pilot shortage

A change needs to happen within the regional airlines, and it needs to happen soon. Before they know it, a majority of the regional carriers will not have enough pilots to safely dispatch their flights. The shortage is slowly getting worse and the decreasing numbers of pilots will also impact the potential of the major airlines as well. There has been speculation that the current pilot shortage within the regional airlines has been provoked by the extremely low pilot wages. Additionally, some believe it is from the increase of pilots retiring from the airlines. One could argue either way, but they both collaborate and are slowly creating issues for the regional carriers.

Digging deeper into the issue, majority of the pilot shortage comes from the lack of effort from the regional airlines to provide pilots with sufficient wages. The annual pay for a regional pilot is not what many believe it should be, “Regional carriers pay pilots an annual average of $27,350” (Olinga, 2016). With that being said, “Most airlines prefer or require a four-year degree on top of extensive flight training. Experts say its not unusual for someone to accumulate $150,000 in educational debt by the time they’re breaking into the business” (Linkhorn, 2015). It doesn’t seem fair that a person with a degree and who has paid over $100,000 is making a lower annual income than somebody on welfare, The issue that is extremely irritating is that “welfare pays more than the average pretax first-year wage for a teacher [in those states]. In 39 states, it pays more than the starting wage for a secretary. And, in the three most generous states a person on welfare can take home more money than an entry-level computer programmer” (Cronin, 2013). It is a professional job that requires thousands of hours of training, yet the regional pilots receive less money than the average welfare recipient. Not only do the pilots receive a terrible income, but they also deal with long work days, lack of sleep, and a poor living environment.

The low income of a regional pilot is definitely turning the attention away from the regional industry. This essentially backfires at the major airlines, because the regionals are used as a stepping stone job for pilots to get to the major airlines. If there aren’t enough pilots flying for the regionals, then how will the major airlines continue to keep their flights operating? It’s a vicious cycle that could potentially ruin the commercial industry if these companies do not figure something out. It is simple, “Fewer pilots are willing to commit hundreds of thousands of dollars into their training and education for a career with such a limited return on investment, in what has historically been a very unstable industry" (Olinga, 2016).

Flight training has since gone up in overall cost due to the recent Colgan Air crash that happened in February of 2009.  In response the Colgan Air accident, the FAA established a new regulation that pilots must have a minimum of 1500 hours and “the new hourly requirements made it more expensive to become a pilot in the first place” (Fitzpatrick, 2016). Instead of looking into the fatigue issues of the accident, the FAA issued stronger regulations. It’s a way of making the public feel better about flying with the airlines, but it has only had a negative impact on the airlines so far. This is one of the main reasons why the regionals are struggling to find new pilots, because it is taking student pilots twice as much time and money to even apply for a position. It is a debate in progress, but as “lawmaker’s debate new aviation rules, regional airlines have been trying to convince them it’s time to rethink the 1,500 hour requirement. But the idea will be a tough sell with passengers, many of whom are bound to feel safer with a more experienced pilot, regardless of what the academics say” (Fitzpatrick, 2016).  Essentially, the passengers think of total flight time rather than how the pilots are treated. It has been proven over time that regional pilots get minimum hours of sleep and experience fatigue on a daily basis. Rather than focusing on the public’s concern on flight hours, the attention should be towards the pilots actually flying the aircraft and helping them by providing a more reasonable working experience.

In addition to the issue of regional pilot life style, majority of pilots end up commuting; “Commuting is another major stressor. A huge portion of airline pilots, whether by choice or circumstances beyond their control, live somewhere other than their base“(Weigel, 2013). Commuting takes away from the 10 hour rest period that pilots are given, so take that into consideration when pilots fly multiple flights throughout the day. Since most pilots commute, they end up finding a crash pad and splitting the rent with multiple pilots, and these crash pads can be as small as one bedroom apartments. The lifestyle of a regional pilot is not something most people aspire to do, and that is why there is a lack of motivation towards the career.

Whether it is the rate of retiring pilots causing the shortage or the lifestyle and pay of regional pilots that is creating such a problem, something needs to be done. Some improvising that these companies should consider would be reimbursement of flight training or even providing the training for their future pilots. It is strongly encouraged that these regional carriers increase the pay or else they will not have the demand of pilots to fulfill their flight operations. The public will end up getting irritated for the lack of flights and the increase of flight cancellations, but they don’t understand the issue behind all of it. Something needs to happen soon or else these companies will all fall apart.

