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Why Iowans should care about a pilot shortage
In the last two years, all air service was lost in 20 U.S. communities. And, an additional 26 communities have lost 75 percent of their air service. Why are these airports no longer connected? In part, because of a growing pilot shortage. (www.thegazette.com) 更多...
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This is sad. All because some PC desk jockies thought it would make flying safer.
In the military a pilot with less than 300 hours straps on a fighter jet and does a great job. Adding hours does not make a perfect pilot, the quality of the training program is the key. After being well trained then going to build hours any way possible, being an IP in a 172, only slows you down and does very little to improve qualifications. Flying around VFR at 80k is not getting you ready for an IFR approach in the weather faster than 150k
Then there is push that adding these hours would force the regional to pay a lot more.
What about the concept of crew hours on the flight deck - Junior 1st officer with Senior Captain or Instructor? Or jump seat time?
Of just go back to basics qualifications and training program standards. A quote I heard from an instructor was basically, they can teach anyone to fly with enough time, but that does not make a good pilot that should be allowed to fly passengers or cargo.
Maybe if Pilots in Training could become a ALPA members than ALPA would start to work to find a solution. There current approach appears to be the airlines should pay more. That does not finance your life and time from when school ends until you have enough hours to get paid.
In the military a pilot with less than 300 hours straps on a fighter jet and does a great job. Adding hours does not make a perfect pilot, the quality of the training program is the key. After being well trained then going to build hours any way possible, being an IP in a 172, only slows you down and does very little to improve qualifications. Flying around VFR at 80k is not getting you ready for an IFR approach in the weather faster than 150k
Then there is push that adding these hours would force the regional to pay a lot more.
What about the concept of crew hours on the flight deck - Junior 1st officer with Senior Captain or Instructor? Or jump seat time?
Of just go back to basics qualifications and training program standards. A quote I heard from an instructor was basically, they can teach anyone to fly with enough time, but that does not make a good pilot that should be allowed to fly passengers or cargo.
Maybe if Pilots in Training could become a ALPA members than ALPA would start to work to find a solution. There current approach appears to be the airlines should pay more. That does not finance your life and time from when school ends until you have enough hours to get paid.
Ultimately the States will have to step in with training programs where the graduates do not incur debt in return for a five year commitment to fly for a regional that serves that state. Departure before would cost the pilot 15% of the State's costs.
Another article behind a paywall.
But the subject of a pilots shortage is one that hits close to home. Great Lakes quit serving KMCW and KFOD because of it in 2014. Currently, Air Choice One has done better, with no cancellations due to shortage of crew members. And they serve a lot more destinations (KORD, KMSP, KSTL) than Great Lakes did.
But the subject of a pilots shortage is one that hits close to home. Great Lakes quit serving KMCW and KFOD because of it in 2014. Currently, Air Choice One has done better, with no cancellations due to shortage of crew members. And they serve a lot more destinations (KORD, KMSP, KSTL) than Great Lakes did.
It is a money problem...pay enough and they will come.
However, I can't get a job that's going to guarantee weekly pay hours of over 30 at a rate of $12 per hour. That's not enough to live by.
So I don't fly, I work in retail. I get paid more and more hours. And it doesn't require paperwork to the extent of pilots.
Hence why I don't work as a Flying Instructor or scenic flight operator.
I don't have enough hours to get into Regional airlines, as they're asking for over 1000 hours PIC.
How do I go from 600 to 1000? I can't, so despite being a capable pilot, I'm not able to help alleviate the shortage. And that goes for most countries in the western world.