Pilot Shortage a Myth
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Pilot Shortage a Myth
Hi all,
Would like to share the following article with you. What's your opinion on it? From my personal experiences (worked as an instructor in the US came back to Europe and did the silly conversion FAA to EASA) I must say, the chap who wrote this is absolutely right.
Source:
https://www.aerotime.aero/en/civil/1...ne-of-culprits
Would like to share the following article with you. What's your opinion on it? From my personal experiences (worked as an instructor in the US came back to Europe and did the silly conversion FAA to EASA) I must say, the chap who wrote this is absolutely right.
I have earned my living for 36 years, as a pilot, starting as an Army helicopter pilot progressing through the years all the way up to Captain of the Boeing 747-400. I have flown approximately 130 different single and multi-engine airplanes, single and multi-engine seaplanes, single and multi-engine helicopters, two and four engine turboprops, two and four engine jets, as Pilot-in-Command. I hold ATPL from seven countries and Flying Instructor for single and multi-engine airplanes and helicopters, from two countries, plus an Aircraft Mechanic License. I served as a Captain of Boeing 737-700, 737-800, 747-200, 747-300, and 747-400 aircraft. Very few pilots in the world have that kind of background or credentials.
Few truly understand the complexity or the issues why there is a pilot shortage. Imagine someone like me is unemployed, though I have so much experience.
There was a time, early in my flying career, after I made my exit from active military service, as a pilot, I was visiting airports and distributing my curriculum vitae. At one airport, I fished a brown paper bag out of a trash can, tore off a piece, wrote a brief CV, with my contact details, using a pencil, then stuck it on the door handle of a KingAir, because I had run out of CVs typeset on expensive, fancy paper, done by a printing shop. The ONLY call I had received was from the “brown paper bag CV”, handwritten in pencil. There IS a lesson in that.
The challenges to getting a flying job especially during the past ten years of the 21st century are varied.
Problem #1
Since 11 September 2001, pilots cannot just walk into an airport and stick their heads into any open hangar or aircraft.
By comparison, my first international airline job, I had been writing to a Chief Pilot who died in a crash, in Central America. I only got the name of the current Chief Pilot by walking up to one of the airline's aircraft, parked in front of a hangar, walked up to the flight deck, talked to the crew… then I flew cross country, walked into the headquarters, up the stairs and met him, who hired me on the spot. I saw some very unusual places, in the world, and did some equally “very unusual” flying, with that company. The kind that chapters of flying stories are dedicated to.
Problem #2
Go onto Google, and do a search for the email address and telephone number of some major Flag Carrier's Chief Pilot or HR Manager. Impossible.
Problem #3
Airlines and General Aviation employers, no longer want to provide training, because the dishonest and disloyal amongst us aviation professionals (cough, cough) will take the training investment spent on them and apply it to their preferred employer, just as soon as training has been completed.
Problem #4
Pilots are their own worst enemies. There are the inept or poorly trained who would crash a twin-engine sophisticated helicopter, in the Australian outback, that precipitated CASA to ratchet-up regulations, instead of fixing the root cause. Or, the Cessna pilot who after yanking and banking, causing an Accelerated Stall, flying below the lowest level which CASA already gave a dispensation, crashed into the sea. Or, the delusional miscreant and malcontent, type of Pilot who deliberately crashed into the mountains, killing himself and all aboard. Yep, he got even. With the whole Aviation industry! Making getting a job even more difficult for the levelheaded amongst us, who just love to fly.
Suppose someone has been a Boeing 747 Captain for a decade and decided to change to an employer who pays more or would treat him better, but the 747 Captain would have to pass a German DLR psychological test first. And, if he answered honestly, thoughtfully, but not within the defined test’s parameters, would that 747 Captain no longer be worthy to fly a kite? Rubbish!
Problem #5
There is no one-world standard for Pilot Licensing or even the form it takes, for that matter. IF, IF there was a Pilot License that could be used universally/globally, issued by say ICAO or whatever international organization, then pilots could use their license anywhere in the world, with the only requirement needed to convert for a particular country, an Air Law examination and in-Flight assessment, by an examiner. That is all that should be required. All first-world Pilot Licenses should be equal. I mean an FAA ATPL should be 100% compatible and equal to an Australian ATPL or German ATPL or... I mean even though I hold an Australian ATPL, prospective employers will advertise must have sat the seven examinations, which is code for they do not accept ATPL that was converted from overseas. AS IF an Australian ATPL is superior or they are better pilots. I have flown with Australian ATPL holders, who were my First Officers. They were definitely no better or no worse, except they tended to be more pedantic.
Of course, developing countries and countries like China and India, which have a very high demand for Pilots and the more experience they have, the better. Though they are critically short of Pilots, they impose age restrictions, of 53 or 55, for recruitment.
I could write a thesis on Pilot Hiring issues or the perceived Pilot Shortage. There is no Pilot Shortage, just lots of obstacles, obstructionism, sometimes deliberate backstabbing and badmouthing (Union versus Scab drama) of Pilots seeking and trying to gain employment, added to that the egregious costs of flying and maintaining a Pilot License, as in the case of Australia.
