Why Is the Pilot Shortage Even a Myth?

[pilot#476398]

I don't believe there's a shortage, but if there was, I suppose...

 

High-time employers want experience that a lot of pilots don't have. You can't get experience without a job, and you can't get a job without experience. That's the problem on the high side.

 

On the entry-level side, its simple,...there are just too many people trying to get through a very small door!

 

The solution?

 

I guess we need to find a way for mid-level pilots to get the experience these high-time employers want?,...then everyone can start moving up the ladder!

 

If a shortage really did exist?

[Fred0311]

Will do nightstalker.

[zippiesdrainage]

If the need becomes bad enough high time jobs will lower their hour requirements and make it accessable for mid time pilots. When the mid-timers go to those high time positions the mid time jobs will lower their hours and so on and so on. Employers can't afford to have an opening for too long and rather than overwork their pilots or lose money they'll lower their requirements and it'll work itself out. I don't know if it'll ever get as good as it once was when places like Rotorcraft Leasing were hiring at 500 hours total time, but it'll come back in some way or another.

[lelebebbel]

If the need becomes bad enough high time jobs will lower their hour requirements and make it accessable for mid time pilots. When the mid-timers go to those high time positions the mid time jobs will lower their hours and so on and so on.

 

There lies part of the problem. 15 years ago they could have done that maybe, nowadays it'll be very hard for anyone to convince a customer that they need to lower the hour requirements on a contract. Everything is dictated by Health and Safety management these days, and anything that sounds like it could be potentially "less safe" is unacceptable. They'd rather pay more.

 

 

Edit: I'll add a story from my part of the world to illustrate what's I mean.

 

A few months ago, a Jetbox hit powerlines during a low level weed-survey over the jungle not far from here. On board was a very experienced pilot and 2 or 3 crew from some environmental department. No one was killed, but there were some injuries.

They env. department immediately hired a consultant to make recommendations to improve safety for their workers. Get this: Following his recommendations, amongst other things, the department can now no longer charter piston engine aircraft for any of their helicopter work. That's right, a jetranger hits powerlines, and as a result of that, R44s are deemed not safe enough. Figure that out.

Point is, they'd rather pay twice as much per hour than take any hint of risk.

Edited August 24, 2012 by lelebebbel

[adam32]

The biggest factor that hasn't been mentioned yet is...INSURANCE! I'm sure PHI, Air Log, etc. would LOVE to hire a bunch of 1000hr guys to fly taxi's for them, but they would pay MUCH MUCH more in insurance and it wouldn't be cost effective at all. I'm sure they have a decent rate right now, probably 5% of hull, so lets say they have an EC135 with a premium of $250,000/yr, if it goes up even 3% with a lower time guy they are paying $150,000/yr MORE!

 

Get a handle on insurance costs and those jobs will become readily available to lower time guys...my opinion anyway.

[Pohi]

The idea of a "shortage" still comes down to one thing in my mind.... underpaid.

If a company wants 3000+ or 5000+ with 500 in type etc.. those jobs should be paying 100K+, even 150+. This industry needs to make a change and it starts with the mentality of the newcomers..

 

That's nice in theory, but if a company is cutting costs trying to keep making a profit (like higher insurance requirements) they probably don't have enough money to pay their pilots twice as much and make it worth their while.

[Flying Pig]

What???? You mean companies exist to make a profit?

 

It is interesting when I hear people say that helo pilots should make 6 figures in a particular industry. Like that just happens. If I, as an operator double the pay to my pilots, that means I am charging my customers more. So the question is, what company is willing to pay DOUBLE to use helicopters? It has nothing to do with the owner operators. More to the point, what end user company has the ability to do that. Reminds me of those grocery store chains whos employees strike because they want higher wages and benefits. Store concedes, employees get their pay raise. Prices in the store go up, people start shopping somewhere else, store closes, employees no longer have jobs.

 

If you want to do this job, or any other job. You adjust your standard of living to suit your career choice. There are people in this industry who make $100K+. But its never going to be the standard. Lets face it, $100K a year ia a heck load of money. Just because you have 5000hrs doesnt mean the customer your serving can pay you $150K a year.

