Is there a shortage of experienced pilots in the USA?
Thread Starter
Is there a shortage of experienced pilots in the USA?
I hit one of the helicopter only websites a few minutes ago to see a swoop of ads for EMS pilots. 15-16 openings by one operator alone. Several other EMS operators are advertising for pilots as well, some with multiple openings listed.
Offshore companies in the Gulf of Mexico are advertising.....at least six different operators and some of them with multiple openings.
ENG outfits also are advertising for multiple locations.
Utility companies are advertising for pilots and also Summer Fire Fighting openings are starting to be advertised.....along with the annual quest for Alaska Summer Season pilots.
There have been some Corporate jobs advertised of late along with some cushy yacht jobs.
CFI jobs continue to be advertised for the neophytes.
My analysis...is simple.....there is a shortage of experienced pilots.
The questions that come to mind are simple too.....most importantly....are wages going up? Are working conditions going to improve as a result? Are we going to see more competition amongst the operators to attract and retain pilots? Do the operators grasp the changing market conditions for pilots at all? Will the Gulf of Mexico operators have to do like their counterparts in Australia and begin to do "tour" pilots and provide air travel for commuters? To what degree will the increasing shortage of experienced pilots affect the way business is being done and has been done for all these years when Pilots were in surplus to needs?
Is there a manpower crisis coming in the helicopter business?
What can be done to recruit and retain good experienced pilots that is not being done now?
What say you?
Offshore companies in the Gulf of Mexico are advertising.....at least six different operators and some of them with multiple openings.
ENG outfits also are advertising for multiple locations.
Utility companies are advertising for pilots and also Summer Fire Fighting openings are starting to be advertised.....along with the annual quest for Alaska Summer Season pilots.
There have been some Corporate jobs advertised of late along with some cushy yacht jobs.
CFI jobs continue to be advertised for the neophytes.
My analysis...is simple.....there is a shortage of experienced pilots.
The questions that come to mind are simple too.....most importantly....are wages going up? Are working conditions going to improve as a result? Are we going to see more competition amongst the operators to attract and retain pilots? Do the operators grasp the changing market conditions for pilots at all? Will the Gulf of Mexico operators have to do like their counterparts in Australia and begin to do "tour" pilots and provide air travel for commuters? To what degree will the increasing shortage of experienced pilots affect the way business is being done and has been done for all these years when Pilots were in surplus to needs?
Is there a manpower crisis coming in the helicopter business?
What can be done to recruit and retain good experienced pilots that is not being done now?
What say you?
The way I see it, the experienced workforce is not going out fishing for a job the way it used to be.
Offshore jobs with the major operators are now paying better than most EMS outfits, and with the few exceptions that wish for a move to a job location closer to the family (who can blame them), pilots with a certain seniority would lose a considerable amount of pay AND benefits.
EMS, the ever growing force in the USA, now employs close to 3,000 pilots (about 700 EMS locations) and this group is learning that a job closer to home is worth more than just a couple thousand dollars differential.
Also, the requirements for experienced pilots are really seldom accompanied by an adequate compensation offer.......
You do the math.
Offshore jobs with the major operators are now paying better than most EMS outfits, and with the few exceptions that wish for a move to a job location closer to the family (who can blame them), pilots with a certain seniority would lose a considerable amount of pay AND benefits.
EMS, the ever growing force in the USA, now employs close to 3,000 pilots (about 700 EMS locations) and this group is learning that a job closer to home is worth more than just a couple thousand dollars differential.
Also, the requirements for experienced pilots are really seldom accompanied by an adequate compensation offer.......
You do the math.
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There is little doubt that helicopter jobs are more and more available in the USA. I have noticed over the past year that minimum hour requirements are going down. I have lost two instructors in the past year to the Gulf of Mexico. The first one needed 2,000 hours, the second less than 1,000 a week or so ago. He is going to fly S76's and 212's and he has only flown a Bell 47 with a little B206 time.
I think it is a good time to be a commercial helo pilot.
Regards,
Chopperpilot 47
I think it is a good time to be a commercial helo pilot.
Regards,
Chopperpilot 47
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From my regular watching of all the helicopter job sites I would say companies are crying out for commercial pilots with experience not as high as it used to be. Of course this is all wonderful for those that are American or have green cards, but as usual for those of us that are experienced and dont have green cards all these companies would never even consider sponsoring foreigners for work permits, a pretty simple and easy enough process.
Hopefully some day these companies will wake up and realize that in order to fulfill demand they will have to sponsor people, but until then I will continue with my struggle. What I do find funny though, is that now you even have the US military trying to recruit foreign pilots with experience, which happened to me last week. But my senses tell me that even they cant get around the green card problems.
Hopefully some day these companies will wake up and realize that in order to fulfill demand they will have to sponsor people, but until then I will continue with my struggle. What I do find funny though, is that now you even have the US military trying to recruit foreign pilots with experience, which happened to me last week. But my senses tell me that even they cant get around the green card problems.
