" The Pilot Shortage..the Pilot Shortage Is Coming

[Canrotor]

How about this to get this site going............

 

 

Hello All,

 

Once again,i just read another article about the upcoming helicopter pilot shortage and the lack of "experienced" helo pilots.

 

All the low time pilots on this site have received excellent info from the regulars here about how to get that first job.....

-right place,right time

-determination

-good attitude,good attitude,good attitude

 

So what about the employers..?? If this said " pilot shortage " is in fact around the corner,what should employers be doing to get these 100 hour helicopter pilots to the "EXPERIENCED " level....???

 

Should employers lobby for lower insurance minimums to get the new pilot started...??

Should employers take the risk,bring on the new pilot,and train them to the required level...hoping this pilot will stay with the company for several years to come...??

Should all the helo flight schools be training to a higher standard or "total " number of hours required to get the commercial lic...??

Maybe helicopter companys don't feel they have to do anything..!!! Maybe even if they think a pilot shortage is around the corner there are "SO MANY " 100 hour newbies' knocking on their doors they can just sit back and be very picky on who and how fast they need to hire.....??!!

 

Other wanna be helicopter pilots must be reading these articles because i am still amazed at the number of people putting down the $40-70 grand to get the commercial helo lic training....most schools have a waiting list...!!!!!!

 

I hope the "SHORTAGE" is coming or there are going to be alot of 100 hour pilots with a huge debt load...!!!

 

COMMENTS....COMMENTS...!!!!????

 

Happy New Year to all........... :up:

 

 

Canrotor

[rainman]

I don't know about other companys out there but ours just laid off some experienced people both VFR and IFR??

 

Pilot overload seems more fitting.

 

Maybe the economy will somehow turn or more fire action will save us again??

[deuce bigalow]

If you do the math and figure the number of guys in the biz over 50 that are going to pull the pin in the next few years, then yes there does seem to be a problem for the companys. A problem of their own making for the most part, although there was help from the insurance companys and the customers. IMHO this is a great time to be getting into helo aviation ( if you don't count the unbelievable increase in paperwork over the past few years). And the really great news is that the old farts that manage to stay airworthy will be commanding the "REALLY BIG BUCKS" finally after all these years. Or maybe we'll just roll over like we always do and do it for the glory. I am really looking forward to the day when the big companys have to turn down work because they don't have the crews. What comes around really does go around. Happy New Year to all and have a safe 2004.

[Outwest]

Hey Deuce, you have been commanding the big bucks for years, it's just that no one is listening to your commands! By the way, I thought you were headed for warmer climes MF. Cheers

[widgeon]

The shortage will not only be pilots but AME's and other support people . When I look around the shop where I work the number of grey haired people with over 20 years experience are probably 10 times the number of guys with less than 2 years. Many of them will be retiring in the next 5 years it seems very few companies are taking the necessary steps to ensure continuity. I am sure the same probably applies in the fixed wing world.

[Charles W.]

What is even more frightening is combining the loss of the old school people with practical experience with the mess that trying to comply with the random different interpertation and enforcement of CAR's by some of the new breed in TC and we have the recipe for disaster.

 

God help us. :up:

 

Allah help us. :up:

 

Buddah help us. :up:

 

Someone help us. :up:

 

Dr. Chas W.

[highbladedown]

I agree with ”Widgeon’s” observation relating to AME’s, there is as much a shortage of experienced AME’s and in some cases more so. As far as the “new breed” within TC, well there is not as much as you think. Transport has had a hiring freeze for the last three months now and will continue down that route for sometime to come, and that’s a fact. TC personal are just as fed up as some of the aviation types are. A great deal of TC personnel are expected to do more with a great deal less, be prepared there are a couple thousand CAR’s amendments in the works so if you don’t want to end up in TC site for corporate offenders and non-corporate offenders one best brush up on the “interpretation” skills from a Flt ops and AMO perspective. I’m one of those guys with 30 years of experience and I have spoke with many pilots and Engineers that have decided to pull the plug because they are fed up with the way the commerical industry is going.

[highbladedown]

Just to give you an idea of proposed amendments........try looking in here.

 

Status of Notice of Proposed Amendments - Transport Canada Civil Aviation

 

http://www.tc.gc.ca/CivilAviation/Regserv/...Status/menu.htm

[Charles W.]

Yes, highbladedown:

 

Some are fed up, their problems of course is they can't kick their real problem, some of their managers, out the door. Hint, Hint , start in Tower C. :up: :up:

 

I am presently involved in a legal wrestling match with TC and some of my supporters in TC are more fed up than I am......

 

I can just avoid contact with the regulator here in Canada by not being involved in any activities that they can moniter.

 

My friends in TC on the other hand have to consider all the years of pensionable work they have in the bank versus their retirement date. So these poor bast..rds are really between a rock and a hard place.

 

But we havent seen anything yet, just wait and enjoy what you have coming down the road as TC moves further into the police state mentality.

 

I was never a very religious animal, but I almost get on my knees before going to bed at night with gratitude to whomever runs the universe that I am able to get the **** out of commercial aviation before the inmates are truly running the asylum.

 

I do however plan on staying involved on the side lines helping people like Blackmac keep some semblance of sanity in the industry....maybe , hopefully. :up:

 

Dr. Chas W.

[highbladedown]

I know what's coming down the road, the last 7 years I have been knee deep in regulatory and manufacturer issues, aviation law and trying to protect a few companies’ butts from being fried. Not to mention trying to make pilots and engineers more aware of exactly what to expect and how to prepare and protect themselves as well as the organization, sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't. Some organizations would just assume risk paying a fine then lose a revenue hour and to push their people to limit, been there, done that, as I’m sure a large number of us have. The observation I have made over the last 7 or so years is that if companies and individuals are trying to do their best to remain within the regulatory structure then Transport is seen as less hindrance (just an observation), we are not all perfect and it's not a perfect world. Although as we all know Transport philosophies seem to vary region to region based on the individual’s mindset.