The Pilot Shortage Goes Mainstream

The Word About Future Pilot Opportunities Is Getting Out

A recent USA Today article highlights the fact that several airlines are considering how they can keep up with demand for pilots as industry prognosticators continue to warn that there is a severe pilot shortage. We have regularly reported on the fact that a confluence of factors affecting the aviation industry is making a bigger shortage of qualified pilots than the industry is already facing into a virtual certainty. Now, it looks as though the mainstream media is catching on, as many of the airlines go public with their concerns.

We told you last month about the fact that United Airlines is planning to recall about 600 pilots who had been furloughed due to economic factors, a sure sign that the air travel industry was enjoying a tremendous recovery from recent conditions. Now comes even more exciting news from American Airlines.

American Airlines is planning to merge with US Airways, which will make the new carrier the largest airline in the world. What that means for future pilots is incredible. The company plans to hire 1,500 new pilots over the course of the next five years.

However, this massive opportunity for pilots comes at an increasingly uncertain time because of the pilot shortfall. One aviation scholar projects that over the next 20 years the aviation industry in the United States is likely to come up at least 35,000 pilots short.

Mandatory retirement at 65 coupled with increased training demands, the need for longer rest breaks between flights and the increasing appeal of pilot opportunities in emerging aviation markets such as China are just a few of the reasons that the industry is coming up so short.

Upper Limit Aviation is doing its part to help meet industry demands by consistently seeking new ways to push the envelope when it comes to pilot training. Because we have partnered with colleges, our students can come away from our training with a college degree that will open a lot of doors to their future success.

Industry trends are placing a bigger and bigger emphasis on the importance of education. Students would be well advised to choose a school like Upper Limit Aviation, where they can pursue the tandem goals of a college degree and pilot certification simultaneously.

Increasingly, airlines are creating direct pathways to careers for young pilots. JetBlue's University Gateway Program as well as several other competing programs are helping pilots secure careers through mentoring and educational parternships. This is a signal that should let all pilots know that they need to make the most of their training, which is why attending a flight training program that can offer a college degree is becoming so crucial.

The aviation business rewards excellence, which is the principle that inspires our entire training program. We strive to create opportunities for pilots, but also to serve the betterment of our industry as a whole. We believe that providing better trained pilots, who receive a top notch education in a college degree program, and get a training program that teaches beyond the minimum requirements. If we've said it once, we've said it a thousand times, but any program that emphasizes only the minimum requirements is just taking part in a race to the bottom. In an industry that demands so much of its people as aviation does, a race to the bottom is a race with no winners.

A Win-Win Situation for Tomorrow's Commercial Pilots

The pilot shortage facing the US is a big concern for domestic and international carriers alike. But because some of the effect is being caused by a global pilot shortage, meaning there is increased demand from foreign carriers for US pilots, today's aviation student are positioned to reap rewards wherever they choose to concentrate their efforts.

One of the reasons that China has been such a draw for American pilots is the fact that they have been offering many experienced pilots a quicker route to Captain, while younger pilots and older pilots alike are seeing salary offers double that which US carriers have been able to offer.

Some industry experts are suggesting that the US will become much more competitive with the global marketplace in terms of pilot salaries in the years to come.

Pilots who decide to enroll in flight training today are looking at many robust career possibilities. The expansion of the industry, due to increased global demand and the proliferation of regional carriers and budget airlines means that there are more jobs than ever for pilots. That expansion is almost guaranteed to grow exponentially.

We've been telling you for a long time about this pilot shortage. Now the word is getting out. That means the time is now if you want to have access to all the prime opportunities that will be available to qualified pilots in the months and years to come.

To learn more about the opportunities available to tomorrow's pilots, call Upper Limit Aviation at 1-855-HELIEDU.