Pilot-drain - The new aviation crisis
 

Carmel Egan
August 27, 2006

AUSTRALIA faces a looming aviation crisis because it is not training enough pilots to replace retirees and experienced pilots who are lured overseas by better pay and conditions.

Small operators say the shortage of trainees and qualified pilots has already started to bite on rural and regional services and will soon affect larger carriers.

The Royal Flying Doctor Service, aerial ambulance and emergency medical services, fire-fighting, Coastwatch and agricultural operators are already struggling to find or retain qualified pilots, according to the Aircraft Operators and Pilots Association.

The essential services have to compete with the pay, conditions and career opportunities offered to young pilots by overseas operators, particularly small Asian-based airlines, according to the association.

A growing demand for pilots across the Asia-Pacific region, particularly in China and India, is behind the shortage.

Aircraft manufacturer Boeing predicts that 89 per cent of all new aircraft deliveries will be to the Asia-Pacific region over the next 20 years.

Boeing's 2005 market outlook estimated that 102,000 new pilots would be needed to support those aircraft deliveries to China, India, Asia and Oceania up to 2024.

"The employment market for pilots has changed considerably over the last five years," said Stephen Lansell, aviation and communications manager for the Royal Flying Doctor's western operations.

"We have gone from an enormous glut to getting towards a famine," he said. "Organisations are finding they recruit people who get the experience and are then poached by another organisation by offers of the next level up."

Flight schools believe a generation of would-be Australian pilots is being discouraged from committing to courses because the flight component of training is not covered by the HECS program and can cost between $50,000 and $100,000.

Students are also being attracted to more financially rewarding professions, such as law, at the same time as airlines are moving to cut salaries of the most senior of Australia's 30,000 active commercial pilots.

But while fewer local candidates are applying for licences, thousands of international students are being turned away because of a shortage of flying instructors.

"Flying schools are poaching and squabbling over flight instructors," said Wendy Dow of TVSA flying school at Moorabbin. "What is scary is that when (instructors) get to the mid-level of their careers, they are being sucked up by major airlines to fly."

International training standards have also been changed, allowing students to be fast-tracked through new simulator-based licensing systems with minimum flying hours, in an attempt to meet the looming international shortage.

"The long-term impact in Australia is that we will start to lose our ability to supply essential aviation services," said John Lyon, a director of the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association.

"Society takes aviation services for granted. They believe that somehow or other it is going to work. Well, it's not going to work," Mr Lyon said. "It's not just pilots. They are going to lose their infrastructure. If we don't have young blokes and girls taking up flying, where are all the agricultural pilots going to come from?

"Training pilots has always been seen as the province of an exclusive group. It is seen as a rich boys' toy. Well, it ain't. Little airplanes mean a hell of a lot.

"What we are facing is a real problem and it is getting closer and closer. I am very concerned about this," Mr Lyon said.

Pilot shortage?

What pilot shortage?!?

It's hard to believe there will ever be a shortage at the bottom end but you have got to admit there are far more opportunities out there right now than what there was at the end of 2001 (for example). It is a cyclical emplyment industry and right now it is looking very good for some of the middle order batsmen :) I have to shake my head at even some of the first job experiences I have seen...:suspect: It is almost as though some people are skipping some rungs of the old ladder altogether! Of course in a few years time it will probably be the other way round again...

Sure is a heap of flight instructor jobs going! Seem to be drying out, especially at Grade 2 and above!

Id like to see Jet* and Virgin have to pay more to keep there pilots haha :}

Aussie

The reason why some pilots have gone overseas is because of the lack of jobs in Australia. Where operators such as the RFDS require such inflated high experience before considering an applicant, then no wonder they have trouble trying to attract someone to live in the outback. Why fly a Kingair or PC12 in the bush competing with millions of flies for your steak and eggs when you can go overseas and fly to exotic destinations and stay at top class hotels on a better salary and this is available with less flying experience than it takes to qualify for the RFDS.

There is a great world of flying outside of Australia where the pinnacle ambition of so many young pilots is restricted to flying ICUS in a Navajo from Thingalongjaba to Bullemakanka until a command on a C210 at Marble Bar comes up.

First of all one has to read that article very carefully before saying there will never be a pilot shortage in Australia. It’s not saying that. What it is really saying is we are experiencing a looming shortage of experienced pilots. Big difference.

Secondly there is a hidden agenda behind it.
They are using the looming shortage of experienced pilots as an excuse to try and get the government to fund through the HECS scheme, pilot training. With the articles information coming from AOPA Australia and a large number of flying schools being members of this organisation, it is quite obvious what is going on here. After all AOPA is lobby group.