Thread Starter
It makes you wonder....sent an email to an outfit asking exactly where the advertised vacancy was....the outfit has several operations in that state.....no response...nada....zip....zero. Maybe I should have used their computerized application process to make that inquiry?
What does it take for a helicopter operator to learn that pilots are professional people....and the "human" touch works miracles?
The EMS operators want you to live within one hour's driving from the location but do not tell you where that location is exactly....but narrow it down to a single state. In my state...there is an operation within a mile of the house....next nearest is more than an hour away....the rest are all two-four hours away. Maybe my grasp of geography exceeds their HR department's or.....are they embarrassed to admit just how many pilots they are short in each state? 15 Ads.....two...three short in each state.....that is a lot of empty seats!
I just took a chance....called the number for the point of contact....as one would have guessed...got the robot saying go to the web site....but was given a chance to leave a message for the POC. I did....noted I lived one mile from one of their operations....any bets on whether I get either an e-mail or a return phone call? I shall not be holding my breath.....
What does it take for a helicopter operator to learn that pilots are professional people....and the "human" touch works miracles?
The EMS operators want you to live within one hour's driving from the location but do not tell you where that location is exactly....but narrow it down to a single state. In my state...there is an operation within a mile of the house....next nearest is more than an hour away....the rest are all two-four hours away. Maybe my grasp of geography exceeds their HR department's or.....are they embarrassed to admit just how many pilots they are short in each state? 15 Ads.....two...three short in each state.....that is a lot of empty seats!
I just took a chance....called the number for the point of contact....as one would have guessed...got the robot saying go to the web site....but was given a chance to leave a message for the POC. I did....noted I lived one mile from one of their operations....any bets on whether I get either an e-mail or a return phone call? I shall not be holding my breath.....
Last edited by SASless; 3rd Mar 2005 at 14:12.
Thread Starter
Absolutely ATPMBA.....we will all be riding bicycles to work.....which makes a long commute from central Texas to the coast! We sure will not be able to afford to buy the fuel to drive the car with.
Gatvol
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Sasless, you have been around long enough to know that the majority of the jobs DO NOT come via resume. Its getting your foot in the door and putting a face to the resume.
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I suspect the same thing is happening in the UK at the moment, haven't seen so many jobs advertised, even police jobs. The offshore industry is fairly bouyant with jobs being advertised for as well.
A change for the better perhaps.
A change for the better perhaps.
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The "green card lottery" what a fantastic thing that is. Win your own green card the ticket to a new and improved life.
Funny though how we british with our "special relationship" with the Americans can not enter. We can support you in conflicts and send our troops to fight and die alongside you but we can't come and live in your country.
Amazing though that if you come from Iraq or Afghanistan to name just two countries you can enter.
Opps there I go getting all old and grumpy again
Funny though how we british with our "special relationship" with the Americans can not enter. We can support you in conflicts and send our troops to fight and die alongside you but we can't come and live in your country.
Amazing though that if you come from Iraq or Afghanistan to name just two countries you can enter.
Opps there I go getting all old and grumpy again
Thread Starter
Banjo,
That saw cuts both ways....you know what it takes for me to get a work permit in the UK? Care to consider the hoops I have to jump through to get a UK license?
I agree some of the latest things like the finger prints and visa fees are outrageous....but consider the J-1 Visa we have....come as a student and work here....something I cannot do in the UK
Also...take a wander down by the military graveyards....you will see a lot of American enriching your soil. It would seem to me...if we are friends then we are friends in good times and bad.
This is not Jetblast thus I shall not belabor the point.
Heliport....we really do need a Rotorwash forum.....
That saw cuts both ways....you know what it takes for me to get a work permit in the UK? Care to consider the hoops I have to jump through to get a UK license?
I agree some of the latest things like the finger prints and visa fees are outrageous....but consider the J-1 Visa we have....come as a student and work here....something I cannot do in the UK
Also...take a wander down by the military graveyards....you will see a lot of American enriching your soil. It would seem to me...if we are friends then we are friends in good times and bad.
This is not Jetblast thus I shall not belabor the point.
Heliport....we really do need a Rotorwash forum.....
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SASless, couldn't agree more we should be kinder also to our American cousins......though God knows why any of you would want to come over here to what is fast becoming the only country in Europe to obey all the silly rules that get handed down to us from Brussels.
The lunatics have taken over the asylum.
The lunatics have taken over the asylum.
Also...take a wander down by the military graveyards....you will see a lot of American enriching your soil. It would seem to me...if we are friends then we are friends in good times and bad.
It's time to knock it off and there I'll end it as well.
Let's rather look at what other valid reasons an American would lack for working oversees away from a "compounded" lifestyle, can you name a few?
I can:
1) Cannot speak more than one language (you know the standing joke).
2) Attitude (somewhat like the one I am showing in this post).
But we really do not need to go abroad, for the number of opportunities that we have in the US are increasing and we can finally work to make this profession a honorable one in the domestic market.
And I believe that there aren't really many Brtish chaps looking forward to being paid in undervalued dollars.