References: 

 Cronin, B. (2013, August 19). The Wall Street Journal. Work or Welfare: What Pays More? Retrieved from http://blogs.wsj.com/economics/2013/08/19/work-or-welfare-what-pays-more/

Fitzpatrick, A. (2016, March 23). Time. Here’s the Major Crisis the Airlines Are Facing Now. Retrieved from http://time.com/4257940/pilot-shortage/

Linkhorn, T. (2015, April 12). Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Airline Pilots Today: Less Glamour, but Returning Stability. Retrieved from http://www.post-gazette.com/business/2015/04/12/Airline-pilots-today-less-glamour-but-returning-to-stability/stories/201504120168

Olinga, L. (2015, March 7). Yahoo News. Pilot Shortage Hits US Regional Airlines. Retrieved from https://www.yahoo.com/news/pilot-shortage-hits-us-regional-airlines-042334238.html?ref=gs

Weigel, S. (2013, June 7). Flying. A Day in the Life of an RJ Pilot. Retrieved from http://www.flyingmag.com/pilots-places/pilots-adventures-more/day-life-rj-pilot

NTSB Most Wanted List

First off, I wouldn’t change the order that the NTSB has already established besides medical fitness. I agree that Cockpit Image Recorders should be number one on the list because it will provide more substantial evidence in accident investigations as well as help keep pilots in line while they fly. Preventing the loss of control in the cockpit should be second on the list because every pilot should know how to keep an aircraft under control, especially in a stall. Most GA accidents have occurred during take-offs and landings in which resulted in a stall, therefore, preventing loss of controls should be second in the rankings. Fatigue related accidents contribute nearly 20 percent out of the 182 major accident investigations and that is why it should be third on the most wanted list. Following fatigue related accidents, distractions in the cockpit is another main concern and there should be more attempts made to reduce distractions. For a while now, pilots have been using laptops, tablets and cellphones to surf the web while flying, and these distractions need to be eliminated. Medical fitness is last on the list because a concrete medical certification system is already in place. I do not think medical fitness should have made it on this list because it is something that already has a set in stone process, which has worked for decades. One topic that I think should have made it on the list would be the regulation of checklist procedures both in the cockpit and during the preflight check. By properly going through and verbally announcing the checklist, the chances of missing an item are substantially lowered. Personally, I think the FAA will most likely respond to cockpit image recorders solely due to the purpose of catching pilot errors. If reports are submitted, the FAA will have a resource to look at for the investigation.

Reference:

Bellamy, W., III. (2016, January 14). NTSB's 5 Most Wanted Aviation Safety Improvements in 2016. Avionics Magazine. Retrieved from http://www.aviationtoday.com/av/commercial/NTSBs-5-Most-Wanted-Aviation-Safety-Improvements-in-2016_86948.html#.VwxPyHqM6JW

Aviation Organizations

Two organizations that I intend on belonging to later on down the road are the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) and the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA).  The mission of the AOPA is to protect pilot’s rights to fly and they do so by “educating pilots, non-pilots, and policy makers alike, supporting activities that ensures the long-term health of General Aviation, fighting to keep General Aviation accessible to all, and securing sufficient resources to ensure our success” (AOPA, n.d.). The AOPA is a huge supporter for general aviation pilots, and they are an organization that helps keep the general aviation pilots involved with their passion of flying.  The AOPA delivers various values to its members which include teamwork, initiative, service, integrity, and excellence. They play a huge role in providing a common goal for all pilots to strive for excellence and safety.

   

Another organization worthy of joining, since I am looking at flying for the airlines in the near future, would be the ALPA. The ALPA supports over 52,000 pilots and over 30 airline companies. This is a great organization to get involved with because they actively support and provide quality guidance to their members. The mission of the Air Line Pilots Association is to promote all aspects of aviation safety throughout all of the segments of the aviation industry as well as represent the interest of all airline pilots. In their mission statement they state that “ALPA represents pilots’ views to decision-makers, including Congress and federal agencies, and ALPA pilot groups have negotiated hundreds of contracts with airlines” (ALPA, n.d.). It is great to see an organization that works hard to represent a group of pilots and provide assistance in negotiating specific aviation related movements.