...and god bless 'em! :ok:

Yes, and what is wrong with that? If HECS can be used to get you through law, medicine, an apprenticeship or basket-weaving, why not through a CPL? What's so special about flying? Oh, that's right, pilots actually LIKE their job, so they deserve no assistance turning professional?

Who wouldnt have loved to charge up flying training to HECS like a uni degree is done.

If a Doctor can do it, and even the damn Lawyers that invented AWA's, we should be able to as well. :mad:

As for the pilot shortage (if it is really as bad as the whinging now), bring it on. Refuse upfront endorsements or look elsewhere. Bought time the public subsidises the low cost operators with their airfares and not the employees. :=

My 2 bits worth.....:ok:

Ron & Edna Johns

I didn’t say there was anything wrong with it. I was just pointing out what the article was really about. It isn’t about pilot shortages. It is about getting pilot training included in the HECS scheme.

For the record though I believe it is probably in all our interest to keep the supply of pilots as tight as possible. The last thing we want is an even greater oversupply of unemployed pilots to put even greater pressure on our already pressured T&C. People should think long term at the ramifications of supply and demand on our career and not be so short sighted at the possible instant gratification we could get if flight training for a CPL was included in the HECS scheme. Until new CPL’s are limited each year by CASA (which will never happen), the high cost of training is the only thing that will keep them in check as well as the fact there are many other professions that pay considerably more than being a pilot. And yes I do think there are way too many flying schools competing for too little business. Something needs to give here as well.

Pilot shortage in OZ' !!!
 

I have been back in Australia for almost a year now, searching for a pilot position with any company out there, including the RFDS with no avail. Now it has gotten to the point where, again I am having to go and search overseas, which I have already had some more positive response from. With few thousand of flight hours, most on a jet, international ops. and zero response in OZ. And the funny thing about all this is that I am not the only one in this position.
:ugh: :( :ok:

Safe flying to all.

;)

IMHO HECS would worsen the pilot shortage!
 

Why?

If HECS were introduced for pilot training, it would not simply be a case of an unlimited number of trainees being government funded. Rather, it would of course be on the basis that it applies to other degrees, namely limited places.

As a result, like any other Uni course, candidates would have to COMPETE for positions available. If you were unsuccessful you would then become FULL FEE PAYING. This would reduce the total number of trainees due to two major factors:

1. At the moment trainees enter the industry blissfully unaware of whether they have what it takes for THAT airline job. No barriers to entry is what has historically created the oversupply. Under a HECS funded regime, those that failed to secure a place would themselves begin to question their own abilities to succeed in the profession before turning a prop in anger;

2. Even if not discouraged by 1 above, "full fee paying trainees" would compare themselves to the goverment funded candidates and many would baulk at having to pay many times the cost. In reality costs would be exactly what they would pay now, but only perceptions count and the comparison would deter them.

So, IMHO, AOPA's lobbying is short sighted and doesn't take into account what the end result of HECS funded training would be - namely far less pilots entering the profession. I say bring it on and fund it with HECS. The greater the pilot shortage the better. It would absolutely gut the flying training industry. But from AOPA's perspective, be careful what you ask for...

In reality AOPA should be lobbying CASA to change the entry requirements to airlines. The reason people are getting jobs overseas is because they CAN!!! They don't have insanely highly MINIMUM requirements. People in Europe are walking out of flying schools straight into Jets. While I think that is probably not the safest option, there has to be a happy medium between that and what we have here which is quite frankly insane. People all round the world can safely fly big aircraft without 500 hours on a busted arse piston twin.
Similarly insurance companies need to come to party as well as they are part of the problem especially for GA operations. You might also want to ask the RFDS why they have a multi requirement when they operate single engine aircraft??

The other consideration is the amount of money that is invested in aviation
License cost say 60K + Larger Twin Endo 2.5K + Turboprop 10K + Jet 35K
There's 107 000 dollars and 8 - 10 years of your life just to get into Jetstar. Not to mention all the associated stuffing around and pressure on your personal life etc. Until you get into a Major airline you probably won't see a salary over $55 000 if you are lucky.

Young people want to be pilots because the view from the cockpit is the best in the world. Rarely have I met students in other professions with such a compelling love for their job. Look at it this way. A student pilot sits in the classroom and studies elementary aerody then with sunnies on like Tom Cruise and headset swinging in the breeze, he swaggers to his Cessna and follows the theory lesson with an hour in the air doing the vicarious Biggles thing and master of all he surveys from 3000 ft in the training area. It is quite a turn on and any pilot who is honest with himself will admit they love the job because of the view from the cockpit.

