Now I don't want to be a real misery - despite my letter in this months Flyer. BUT. I personally know of 4 airline pilots averaging, oh, about 5000hrs each on everything from jets to glass turboprops to HS748's that are OUT OF WORK.
I further know of 15 fully qualified CPL/IR Frzn ATPL holders with <500hrs WITH WHOM I HAVE FLOWN who are OUT OF WORK.
And I am but one man and have been out of flying training for over a year now.
Its all very well Virgin announcing that they are NOT cancelling the 10 new Airbi but lets be honest. They are not even built yet. It'll take until 2004 for them to all come on line. That hardly helps guys trying to pay next months rent.
And every month that goes by more and more people join the queue. CABAIR, OATS and BAE alone have pumped out 400 low time pilots since Sept 11th. In the next 6 months they will do the same and only then will numbers dip as people put off training post attack.
I don't care how decicated and brilliant you are its going to be a living nightmare getting a job when there are 800+ similarly qualified applicants for every job.
I do not dispute for a second that the industry is recovering strongly. This is a mild crisis by Gulf War standards. Albeit dependent on the USA of A taking on Iraq, Iran, Sudan, Libya and North Korea as has been hinted at. The good time will return.
But for now I cannot think of a worse industry to be getting into. It would be easier becoming a Luton car maker or South Wales steel worker than an airline pilot at the moment. Its a brilliant job, rewarding career and worthwhile pursuit. But join at the right time and spare yourself the heartache of endless Sod Off letters. Its EXPENSIVE maintaining your IR and the clock is ticking on your ATPL exams. Why not save yourself some money and stress and delay those exams and that IR?
Don't ever give up your dream. Do make your dream more pleasurable and go to sleep at the right time - which in my view will not be for at least another year.
WWW