The AOPA and ALPA are two organizations that I am very interested in joining once I am engaged into my aviation career. They will both benefit me substantially, along with all of the other pilots associated with them. The biggest selling point is that both of these organizations cooperate with the congress to levy issues in the aviation industry and strive to provide positive outcomes and better regulations for pilot safety. These organizations look out for the pilots best interest, and they both work to help all pilots achieve the same common goal. As a professional, I want to be a part of an organization that will help me further advance in my abilities to conduct my flights in a safe manner. Both the AOPA and ALPA strive to help pilots maintain a professional attitude and give guidance to pilots seeking further development of their skills.

References:

ADVANCING AVIATION SAFETY AND SECURITY SINCE 1931. (n.d.). Retrieved April 02, 2016, from http://www.alpa.org/en/about-alpa/what-we-do

Mission and History of AOPA. (n.d.). Retrieved April 02, 2016, from http://www.aopa.org/About-AOPA/Governance/Mission-and-History-of-AOPA

Chinese Competitor

After reading through an article from Aviation Week, I have speculations that the Chinese C919 will most likely not make its way over to the United States.  I do not see the need for the FAA to issue a certification to these foreign aircraft. As it is right now, “the Chinese market is big, so sales of perhaps 1,000 units remain plausible, in the opinion of program officials” (Perrett, 2013).  China has a larger population than the United States, and its almost double the size of our landmass. The C919 will do just fine operating solely in China because it is such a large country. 

In the case that the Chinese C919 does receive a certification by the FAA, the main challenge for the U.S. carries would be the price difference of the aircraft. Since China is capable of producing goods at such a cheaper rate than the United States, the C919 would be a much cheaper aircraft to purchase and utilize. At the same time though, the aircraft that the U.S. carries have been using have an established durability throughout many years of use. With a proven reliability, I see it very difficult for the U.S. carriers to veer away from the Boeing or Airbus aircraft.  As far as public perception goes, think of how heated things got when the U.S. automotive companies moved their factories out of the country. It would have the same affect if the U.S. carriers were purchasing Chinese aircraft.

COMAC is a “a state-owned limited liability company, which is formed with the approval of the State Council and jointly invested by State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission (SASAC) of the State Council, Shanghai Guo Sheng (Group) Co., Ltd., Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC), Aluminum Corporation of China Limited (CHALCO), Baosteel Group Corporation, and Sinochem Corporation” (COMAC, n.d.). Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (COMAC) “functions as the main vehicle in implementing large passenger aircraft programs in China” (COMAC, n.d.). Other than the C919, another aircraft is the ARJ 21. The ARJ21 is an advanced regional jet, which has 90 seats and has a standard range of roughly 2,225 km.  This is a smaller jet solely used for shorter routes from hub airports to other hub airports.

If the C919 were to receive a certification by the FAA, it would not stand a chance in the U.S. market with the well-known names of Airbus and Boeing. These companies have an established tracking record along with years of great service to the airlines. What would cause the U.S. carriers to veer away from the aircraft that they have used for so long? Therefore, I definitely do not see COMAC being any threat to either any of the U.S. airlines nor any airlines over in Europe.  The C919 would be great for China and solely for domestic flights, but the U.S. carriers don’t have a need for it.

Not much has been said from either Airbus or Boeing about the C919 because quite honestly they probably aren’t even worried about it. While COMAC is trying to produce an aircraft that will compete with the A320 or the 737; both Airbus and Boeing already have designs in place for more advanced aircraft.  Although the C919 will be brand new, it will not compete with whatever Boeing or Airbus release next.