Another student decided he loves animals and wants to be a veterinary surgeon. He does some ground theory at University and his first practical lesson starts when he swaggers to a farm with his stethoscope swinging in the breeze, pink rubber gloves dangling from his overalls, and then sticks his hand up a brown cow's arse, for the love of one day being a real vet. Like I said, it is whatever turns you on!

Which is why there will never be a real shortage of students wanting to learn to fly.

neville_nobody

The requirements in Australia are a direct result of supply and demand for new pilots, insurance and client requirements. It has quite often been said you can shake a tree in Australia and a dozen pilots will fall out of it. This is vastly different to Europe where there is hardly any GA to speak of and the exorbitant prices to learn to fly there mean at times the demand for new pilots out strips supply. To say that Australia needs to catch up with the rest of the world is a little naïve. Australia will dance to its own tune based on the market forces at play there, just as Europe will because of the market forces there. You are trying to compare apples with oranges.

Pretty obviously because there is no equivalent Hiperf S/E turboprop like theirs elsewhere in Oz, but there's plenty of what is basically the same ype of op, albeit in twin turboporps, which is the type of experience they want. I don't see many commercial PC-12s around here part from RFDS...

The RFDS want multi time because they operate multi engine a/c. Go figure. The only section of the RFDS that is solely s/e is the central section.

What is happening here and what we are seeing in the aeromed world is a pool of reasonably experienced pilots drying up very quickly. The likes of Pearl, RFDS, Air ambulance etc are dropping there entry criteria where possible BUT, what that translates into is new pilots taking a lot longer to check to line. In some cases, many months as oposed to 3 or 4 weeks.

This is the reality at the moment and it will only get worse.

Beware of anyone in the cockpit with a pair of pink rubber gloves :uhoh:

I completely agree.

I beliieve that I was once told by friends in RFDS West Ops that their aviation and Comms manager, told them there a heaps of experenced pilots out there, that is why they didnt get much of a pay rise, well how the wheel turns.

Still doubt they will get a pay rise though :confused:

Aussie

I agree with the sentiments of the article, last year saw a record in terms of new aircraft orders, over 20,000 pilots alone will be required to crew those aircraft.

The order last year saw a large demand from India, where I understand that the domestic civil pilot training capability is less than 200 pilots a year. The situation in Australia is by no means as grave as India.

One of the reasons I see the drain for pilots overseas has a lot to do with QF HR. The way they stuff people around in the interview process, hold files etc is demoralizing, and in my view unethical. They have been interviewing people for months now knowing no courses are coming up, this is at the expense of the applicant.

I understand that they have not hired a pilot for some time, however they are still testing and interviewing many applicants when there is not real course date.

QF need to rapidly change its recruitment process to recruit only from its subsidiary airlines, make cadets fly with the subsidiary airlines, and everyone on the same level playing field in terms of seniority.

In my view RFDS requirements correctly reflect the experience levels needed in order to pass the training and to do the job. I remember 4 new applicants did not pass their training in one year in the section I was in.

RFDS is an all or nothing operation, the nature of the work is that you can be thrown into a large mixture of flying on any one day.

I loved my time at the RFDS, the best organisation I have EVER worked for, I felt like I contributed to the community, and those personal rewards I cannot put a price tag on.

We were lucky with the chief pilot and C&T team that we had. In terms of standards, ability, and personal qualities, you would have to look long and hard to better elsewhere.

Everyone has different career goals, for many the RFDS is their goal, and are very happy with it. Money or a big flash widebody is not everyone’s goal, it does not interest many, and does not provide the same sort of job satisfaction.

Yes sounds like Steve, however to be fair, he is a manager and had to also look after the organisations interest. If he had funding for airline style wages for his crew, they would pay them, you cannot pump unlimited funds from a fairly dry well.

EBA negotiations are a game, a game where the employees are not holding the upper hand.

Good luck next round.

Another factor is that RAAF pay seems to be finally overtaking what is on offer at airlines such as JetStar.
PAF can probably confirm this but sources say that a six year Flight Lieutenant is now on around 105k per year with another pay rise, significantly more than CPI, on the way.
This means that a change of job into the right seat of a Jetstar 787, on the package negotiated by the ....erudite... JPC, is now a significant pay drop even if you discount the 30k they will charge you for the endorsement.
Jobs at Qantas will also look a lot less attractive. Word is that the S/O briefing this week will reveal that new-hire S/O's will be on an AWA. QF is also asking CASA to approve dual endorsements for the A380/A330 for these pilots. What is the rate they will be paid for this flexibility? A330 rates.
All this means is that Qantas/ J* will less and less be the airlines of choice for anyone leaving the RAAF. They will be looking to take their skills elsewhere.

