Pilot shortage could put strain on airline industry: report

durandal01

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2014/feb/28/pilot-shortage-could-put-strain-airline-industry/
Not my usual news site of choice but this article caught my eye.
I don't know how relevant it is to Europe though.

A319er

Mmmm not sure
The regionals don't pay well at all so they find it hard to recruit isn't a shortage
Also the majors are expanding but still have hundreds qualified pilots on furlough so no shortage there either, so reading between the lines and as the article states,
The industry wants lower levels of qualifications , eg more sim hours as credits to earn a licence, so they get to pay even less in wages, more to this argument than meets the eye

L1011

The "shortage" is almost entirely down to the regional carriers in the US paying minimum wage effectively, coupled with the knee-jerk 1500 hour rule that was brought in after the Colgan crash - despite both pilots having well over 1500 hours.

folbotcar

We'll know there's a pilot shortage when airlines park up aircraft due to lack of pilots. We'll know it's arrived when Ryanair run out of people willing to part with 30k to work for them and they announce their new sponsored cadetships.

Articles like that popped up in the States regularly over the years. Probably instigated by flight schools and other interested parties. Yet the shortage never happens. Most of the claims don't hold up anyway. For example there is no pilot shortage in Europe yet every possible obstacle is put in the way of aspiring candidates. It is considerably easier and cheaper to become a pilot in the US. The reason regionals don't pay well is that they don't have to. There's always a ready supply of pilots willing to work for starvation wages.

The pilot shortage is always five years away.

basill

There is always a pilot shortage. Unfortunately for anyone wanting to get into this industry the shortage is for captains/TREs with time on newish types who are willing to travel to Asia and the ME.

There has never been and never will be a shortage of 150hr wonder kids looking to get their first aviation job.

Stovepipe

It isn't always about starry-eyed newbies. As militaries contract worldwide, there is a genuine shortage of military pilots coming out to join the civvie commercial world. This is being felt in the helicopter world as the supply of heli pilots falls and the existing manpower ages and retires. If you think paying for a fixed-wing CPL is expensive, try paying for a heli one, especially when you need a turbine type to get a real job. Europe has made flying far too expensive and I totally agree with Folbotcar on this issue.

A Dub in Glasgo

My 15 year old son wants to be a pilot and I am strongly encouraging him to look elsewhere for a career as it is just too expensive

basill

Its not just the costs it also....

- will they complete the training
- do they have the aptitude, attributes to be a pilot. Do a GAPAN test first.
- are they medically fit and will they be for their careers?
- are they aware of the implicatioins of a pilots roster on home life eg: kiss goodbye to Xmas, NY, kids birthdays etc. Whats a weekend?
- are they prepared to move and live abroad for work and potentially NEVER EVER fly in Ireland
- will they ever get a job - my rough and ready guestimate is less than 10% that start out ever find gainful employment
- if they do get a job how much will it pay
- how long to repay the debt for training

There are far better paying and rewarding careers out there for any aspiring pilot to get into which would allow them to buy or build a high performance aircraft and enjoy life to its full.

A Dub in Glasgo

Thanks, I will show him all that!

robclay26

Shortage me arse!
Lots on unemployed pilots out there to take the vacancies.
Question is will they work for a crap wage like the pilots in the regional flying sector in the USA?
In Europe there is no shortage and will be a long time if it ever happens. So many unemployed pilots from closed down carriers and carriers restructuring.
Examples like Spanair, Malev, Astraseus etc and restructuring Air lines such as KLM Air France group, Alitalia.
And then on top of that flight schools pumping out new guys too.