Solve these issues and you will solve the “Pilot Shortage”.
Few truly understand the complexity or the issues why there is a pilot shortage. Imagine someone like me is unemployed, though I have so much experience.
There was a time, early in my flying career, after I made my exit from active military service, as a pilot, I was visiting airports and distributing my curriculum vitae. At one airport, I fished a brown paper bag out of a trash can, tore off a piece, wrote a brief CV, with my contact details, using a pencil, then stuck it on the door handle of a KingAir, because I had run out of CVs typeset on expensive, fancy paper, done by a printing shop. The ONLY call I had received was from the “brown paper bag CV”, handwritten in pencil. There IS a lesson in that.
The challenges to getting a flying job especially during the past ten years of the 21st century are varied.
Problem #1
Since 11 September 2001, pilots cannot just walk into an airport and stick their heads into any open hangar or aircraft.
By comparison, my first international airline job, I had been writing to a Chief Pilot who died in a crash, in Central America. I only got the name of the current Chief Pilot by walking up to one of the airline's aircraft, parked in front of a hangar, walked up to the flight deck, talked to the crew… then I flew cross country, walked into the headquarters, up the stairs and met him, who hired me on the spot. I saw some very unusual places, in the world, and did some equally “very unusual” flying, with that company. The kind that chapters of flying stories are dedicated to.
Problem #2
Go onto Google, and do a search for the email address and telephone number of some major Flag Carrier's Chief Pilot or HR Manager. Impossible.
Problem #3
Airlines and General Aviation employers, no longer want to provide training, because the dishonest and disloyal amongst us aviation professionals (cough, cough) will take the training investment spent on them and apply it to their preferred employer, just as soon as training has been completed.
Problem #4
Pilots are their own worst enemies. There are the inept or poorly trained who would crash a twin-engine sophisticated helicopter, in the Australian outback, that precipitated CASA to ratchet-up regulations, instead of fixing the root cause. Or, the Cessna pilot who after yanking and banking, causing an Accelerated Stall, flying below the lowest level which CASA already gave a dispensation, crashed into the sea. Or, the delusional miscreant and malcontent, type of Pilot who deliberately crashed into the mountains, killing himself and all aboard. Yep, he got even. With the whole Aviation industry! Making getting a job even more difficult for the levelheaded amongst us, who just love to fly.
Suppose someone has been a Boeing 747 Captain for a decade and decided to change to an employer who pays more or would treat him better, but the 747 Captain would have to pass a German DLR psychological test first. And, if he answered honestly, thoughtfully, but not within the defined test’s parameters, would that 747 Captain no longer be worthy to fly a kite? Rubbish!
Problem #5
There is no one-world standard for Pilot Licensing or even the form it takes, for that matter. IF, IF there was a Pilot License that could be used universally/globally, issued by say ICAO or whatever international organization, then pilots could use their license anywhere in the world, with the only requirement needed to convert for a particular country, an Air Law examination and in-Flight assessment, by an examiner. That is all that should be required. All first-world Pilot Licenses should be equal. I mean an FAA ATPL should be 100% compatible and equal to an Australian ATPL or German ATPL or... I mean even though I hold an Australian ATPL, prospective employers will advertise must have sat the seven examinations, which is code for they do not accept ATPL that was converted from overseas. AS IF an Australian ATPL is superior or they are better pilots. I have flown with Australian ATPL holders, who were my First Officers. They were definitely no better or no worse, except they tended to be more pedantic.
Of course, developing countries and countries like China and India, which have a very high demand for Pilots and the more experience they have, the better. Though they are critically short of Pilots, they impose age restrictions, of 53 or 55, for recruitment.
I could write a thesis on Pilot Hiring issues or the perceived Pilot Shortage. There is no Pilot Shortage, just lots of obstacles, obstructionism, sometimes deliberate backstabbing and badmouthing (Union versus Scab drama) of Pilots seeking and trying to gain employment, added to that the egregious costs of flying and maintaining a Pilot License, as in the case of Australia.
Solve these issues and you will solve the “Pilot Shortage”.
https://www.aerotime.aero/en/civil/1...ne-of-culprits
Reading it I think his comments are perhaps in places valid but obviously a bit "Aussie centric"/aussie specific ("Union verses Scab" rings bells about a specific labour dispute which rightly or wrongly still hits a nerve down under).
I think in general and overall as long as there is a supply of those willing to pay money to train right from the "get go" (which he sort of strikes a glancing blow at with "problem #3) I don't think there's any chance of a significant shortage in the forseeable future.
I think in general and overall as long as there is a supply of those willing to pay money to train right from the "get go" (which he sort of strikes a glancing blow at with "problem #3) I don't think there's any chance of a significant shortage in the forseeable future.
Professional Student
We've been waiting for this "pilot shortage" for over ten years now. Strangely enough, it's often training schools and aircraft manufacturers shouting about it..
