognized professionals in our industry. Let the ‘void’ exist for many a years (… as far as I’m concerned) to come, and let the need for experienced pilots and maintenance personnel exist for many a more years to come! I mean… what the..! anyway.

It’s ‘finally’ time for the flyers’ to earn their keep!

Again… the void will fill! I guarantee it.

Besides I’ll buy you a beer in 10 years if it hasn’t by then… [btw... A very good Cabernet or deep Stout will do me just fine].

best,
m.
mailto:michael@customercounts.com

Excellent article.

As you are aware, the sport pilot/light-sport aircraft rules went into effect in September 2004. SportPilotTalk.com has been actively promoting this exciting, affordable segment of aviation for one year now. In 2006 we received over 38,000 visitors.

With these new rules one can now become a licensed pilot for about $3,500! That’s no more expensive that a small boat, motorcycle or pop-up camper. And it’s less that half the price of the private ticket. I believe that getting folks started with the sport pilot license will get the ball rolling towards further certificates and perhaps even careers as professionals. The new rules simply reduce the cost of admission.

The problem right now is not a shortage of people interested in learning to fly (just read through the SportPilotTalk.com forum), but actually finding light-sport aircraft and sport pilot training. We need to get the flight schools onboard to jump-start this segment of aviation. The number of flight schools offering this type of training is growing – check out our “Flight School And Rental Finder” map. Most flight schools don’t even understand the new rules and some DPE’s are scared of the liability of signing off lesser-trained pilots. My former flight school still requires a medical for sport pilot training even though the FAA doesn’t!

Furthermore, flight schools incorrectly believe that sport pilot training will take away from their core training business, but that is simply not true. You will find a link on the SportPilotTalk.com home page to the excellent NAFI article entitled “The Reluctant Flight School.”

I have recently introduced a new program called “The Affordable Flying Initiative (AFI).” Since light-sport aircraft, selling for $60-$100k, are still out of reach for most pilots, this program seeks to form small partnerships and also to develop a “critical mass” of potential pilots that can lobby a flight school to offer sport pilot training.

I have also been in touch with the EAA to recommend a flight-school marketing program and have recently opened discussions with PilotJourney.com to help make flying affordable. Let me know if you would like to get involved!

Don’t expect any help from AOPA. Their recent “Needle In A Haystack” survey to identify future pilots only included those earning over $100k per year. How absurd!

Gerald Z,
Administrator
http://www.SportPilotTalk.com