The FUTURE?
What does the future for our profession as helicopter pilots look like?
Serving in the US military, I am very sheltered from the commercial helicopter industry, so my information is only from what I read or second hand from folks in the industry. I have been hearing of increased helicopter usage and decreasing pilot banks. In the US, I've been told that in the past, you could not swing a dead cat without hitting a helicopter pilot, thank you Vietnam era glut, is that changing? Two years ago the FAA showed a decrease in the amount of active CPLs and ATPs for helicopters, the first such decline in ages. Job sites are now posting want adds for pilots with much less than the 3K hour minimun we have seen in the past. I visited two EMS outfits in NW US and the pilots I spoke with were, well, I hate to say old, because I'm 41 myself, so perhaps, very, very experienced.
So what is the future for our profession, too many pilots and not enough jobs or future shortages of experienced pilots, any thoughts?