US HAA pilot shortage
 

Fox News and local 109 letter ref pilot shortage

Members,

FOX News ran a national level story on the Pilot shortages in the Air Medical industry featuring Air Methods. We wanted to THANK Fox News (and Air Methods) for bringing national level exposure and attention to the fact that WE are grossly UNDERPAID as Air Medical Pilots considering the level of risk and responsibility that we have. There is a great deal of irony in the fact the Company who signs our paychecks is openly admitting that we are UNDERPAID, and that this is a major contributing factor to the Pilot shortage. A simple solution to this, now nationally broadcasted and openly admitted to problem, is to increase wages.

Over the term of our current contract annual raises were 3.25% and we are approaching the one-year mark without a contracted raise. If AMC and Fox News state that PAY is a major factor contributing to the shortage and is one of the reasons why the airlines are faring better through this, then WHY would AMC propose the same wage increase of 3.25% with NO BACK PAY, when it is apparent that it is not enough to change trajectory.

We understand that the NSA and reimbursements impact the company’s finances and the company has little control over this. However, the Company has total control over other ways to save money and adjust their margins to increase wages such as eliminating extremely top heavy and unnecessary tiers of management, excessive levels of executive leadership, pilot attrition and new hire costs, investing in non-revenue generating or unnecessary programs and equipment, etc. Sometimes it seems that it’s not that the company doesn’t actually ‘have the money,’ it seems more that its ‘how they choose’ to spend it that is contributing to our low wages.

For instance, recruitment versus retention. The Company currently has sign on bonuses for up to $50,000 and is paying for experience upwards of $12,000 above the current contracted rate. These high costs and benefits are ONLY for new hires and current employees are NOT eligible. Why? The airlines have remained highly competitive and kept their ranks filled because they learned years ago that there is no better investment than to invest in the Pilots and to their longevity. The current Company strategy seems to be recruitment over retention and that will only contribute to the pilot shortage in our company when the competitors are continuing to offer more. Not to mention, that it is not only a shortage of Pilots in general that is of concern, but the real danger and fear is the critical shortage of EXPERIENCED Pilots that we are already starting to see.

We are in contact with Fox News and other national news outlets to discuss what other factors are really playing into the Air Methods Pilot shortage and what ways we can work together to prevent, or at least slow this from adversely impacting our customers and more importantly our patients and communities that we serve.

Our hope is that we are able to get our voices heard on a national level platform to contribute to the conversation that AMC has started. We also hope that by time that happens AMC comes back with something truly "industry leading" and above the 3.25% with NO BACK PAY they have now proposed in two separate sessions.

The Union will continue to work with the Company in the best interest of those that we serve and all that we ask in return is a contract that is reflective of the level of RESPECT and VALUE that our company has for us.

The link to the video is attached below.

https://www.foxnews.com/video/6330791349112

pan>Thank you for your continued support and professionalism.

SAFETY-RESPECT-VALUE</span>

Executive Board
OPEIU, Local No. 109

Fox "news" huh? Lol Maybe they should try a more reputable program, like, oh, I don't know,...Seseme Street? :}

Anyway, they want at least 1,500 hours just to be a maintenance ferry pilot, so they're not making it easy for a guy to even get in at a lower level and work his way up.

Frankly though, I really have no interest in being a HAAP, but I do have a few hundred night hours I'd be willing to sell to someone who actually does,...given that a lack of night hours seems to be a barrier for many.:ugh:

AMC did have a program to move tour pilots from Vegas into HAA. Not sure if it is still in place.

Pros/Cons for HAA, I miss some of it (2004-2018)

I remember a pilot with 1500 plus night hours from Southern Cali quit during training in MN because it was too dark

Lol, yeah in my experience HAAP's don't consider it "real" night unless its so dark, you can't tell which way is up. :sad:

That was when they boughtt Sundance Helicopters and then promptly shut it down a year or so later.....

Supply and demand.

