Impending North American Pilot Shortage.

[Turbinator]

We are about to experience head first a pretty major pilot shortage in North America. I can allready see the signs as the airlines in Canada are already hiring 10 months out of 12.

Now I could go on and on, on a rant as to why this is happening. The ridicules costs, the need hours to fly, but how do you fly without hours quagmire. Everything.

Good CBC video on subject:
http://ca.news.yahoo.com/video/world-15749633/pilot-shortage-forecast-23581382.html

 

[Ark]

I'd roll my toolbox out of my shop and fly for a living given the chance, but:

-I don't want to rack up tens of thousands of dollars in student loan debt just to be able to sit in a plane.
-Even if I got to be a professional pilot, everything I've heard and read indicates that airlines value their employees about as much as McDonalds, with the pay to match.

 

[jedidia]

With the ridiculous costs of the education and airlines not being willing to pay their share of it, it's really not surprising...

 

[DanM]

As much as I'd love to fly for a living, with the cost of the education compared to the pay and lifestyle, it's just not worth it. I'd rather not spend the first 1/3 of my career living off of food stamps.

 

[dgatsoulis]

I'd rather not spend the first 1/3 of my career living off of food stamps.

This, one sentence, is RIGHT on the money!
Since we have a Real-world pilots, group within this community, i'd like to hear their thoughts about this.

 

[RisingFury]

With the ridiculous costs of the education and airlines not being willing to pay their share of it, it's really not surprising...

And ever since the recent spike in fuel prices, I hear the pilots complaining (rightfully) that the airline is refusing to fuel the planes with any more fuel then required for the trip. It gives the pilot very little margin of error if they're asked to circle around before landing...

 

[Moach]

when i was a teenager, i did begin taking piloting lessons.... i never got through it all because of the infamous cash-flow obstacle....

i reckon that if airlines were to invest in young pilots (finacially, that is) - there would really not be such a problem.....


money doesn't grow out of trees.... you know :hmm:

 

[Quick_Nick]

I'm beginning flying lessons myself. There's a lot of expenses involved in getting a license but that's not what I'm concerned about. The reasons I don't to fly commercially are the awful things I've heard about it. Conditions and all, and the fact that it would make flying unenjoyable.

 

[RisingFury]

I'm beginning flying lessons myself. There's a lot of expenses involved in getting a license but that's not what I'm concerned about. The reasons I don't to fly commercially are the awful things I've heard about it. Conditions and all, and the fact that it would make flying unenjoyable.

Come to think of it... who of us goes to the Moon and back at x1 time in Orbiter? Now imagine flying over the Atlantic every day for what? 8 hours?

 

[Turbinator]

Now imagine flying over the Atlantic every day for what? 8 hours?

I would do that every day, over, and over, and over again, if I could. And I would never get tiered of it.

 

[Quick_Nick]

I would do that every day, over, and over, and over again, if I could. And I would never get tiered of it.

Except you aren't even flying. Certainly at first you don't get a pilot position until thousands of hours. Then you still just autopilot most of the time.