Edited August 24, 2012 by Flying Pig

[apiaguy]

This is a good example of the mentality that causes the depressed wages....And needs changed over time... Why do people that make 100,200,300k a year think they deserve it?..who is paying that salary?...sure, maybe not every pilot can make 100....some business have smaller budgets.

 

A seminar I went to a few years back advised the following

Start charging double what you currently charge because you are worth it....even if you lose half your clients you still make the same and work half as much.

 

Why are so many pilots willing to just be the slave..why not the business owner?

 

We currently charge more than double what we did when I first started in this business...how many people have stopped using helicopters?

 

This is just my opinion...I know that some don't have the dream I do.

 

[Flying Pig]

The price of Jet A has probably quadrupled in that time frame too.

[Fred0311]

They can pay peanuts because people like me are willing to work for them. Supply and demand works for wages too not just prices.

[apiaguy]

Jet a was $2.12 at my airport when I started as a line guy there...so it has doubled....went down for a few years... Then climbed in around 03 and has never stopped

 

You could still rent an R22 for 99 an hour in the LA basin then...

 

Yes Fred, you are correct...that is why some make less... Some make more in life...of course not all you have to do is demand more...I'm just theorizing how an industry or profession can change to make themselves worth more.

Edited August 25, 2012 by apiaguy

[jimbo2181]

The big problem apia is for every one person there is that will charge more there are 10 that will charge less. People want to pay less so we get Walmart and the Chevy Cavalier. This is called capitalism. It's the world we live in.

 

As for pilots trying to change it for better wages just look at PHI and Air Methods. If the unions there can't get 1000 pilots to stop working until there is better pay you better bet the industry professionals as a whole will never get away with it.

[Flying Pig]

I remember when 100LL hit $3 a gallon. I was at French Valley Airport in Temecula, CA. People were pacing around swearing general aviation was dead. Guys were talking about dumping their Cessnas while they still could. The flight school CFIs were scared to death that their flying days had come to an end. I flew into the LA basin a couple weeks ago and paid over $7 a gallon and everyone seemed to be just truckin' along!

[apiaguy]

Ahh...French valley was where I did my demo flight with hiser helicopters in 1992... That started all this 4 me...my first time in a helicopter.

[Wally]

The big problem apia is for every one person there is that will charge more there are 10 that will charge less. People want to pay less so we get Walmart and the Chevy Cavalier. This is called capitalism. It's the world we live in.

 

As for pilots trying to change it for better wages just look at PHI and Air Methods. If the unions there can't get 1000 pilots to stop working until there is better pay you better bet the industry professionals as a whole will never get away with it.

 

One should also consider Air Log/Bristow in that equation.

Air Methods is doing just fine. Our Local has some issues, but this is a much better place to work, and that's additional to the compensation gains negotiated. Either would have made collective bargaining worthwhile.

With 13 years in the Gulf with PHI, pre-union, I will say that some bad management absolutely made the pilots organize. What's happened in the last 15 years points out what can go wrong with a good idea.

 

To the point, the much mooted pilot shortage. It is happening, it will become obvious if the industry maintains presence. It isn't abrupt, like opening a door. It will be a wide application of inescapable mathematics, an actuary or any good poker player would understand...

[zVo]

Something that wasn't brought up that I feel may eliminate some rotary-wing jobs is the development of UAS systems. In the fixed-wing world, a lot of aerial surveillance jobs are being replaced by UAS/UAVs. Even cargo, such as FedEx, are looking at slowly replacing their fleet over the next 10-20 years to unmanned aircraft.

 

I hope I'm wrong, but all-in-all the idea seems to be trending.

[pilot#476398]

To the point, the much mooted pilot shortage. It is happening, it will become obvious if the industry maintains presence. It isn't abrupt, like opening a door. It will be a wide application of inescapable mathematics, an actuary or any good poker player would understand...

 

High-time operators can cry "shortage" all the way to the unemployment office for all I care!

 

Something that wasn't brought up that I feel may eliminate some rotary-wing jobs is the development of UAS systems. In the fixed-wing world, a lot of aerial surveillance jobs are being replaced by UAS/UAVs. Even cargo, such as FedEx, are looking at slowly replacing their fleet over the next 10-20 years to unmanned aircraft.