No a lot of sympathy for KLM, the Dutch have certainly exported more than a few pilots to the UK, so maybe they need to make their T&cs more attractive (difficult with AF at the helm. ). The other issue I've heard with both KLM and LH is the " native" language speaking requirement..I'm not talking about having Aviation level whatever, I'm on about having the local language skills to handle e.g. ops and rostering. .....
I'm not saying they are wrong to demand a high level of language skills, but maybe that's a discussion point for the generally monolingual Brits...mind you, post Brexit, maybe that will not be an issue.
I'm not saying they are wrong to demand a high level of language skills, but maybe that's a discussion point for the generally monolingual Brits...mind you, post Brexit, maybe that will not be an issue.
Last edited by wiggy; 19th Feb 2017 at 07:51.
As long as airlines continue to be born and exist, maintain viable business plans, buy airplanes, even form LCC subsidiaries of themselves, there's no pilot shortage.
They exist for one reason: make money.
When we see INDEPENDENTLY VERIFIED news that many airlines are failing and vanishing due to the inability to run a viable business plan because of insufficient levels of "usable" cockpit crew (rather than poor economic environment or inept management), maybe then we can say there's a shortage.
Until then...
They exist for one reason: make money.
When we see INDEPENDENTLY VERIFIED news that many airlines are failing and vanishing due to the inability to run a viable business plan because of insufficient levels of "usable" cockpit crew (rather than poor economic environment or inept management), maybe then we can say there's a shortage.
Until then...
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wiggy
The export of Dutch pilots to the UK was largely a result of the sizable Dutch flight training industry producing far in excess the number of professional pilot graduates over the past 15 years than there could possibly be jobs for in the shrinking and consolidated Dutch airline industry. The KLM Flight Academy was historically a path to KLM, however students were required to sign a disclaimer essentially renouncing any claim to a secured job with KLM after training a few years ago. The majority of Dutch FO's that went to BA were graduates of EPST who had a commercial relationship with a then UK based ATO who in turn (and through EPST connections) had a relationship with BA. Other Dutch schools such as Martinair and CAE-NLS didn't really have any connections and you find some graduates from those schools at RYR and EasyJet and other low-costs where SSTR or P2F was necessary.
DLH take graduates of Lufthansa Flight Training who have, in recent years moved to an MPL programme and reduced their intake (as did the KLS). Both schools have a high entry standard including a requirement to speak native and have not apparently delivered the volume required to meet forecast crewing demands. That said, unlike British operators, it would matter little whether you spoke the native tongue to work at DLH or KLM; the important criteria is whether you are German or Dutch in my view.
The export of Dutch pilots to the UK was largely a result of the sizable Dutch flight training industry producing far in excess the number of professional pilot graduates over the past 15 years than there could possibly be jobs for in the shrinking and consolidated Dutch airline industry. The KLM Flight Academy was historically a path to KLM, however students were required to sign a disclaimer essentially renouncing any claim to a secured job with KLM after training a few years ago. The majority of Dutch FO's that went to BA were graduates of EPST who had a commercial relationship with a then UK based ATO who in turn (and through EPST connections) had a relationship with BA. Other Dutch schools such as Martinair and CAE-NLS didn't really have any connections and you find some graduates from those schools at RYR and EasyJet and other low-costs where SSTR or P2F was necessary.
DLH take graduates of Lufthansa Flight Training who have, in recent years moved to an MPL programme and reduced their intake (as did the KLS). Both schools have a high entry standard including a requirement to speak native and have not apparently delivered the volume required to meet forecast crewing demands. That said, unlike British operators, it would matter little whether you spoke the native tongue to work at DLH or KLM; the important criteria is whether you are German or Dutch in my view.
Reverserbucket, thanks for the comprehensive reply....
The export of Dutch pilots to the UK was largely a result of the sizable Dutch flight training industry producing far in excess the number of professional pilot graduates over the past 15 years than there could possibly be jobs for in the shrinking and consolidated Dutch airline industry.
So at least in one portion of the industry there demonstrably has not been a pilot shortage, despite the frequent rumours...
You may say that, I couldn't comment on suspicions many of us have had for a long time..��
The export of Dutch pilots to the UK was largely a result of the sizable Dutch flight training industry producing far in excess the number of professional pilot graduates over the past 15 years than there could possibly be jobs for in the shrinking and consolidated Dutch airline industry.
it would matter little whether you spoke the native tongue to work at DLH or KLM; the important criteria is whether you are German or Dutch in my view.
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pie in the sky?
Might be of interest:
See page 24 onwards:
"PROFESSIONAL AIRCREW RECRUITMENT: PIE IN THE SKY?"
https://www.ipapilot.com/sites/defau...er111_77_0.pdf
See page 24 onwards:
"PROFESSIONAL AIRCREW RECRUITMENT: PIE IN THE SKY?"
https://www.ipapilot.com/sites/defau...er111_77_0.pdf
