Pilot Shortage
There are 4 reasons why
the pilot shortage is a real thing; Generational problems, expensive training,
ATP minimums being too high and taking too long to upgrade. I am going to go
through each problem and discuss why it is a problem for the airlines and why
there is such a shortage.
#1 Generational Problem
In the history of
aviation, especially in the airlines, there has never been these many jobs
available for pilots. Without researching it, my first instinct on why there is
such a shortage currently is because of the baby boomer generation is starting
to retire at a very high pace. When you do some more research, and take a
better look at it, it seems that this could be a main reason why there is such
a shortage. According to the Pew Research Center, The Baby Boomer Generation
ranks 2nd to the Millennial Generation in population size, with
nearly 80 million people. Generation X, which is in between the Baby Boomers
and Millennial’s is much smaller compared to the other two. Nearly
20-million-person difference (Fry, 2016). Looking at those numbers, it can only
make sense that there is a pilot shortage. With nearly 80 million Baby Boomers
on the brink of retirement and Generation X being much smaller than the Baby
Boomers and the Millennials not quite old enough to take up the rest of the
jobs is a perfect recipe for a shortage. However, there is many more reasons
why there is a pilot shortage than it just being only a generational reason.
#2 Expensive Training
After doing much
research, it seems that the biggest reason there is a pilot shortage is the
cost of learning how to fly. According to an article in Market Realist, “The
largest aviation program in the United States is offered by the University of
North Dakota. It charges students ~$64,500 for flight training” (Schmidt,
2016). That also does not include possible room and board for flight students,
with that included it could cost over $100,000 when it is all said and done.
According to the Department of Numbers which retrieved its numbers from the US
Census Bureau, the medium income for a family in North Dakota (where the
University of North Dakota flight program is) is $79,642. Now I am not a math
major at all, but it seems that income is sustainable to live comfortably as a
family but makes it very difficult if a member of the family would like to
attend flight school at University of North Dakota. Personally, I would not
like to have almost a six-figure loan to pay back once college ends.
#3 Minimums Too High
The
cost of flight school is not the only problem, the Airline Transport Pilot
minimums are currently at 1,500 hours unless the student attends a
Restricted-Airline Transport Pilot minimums school, which only requires pilots
to gain 1,000 hours to become eligible for the airlines. Should the all
minimums be reduced to where the Restricted-Airline Transport Pilot are at? The
answer to that can be very difficult. Eastern Michigan University is a Part 61
school, students are only required to gain 1,000 hour to go to the airlines
because they are under the Restricted-Airline Transport Pilot guidelines. I see
this as no problem because the training at Eastern Michigan University is very
advanced and students become very good pilots, therefore going to the airlines
at 1,000 hours is an appropriate amount for them. However, not every school is
at the same standards. It would be a huge risk if Federal
Aviation Administration reduced the minimums to 1,000, however they
could slowly reduce the minimums and see if airlines can higher at a lower hour
total and possibly see if that will close the gap in the storage. However,
since some schools are at the 1,000 hour minimums, maybe the Federal Aviation
Administration could lower every flight school to 1,000-hour minimum and make
ground school tougher for new hires to make sure they are fully ready for the
airlines. If the airlines are properly training their students, they should be
able to weed out which students are or are not going to make it through the
training successfully. It is a huge risk to take for the Federal Aviation
Administration and the airlines but if the Federal Aviation Administration and
airlines can trust the Restricted-Airline Transport Pilot certifications then
they should be able to trust the Non-Restricted-Airline Transport Pilot.
#4 Takes Too Long to
Upgrade and Not Enough Pay
Perhaps
the biggest obstacle that the airlines must overcome is money and time. Money
is the driving force behind everything in our society. It has gotten better but
the pay to start at the regional airlines is very low for new incoming first
officers. There are many different areas in aviation that a pilot can go into
and make a lot of money. Some of the bigger regional airlines that are
associated with big parent companies are paying well. Currently at Endeavor Air,
the first year pay for a First officer is around $60,000
(EndeavorAir.com/pilots). However, according to AINOnline, the first year First
Officer pilots are making less than $30,000. That is something that is
unsustainable for pilots who are trying to live comfortably with the cost of
living being so high already. The other obstacle that is associated with the
shortage is time. Pilots like to upgrade quickly. At some of the regional
airlines, they are going to be stuck there for nearly 5 years at the regionals
which is a very long time for a pilot to stay without upgrading to the major
airlines. AS mentioned before, pilots/people are very impatient and want
advancement and money as quickly, the longer they must be stuck in one spot the
tougher it is going to be to get people to go into aviation. If the regional
airlines can speed up the upgrade process and pay new pilots more money, they
will be able to attract many new pilots ready to join the workforce and work
their way up to the major airlines.
Ally
Schmidt | Oct 6, 2016 7:49 pm EDT. (2016, October 6). Why Is There a
Pilot Shortage in the Airline Industry? Retrieved April 16, 2017, from http://marketrealist.com/2016/10/why-is-there-a-pilot-shortage-in-the-airline-industry/\
Cokely,
K. (2017, April 16). Airlines Scrambling to Prevent Pilot Shortage. Retrieved
April 16, 2017, from http://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/Airlines-Scrambling-to-Prevent-Pilot-Shortage-414903583.html
Fry,
R. (2016, April 25). Millennials overtake Baby Boomers as America’s largest
generation. Retrieved April 16, 2017, from http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2016/04/25/millennials-overtake-baby-boomers/
North
Dakota Household Income. (n.d.). Retrieved April 16, 2017, from http://www.deptofnumbers.com/income/north-dakota/
Epstein,
C. (2016, December 22). Starting Salaries On the Rise at Regional Airlines.
Retrieved April 16, 2017, from http://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/air-transport/2016-12-22/starting-salaries-rise-regional-airlines
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