 

I hope I'm wrong, but all-in-all the idea seems to be trending.

 

An interesting point, but it won't contribute to a pilot shortage. It will add to the surplus of unemployed pilots, though!

[Flying Pig]

So I think its safe to say there is no "pilot shortage" there is an "experience shortage".

[Spike]

In my opinion,

 

Helicopters generate money as a matter of convenience. This industry profits from supplying this convenience. Pilots have never been seen as a necessity for a company to profit based on this convenience. That is, if a customer needs a helicopter, a pilot is not the first element on the "need to get" list. The machine is first. Then we need an operator to operate (supply and manage) the machine. Eventually, we get to the pilot. It's folklore, TV, the movies and our own imagination that tell us we need the "best" pilot. However, in reality, it's the cheapest pilot is who gets the nod. Who is the cheapest pilot? He's the first one who says 'yes' to the job offer…….

 

There will never be a helicopter pilot shortage simply because an operator will refuse the business before it will pay a better wage to a pilot. Plus, customers will not pay more because they fully understand the "convenience" part of the equation.

 

[aeroscout]

So I think its safe to say there is no "pilot shortage" there is an "experience shortage".

 

Well said.

[Pohi]

Maybe there is no shortage of pilots, maybe it's a job surplus we are experiencing.

[pilot#476398]

Maybe there is no shortage of pilots, maybe it's a job surplus we are experiencing.

 

No, no, no! The real problem is that they're just building too many high-tech helicopters! If all the operators just switched to Robbies, they wouldn't need "experienced pilots" to lower their insurance premiums!

[Rupert]

The FAA has recently said that flying a helicopter involves a 20 year apprenticeship, and I agree.

 

That said, the new wave of helicopters will make that 20 year apprenticeship unnecessary.

 

Beginning with the A119 and AS350B3 we finally have single-engine helicopters with enough power to weight to undo a lot of mistakes on the part of the up and coming. And, with the EC145 and AW139 we finally have twin-engine helicopters with enough horsepower to make an engine-out a survivable situation for almost anyone, regardless of experience.

 

We also have a new wave of auto-pilots, again beginning with the EC145 and AW139 that make instant experts out of low time pilots. When I fly with younger low-time pilots in powerful, sophisticated machines, I note that they have no difficulty with managing the machine. However, the younger low-time pilots struggle with the older, less-powerful machines.

 

Presently, the customer writes the contract for antique (cheaper) machines flown by older pilots, and this will continue for the short run. Very soon we will see the contracts written for modern machines with enough power and with sophisticated autopilots, and as the older pilots fail their medicals, the younger pilots will step right in.

 

By the way, the current crop of military pilots coming into the civilian market lack competency in the older machines. You younger civilian-trained pilots just need to hang in there. If you could see what we pilots in our sixties had to go through for decades (crap machines and no pay), you would see that old and young we have a lot in common.

 

When Air Methods unionized, I fought it. I shouldn't have. My pay and benefits doubled as the result of the unions. In a lot of cases, unions cause more harm the good, but not in the case of helicopters.

 

Unionize and don't quit.

[nightsta1ker]

In a lot of cases, unions cause more harm the good, but not in the case of helicopters.

 

Unionize and don't quit.

 

Unions are good in situations where a company is making a large enough profit that it can afford to pay and treat it's employees better, but doesn't, our of sheer greed.

 

They are not good when a company is barely staying in the black and struggling to make ends meet and keep job sites open and the unions keep asking for more and more and more anyway. I have seen both ends of that spectrum. Make sure you educate yourself about the situation before you determine if a union will be good for your employees. If the union comes in and as a result the company has to lay half of the employees off, that's not a great deal for the employees is it? This recently happened at a job site I used to work at and now some of my friends are unemployed as a result. The ones that didn't get laid off will reap the benefits.

[Rupert]

When Air Methods unionized, everyone's pay went up. When a major non-union competitor took over Air Methods' local contract, I noted that our pay remained the same. The non-union operators have to compete with the union operators for pilots.