Panama Jack,
You make quite a few very relevant points, I can say that your observations are very similar to people from Australia and NZ looking for work overseas, or EU pilots trying to get work in France.
Canadians pilots already have special rights to work in the US ( you need a FAA license), and Canadian companies are currently supplying pilots for CRJs in Australia.
US companies are having seminars in Australia with projections of 6000 pilots a year required, when asked where they plan to get them they said we will just issue green cards to Aussies and New Zealanders, but will the people really want to go ?
I have also seen a report that China Southern Airlines plan to purchase another 1500 (one thousand five hundred) jets.....I understand the China Southern school in Australia is pumping out 200 pilots a year, not enough to meet this demand (enough for about 30-35 aircraft).
Australia only produced 4-500 odd commercial licensed pilots last year ( a large number of that were exported to overseas airlines), we have airlines like Virgin starting up with 15 737's, Impulse, Kendells and other looking at Jets, and Qantas announcing it will be buying another 31 aircraft......I have heard rumors that another 300 jet jobs are up for grabs in Australia.
The number of pilots being trained and available for work do not meet the projected demands, airbus alone had about 1500 orders backlogged on the books, not to mention the regional jets and Boeing....
My advice ... be patient, a commercial license will open immigration doors in the not to distance future like IT qualifications do at the moment.
People in Canada, Australia, New Zealand will be the ones to take advantage of the world wide shortage, just don’t let our standards down, our low accident rates will make our licenses well sought after as being well trained, an asset not a liability to the airline.
Regards
BJ
BTW Impulse is looking at getting B1900 captians in from overseas, but they pay crappy with a poor aussie dollar I dont think anyone will come.