References:

Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China, Ltd. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://english.comac.cc/

Perrett, B. (2013, December 16). C919 May Be Largely Limited To Chinese Market. Retrieved from http://aviationweek.com/awin/c919-may-be-largely-limited-chinese-market

Professionalism in the Regional Carriers

It has been obvious that the regional airlines have been struggling with the current pilot shortage. Recently they have been canceling flights due to this issue, and it is affecting the major airlines. There are two arguments though, is it the low income that is causing this shortage, or is it based upon the projected retirements and current number of new pilots trying to enter the industry? In an article posted on Yahoo news, it was stated that “Regional carriers pay pilots an annual average of $27,350, according to Paul Ryder, ALPA Resource Coordinator. That compares with an annual salary of $103,390 at large airlines, according to US Labor Department data” (Olinga, 2016). That is the average income for regional pilots, most make less than the average of $27,350. It makes sense why many pilots would avoid flying domestic, because the amount of money that is spent to get through all of the training exceeds $100,000- $200,000 (Olinga, 2016). Since the cost to get all the certifications in order to even fly domestically is so outrageous, it is deterring pilots away from the low salary jobs with the regional airlines. The amount of projected retirements is rapidly growing, and the current number of projected pilots has diminished. One of the main reasons why there is a lack of interest is solely due to the cost of training. It is stated perfectly that "Fewer pilots are willing to commit hundreds of thousands of dollars into their training and education for a career with such a limited return on investment, in what has historically been a very unstable industry” (Olinga, 2016). They are both stable arguments, and personally, I think they both play a roll in the current shortage. With the rate or projected retirements, and the increase of required hours to 1,500; many pilots are veering away from the domestic flights because of both training expenses and the lack of income with the regional airlines. I don’t think that it could be a one sided argument because they both coincide with each other.

The regional airlines should be concerned with the hiring pool, because there is a lack of interest due to the extremely high training costs to become a pilot. On top of the high rates of training, due to the Colgan air accident, the number of required hours was bumped up to 1,500. If the regionals want to stand a chance and increase their hiring pool, they must consider implementing a few things. For one, they should consider increasing the starting salary for Fist Officers, so pilots can pay of their substantial debt from flight school. Secondly, they could implement their own flight school where they hire pilots who have obtained their commercial certificate, and pay for the rest of their training. Another out of the ball park idea would be considering the implementation of monthly stipends like the military. Monthly stipends would consist of a base pay, depending on the location they of  living, which would help pay for part of their living expenses. Essentially the stipend would allow pilots pay off their school loans without the stress of paying off living expenses on top of their debt.  

Although ALPA represents most of the regional pilots, there is one organization that stands for the regional industry and management. That would be the Regional Airline Association (RAA), and their main goal is to “support network connecting regional airlines, industry business partners, and government regulators in bolstering the industry; as well as promoting regional airline interests in a changing business and policy environment” (RAA). 

In a working environment, especially in the world of aviation, professionalism is a characteristic that everyone should strive to demonstrate. Professionalism is simply accomplishing your tasks in a timely manner to standards well above the minimums, along with keeping yourself disciplined and having the right attitude towards your profession. After watching the documentary “Flying Cheap”, I noticed a few instances where employees and management were lacking professionalism. One of them was the management of Colgan, because they were treating their employees as if they didn’t have any value to the company. Not only that, but the FAA knew about some inside incidences that had happened at Colgan Air, but they blew it off because they had a “good relation” with the CEO of Colgan. Another example would be the one captain who had altered the weight and balance on one of the flights so they could take off. Even though they were over-weight, the captain lacked professionalism and put everyone’s life at risk. One thing to consider about the lack of professionalism that could be demonstrated by regional pilots is lack of pay, along with terrible working hours. Most regional pilots work long days with little rest in-between and on top of that, they barely make ends meet. If an employee is not getting paid enough for their skillset, then what motivation would they have to provide their best abilities to help the company strive? I definitely think first year pilot pay is a huge contributing factor to lack of professionalism that was seen in the “Flying Cheap” documentary.

From my own experiences, the best way to maintain professionalism is to find a job that you love doing, and something you can look forward to every day. On top of that, always strive to make self improvements because nothing is ever going to be perfect, especially in the world of aviation. By going above and beyond the minimum requirements, and taking pride in what you do, you will maintain professionalism.

References:

Olinga, L. (2016, March 7). Pilot shortage hits US regional airlines. Yahoo News. Retrieved from http://news.yahoo.com/pilot-shortage-hits-us-regional-airlines-042334238.html

RAA. (2016, February 26). Regional Airline Association Statement on Republic Airways            Bankruptcy - Regional Airline Association. Retrieved from http://www.raa.org/news/277230