A. When there is a shortage of jobs, pilots get screwed.
B. When there is a shortage of pilots, some employers think “Rule A” still applies. Others offer pay and conditions which attract and retain suitably qualified and experienced pilots.

I think the comparison between Fox News and Sesame Street is a little unfair, towards Sesame Street.

Now there's a genius....dissing a national news outlet t.that was assisting in improving the pay of helicopter pilots.

I would think you would be applauding that help that was affording fellow helicopter pilots by exposing the situation on the national airways and internet.

Perhaps you might just sit on the Curbside and watch the parade go by.


Robbiee,

Ferry flights can be done at night and IFR.....that might have an influence upon that requirement along with Insurance Provider requirements and other factors.

Yes....it gets darned dark in a lot of the country away from the big cities and suburbs where there is no shortage of surface lighting.

If you want to know what the Blue's did yesterday that's got the Red's all cheesed up today, you watch Fox "news". If you want to bring light to an injustice? Well,... I'd rather hear it from Cookie Monster.

As for ferry flights in between the cities at night? Been there, done that, no thanks. So if that's when HAA operators like to do it, then I withdraw my indignation and/or application, lol.

Massive shortage ?, The airlines suck overseas pilots up from Australia using a E3 visa, NON of the helicopter operators in the USA , will even consider using this Visa .

Hmm, in what way were they doing that? - I saw no 'assistance' just a short video piece with little real information.

Silly me, I forgot which channel it was on.........I'll wait for Big Bird's in-depth analysis instead

Yep, applied for some jobs in the GOM and Vegas (jobs that were online for months at that point with Bristow & PHI, Maverick, Papillon), not even a response. 3000 hours, FAA CPL IR, CFI & CFII, 1200 Turbine in 350s, 500, 407, 206. Was even willing to sign a bonding agreement for cost of immigration lawyer etc. Nothing, nada. The shortage can't be that bad in my opinion....:rolleyes:

Yeah, you might hurt the feelings of Fox News and then they won't want to help us anymore.

I have heard of pilots that struggled in training offered a job with Blue Hawaiian. I would imagine they could reapply at AMC at some point.

I flew in Northern Minnesota and it is basically IFR when flying at night. No horizon, no lights, no celestial illumination, no nothing. Just blackness.

I do not know of any pilot in the US who has been sponsored by an employer, it is almost impossible in aviation from what I have heard.

Yes, everyone wants pilots but no-one wants to pay for their training - great business model.

I know a few but all had a personal contact within the company. The companies were family run and it was all on a personal level, also they had to sign some sort of agreement to stick around for some years in exchange for the cost to get the visa.

Anyway, from what I've heard there's several hundred positions vacant in HEMS allone, plus GOM, plus tourism, plus utility. If the company can prove it can't get americans to do the job (which should be easy by now, considering for how long they've been advertising) why would it be so difficult to get a foreigner with an FAA licence? Otherwise, where are these pilots supposed to be coming from?:rolleyes:

Because "pilots" are not on the approved list. I garuntee the people you mention are here because of some "other" skill that the company was able to fabricate.

Pool of low hours pilots that is already here?
Once pilot shortage really starts to bite, companies will either start paying to train pilots to levels required or will push against insurance companies and their requirements.
Short term solution is to raise salaries/packages, but even that pool wil eventually dry up.

It's pretty simple really. Why is there such a shortage ? I hated every minute of HAA and many folk do too. That's why they can't find pilots. There's not enough money in the world to make me go back to that again. Those UK based jobs that I see get posted up on here are a far better deal than what most US EMS pilots are getting. Spending $100k+ to train yourself up to end up doing that for a career...I'd consider that a tragedy.

HEMS has been smothering the jobs boards for at least twenty years. At this point I no longer believe they really need anyone as badly as they want us to think.

,...and as long as you still need 1,000 hours to fly tourists in a straight line for five minutes over Vegas, the pilot shortage will be nothing more than a marketing hook created by flight schools to drum up more students.