Gee what a surprise someone from a flying school (good ole Wendy Dow) spouting of about a pilot shortage :suspect: I suppose she was also telling everyone about the glut of pilots a few years back??? Anway its the same ol drival she has like many flying schools spout....yawn.....

As mentioned a RAAF FLTLT (6 years) earns 104K + 12% pay rise over 3 years + super 18% of salary and increasing. With options to fly the A330 tanker (now called the KC-30B), the C17, 737 NG why would you leave to fly an A320 with J* on less money, working much harder and with reduced job security.

That said, with Cathay announcing the purchase of 18 777ERs and hiring heavily, offering a much better career structure and potential Australian basing, why would a qualified candidate sign an AWA with Qantas and potentially be at the whim of future Dixon changes.

The Australian aviation market is presently playing up on the desire for some pilots to return home from overseas operations. However, things are starting to tighten and potential Q and J* candidates (of quality) will now start to reject proposed conditions and move into more luctrative markets.

I just hope this bites mangement and the tide turns once again.

Look around overseas, admittedly difficult and expensive if you don't have a reasonable type on your licence, but there are jobs around. Once management realise that pilots won't accept KMART money just because the job is based in Oz the pay will be more inline with what's on offer abroad.

If Virgin Blue were based in Kabul or Port Moresby their filing cabinet wouldn't be full of applications from highly suitable candidates willing to take a pay cut just to get to Brisbane.

Expand your horizon a bit, do yourself and everyone else a world of good:)

In talking to mates who are working as expats and have been offered J* contracts which they have knocked back perhaps the worm is turning...the lure of Oz is not enough for some.

But I am at a loss to understand how admitting aviation to the HECS system will help shorten the lines of unemployed pilots...I think it would lower the barriers to this career even further...which is not a good thing.

Isn't the new Australian CX package not far removed from a Virgin Blue FO's wage?

I predicted this years ago- when VB pilots blasted on to the scene paying for their training and undercutting all and sundry. Overseas airlines would base pilots in Australia, in numbers, taking advantage of the 'race to the bottom' mentality afflicting local professionals.

It's not just a domestic thing either. Australian pilots abroad seem to be the first to break ranks, look after themselves and undercut with a short term outlook.

If you can't beat them, join them! Financially, I am just a few years away from being able to afford to fly an airliner in Oz for 40K a year. ;)

pilot shortage-Hmmmm
 

I applied to RFDS South east section.

I was told I do not meet the required experience.

I have 6000Hrs total.
2000 Multi command.
600 night.

I am now on hold for an asian job.

Better pay, 6 on/ 2 off.

Just bought my third house (my retirement plan) and I am looking into a bit of commercial property as well.............

Chimbu is right, the lure of OZ, or NZ for that matter is there, but not for a 50% pay cut:yuk:
If the part funding system is introduced, the outcome will be identical to what happened in NZ.........hundreds more low-time, no life experience, fresh out of school, wannabe airline pilots, all sold a dream with no real prospects of a job:hmm:

That's basically correct PAF. And it sucks. Defence Super is a joke in almost every respect. None of the super is funded. Everything written on your Super statement with the exception of your own contributions is 'notional'!

What the guys above are saying though is true - RAAF salary and no frills airline wages have converged markedly. One going up. The other starting at a very low benchmark (for major airline flying). The work hours wouldn't be any better either.

cant find enough pilots?

maybe stop charging for endorsements. :yuk: :yuk: :yuk: :yuk:

...disco

You didn't really think the Government would introduce MSBS because it was better for you!?:}

I contribute the bare legal minimum to MSBS and salary sacrifice into my own fund. Guess which one's doing HEAPS better?!:ok:

As someone else hinted at earlier, the phrase "pilot shortage" is quite mis-leading. "Experienced pilot shortage" is more accurate. I personally view the European/Asian trend of recruiting pilots straight out flying schools into the RHS of an RPT jet with some trepidation.

Well is there any turbine in these hours?

Having worked there myself, these hours would be more than suitable if they also included 500 turbine.

Fortunately the experience requirements are high, because the tasks that are carried out, day in, day out, by the RFDS Crews (pilot/nurse) in every section of the service, are to this day, the most demanding operations I have witnessed.

As swh saidYou better belive it. No other job has even come close. BUT...

It is all to dissapointing that current pilots do not feel this to the same extent. This is because the pay and conditions of these crews, particularly the pilots, are being eroded. That is maybe why Western Ops is having trouble securing sufficiently qualified pilots.

