Some people believe $100-200k for flight training is chump change. Most of us think that’s a lot of money. So it’s relative. Put it this way, flight training is EXPENSIVE compared to learning how to SCUBA dive. Flight training is EXPENSIVE compared to learning how to be a truck driver. Flight training is EXPENSIVE compared to learning how to be a lawyer, CCNA, programmer, etc., etc. The ROI when comparing pilot vs. lawyer or a CCNA isn’t even a fair fight.

I disagree with you that we in the aviation community should be coming up with a solution to a “problem” that the airlines created. (I use the word problem loosely because there really isn’t a problem.) They know darn well that if they want the pilots, they can get the pilots. There are plenty of options for them to choose from. You and I both know that the reality is that the airline management folks would rather go the pilot labor exploitation route because it means more money to spread around for executive bonuses at year end. Let’s not kid ourselves that this “pilot shortage” is a real problem. It’s not. Never has, never will. Outsourcing pilots, ab initio programs supported by the airlines, street hires, university partnerships, etc. They have the solutions. But they cost the airline money and that’s not healthy for the executive bonus pool. Single pilot airliners are predicted to be the new emerging technology followed by zero pilots. We’re already seeing technology that makes pilot lose IQ points in GA airplanes. “Press the blue button and you’ll be back to straight and level. Isn’t that cool? You don’t have to know how to fly the airplane anymore! Yay!”

Or you can take the red pill and I’ll show you how far the rabbit hole goes. ;-)

Sorry Jim, but you should know that there are 6 official aviation languages recognised by ICAO. Maybe in the near future, we pilots, should learn to speak chinesse in order to increase our chances of being hired.

250 hours in a twin with an instructor cost far less in many places. A C152 or a DA20 rents for about $100 an hour in many places around the U.S. 250 hours in those is $25K.

Somebody with so little common sense and research capability should not be given the controls of any aircraft from my point of view.

Furthermore, my hairdresser paid $24K for one year of advanced hairdresser training. That’s also about the cost of one year of tuition in ivy-league universities and most students need 4 to 6 of those in the right discipline to get an half decent job.

Many of us figured out how to get those 1,500 hours and many more although flying was always expensive. Use an online inflation calculator if you don’t believe it.

My primary flight instructor had an Embry-Riddle education and nearly 3,000 hours before he was able to get onto the airline ladder. That was the early 90′s.

It seems that newcomers today are constantly clamoring for free flying. We all wished that. But don’t hold your breath. Just like the pilot shortage, it ain’t going to happen anytime soon.

Let us consider a few things. There is currently regulation on the table increasing the qualifications for 121 & 135 operators. This certification change mainly affects SICs. 1500 hours is what is currently under the NPRM. This will be regulation not a suggestion. It is likely that ICAO will follow suit.
With this new regulation it will be even more difficult for pilots to acquire the time to be qualified to even act as SIC with a 121 or 135 operator. This is the key to the whole “pilot shortage”. Here’s why, most pilot’s now are forced to act as a CFI to gain the experience and time to 1500 hours. Many of the cargo jobs, crop dusting jobs, and pipeline patrol jobs for “low” time pilots are a thing of the past.
Additionally, the average cost for a pilot to go from zero time to 250-300 hours is well over 100K. Many of the avenues for financial aid are closed. This in return leaves a dwindling amount of students for CFIs to train.
Another aspect worth considering is the amount of flight schools that have shut their doors over the past five years. I believe demand will increase and, as always, there will be a way to increase supply. However, I also believe at first there will be a higher demand for pilots over the next 5-7 years.

As a few folks have pointed out here, I think we will see a shortage of pilots at the regionals.

But not because we can’t train em. We could.

But who can spend, or wants to spend, the money to set themselves up for a regional pilot job with such lousy pay? Few I’m thinkin.

But who says the only flying jobs are with the regionals? There are other options. And the pay is better on a corporate job for sure. What about ag flying? What about ferrying airplanes?

Last time I checked, you also won’t need an ATP and 1,500 to get hired. There are also Part 135 charter outfits that will need pilots.

In my day … OK, you knew that was coming right … I scraped time together where ever I could. A few here, a few there. I taught, I towed banners … all because I knew it was part of the dues I needed to pay.

Maybe we need to take a step back and realize that just because you graduate from a flight school with 350 hours and some certificates doesn’t mean you SHOULD be flying at the airlines … only that you might be.

I’m sorry the airline ladder isn’t as steady as it was a decade ago, but on this one, the market will rule. If regionals really are short enough of pilots that they begin cancelling more flights, they’ll either raise the salaries to grab people, which means fares will rise, or those companies will shut down.

Or perhaps if there really is a shortage at some point in the pipeline, some other element in the chain will take action to help fund training. Pilots would probably work at a regional for years if they had an incentive … like a company sponsoring their flight training and taking the payback out of their paycheck in years of service.

Maybe none of this is the answer. Help the industry figure an answer out then.

If I hear one more person cry about how expensive learning to fly is and how lousy the pay is, I’m going to be sick.

English is the aviation language. Students should learn English instead of instructors learning theirs.

THANK YOU.