Let us hope these "Pilot shortages" turn some of the section's managers minds around, and improve the job security and satisfaction of jobs like the RFDS.

:ok:

Why all these "turbine" hours? You can hop into an Elite synthetic trainer for $120 an hour and learn how to start a Kingair engine in a few minutes. In another life the RAAF had two Viscounts based at Canberra where pilots who had only flown pistons we were checked out after 5 hours dual and those aircraft had four Rolls Royce Dart turbines. 600 flying hours later and no problems with starting and flying "turbines". In a further "other life" RAAF fighter pilots hopped straight into single seat Vampires (one turbine) and these pilots only had 250 hours!

It doesn't take an ace to fly a small turbo-prop aircraft likea Kingair or PC12. So why all the demand for hundreds of turbine hours before the RFDS will look at you?

The RFDS was my first turbine job: I loved it, and was quite sad to leave.

What was more important to the section I worked for though seemed to be night bush experience. It's experience in manoeuvering around the circuit that has a couple of flares, hills on the other side and it's darker than a proctologist's worst nightmare that can't be trained in a sim.

Different sections have different preferences and minimums no doubt dependent on the number of people applying, the experience of people applying, the beliefs of the CP for that section and the nature of the flying work in that section.

And long sleeve shirts.:}

Guess for the same reason why the RAAF would not put a 250 hr pilot with 5 hours total turbine time and instruction in a RAAF King Air to fly to a remote strip in the middle of the night with zero notice and time to flight plan through heavy icing conditions to be greeted by unknown terrain, rain, low cloud, flares and an unpaved runway to pick up the PM, trying to "see hear and avoid" RPT, charter, aerial work, and private operators while you descend OCTA, while in-flight conduct diversions to other unplanned destinations for other higher priority operational reasons, refueling the aircraft, gathering met and notam information, whilst calling the BOM on the satellite phone to get them to issue a TAF as your new unplanned destination and alternates don’t get forecasts issued late at night due to the only insane people driving around those areas being RFDS, and then having to hassle ATC again for those newly issued TAFs, do the fuel calculations as your now informed by the doctor that your new passenger must ride with a sea level cabin, not enough fuel, another diversion, here we go PAL not working again, call ATC get the local police out to turn the lights on, more fuel and still not back home yet.

That does not happen every night when working for the RFDS, but it does happen. You need to be able to step up to the plate when required, people are depending on you.

For your information the doctors and nurses that also work for the organization are some of more highly trained and experienced people in their fields, the qualification requirements and experience levels for those people in their professions would be equivalent to what they ask of pilots in their terms.

The RFDS cargo and mission is important, they want the very best candidates. If you were in need of the RFDS services one day, I am sure you would want the same.

They are a medical service, not an air force, not an airline, not a charter company, and definitely not a flying school. They are a good bunch of guys and girls working very hard to provide a medical service to regional and remote Australia.

250 hours?
 

When we have 21year old, 250 hour Boeing captains in our airliners, that will be the right time to put 21year old, 250 hour pilots in the RFDS aeroplanes.

The size of the aeroplane is irrelevent.

bushy:ok:

And that time approaches faster than we would hope.:{

Not sure the of the current status but some time ago mate who was then an IFALPA VP was having a bit of a problem with an American country turning out sorta 500hr ATPs from their flight school almost straight into the LHS of their new and well kept Airbus types. Competentcy OK no problems :ok: All in the view of local skilling etc. Cheaper to keep the aircraft up to date than have expat pilots.
Combined cockpit experience what, maybe 1500hrs. Very strong SOPs and procedures, basic automaton stuff and an ATC system US that looks after em.

And personally I don't really have a problem with that, the electronics, SOPS and hopefully reliable modern aircraft that keep em out of trouble.

Unfortunately for the RFDS you can't write a SOP for the every day is different that would have a manual heavier than the aircraft. But there are those computer thingummys now you know.

The RFDS whether they mean to or not then set de facto standards that the rest adopt without necessarily understanding the why.

This is going to get me into trouble, but you and I know if Geoff were to give us the keys to one of his Boing aircraft and the usual flt planning resources, we could between us, make a pretty good fist of a days work anywhere. It might not be pretty but it would be reasonably workmanlike and wouldn't frighten the horses. I am not sure about an Airbus because neither of us were brought up on Xbox or Sega:E and the automatics might get us foxed for a bit. But if we did know how to use em it would be even easier.

Then we could get to say "I wonder what it's doing now" with the best of em. :p