The aviation industry is at a critical time due to the fact that there is a lack of commercial pilots these days. Some talk about the fact that there are plenty of pilots but due to the low pay at the regional airlines and even domestic majors. Others say the problem lies with the fact that there are not enough incoming pilots to replace the older retiring pilots. Honestly, I don't think there is a difference in these arguments. In my opinion, it doesn't matter what the reason is. There is a shortage of pilots and this problem needs to be fixed. Both of the problems posed are real and there needs to be a fix to both of them. Overseas companies such as ones in China are offering much more money than domestic companies. This needs to be rectified and with the ever expanding nature of the industry, I believe companies can increase the salaries that they offer. The other issue is the fact that with the low wages that are offered to new pilots, as well as the mass of hours (1500) that a new pilot must build, the aviation industry does not look as appealing to the younger generations as it used to. The initial cost of getting the needed pilot certificates will cost around $64,500 with the cost of tuition for the university as well as the room and board costing in the neighborhood of another $105,000 at the University of North Dakota, the largest public aviation program in the U.S. (Schlangenstein/Sasso 2016).
The way the current system was set up was supposed to make pilots gain more experience before being able to work as a first officer for the airlines. This I think was meant with good intentions but that the same it is hurting the industry. Not everyone wants to be an instructor after they become a commercial pilot, and a lot of people are not meant to be instructors. This leaves little options for someone to build enough hours to make it to the airlines. In addition to the 1500 hour requirement reducing the selection pool, it is also making it easy for the people who do have the hours to get hired. This means that more opportunities will be afforded to those who have the hours but would not be hired otherwise. In essence, if you have the hours required and you can fog a mirror the airlines will hire you. This is going to lead to lower quality airline pilots over time. Additionally what will affect the regional airlines is the "pool" of pilots that they have with over 1,000 hours of turbine time that the major airlines are pulling from (Croft, 2015). This is going to keep the regional airlines at a lack of proper experience.
There is a great number of professional organizations that represent aviation professionals. Much like ALPA represents airline pilots, Air Traffic Control Association (ATCA) represents air traffic controllers, American Association of Airport Executives (AAAE) is the largest organization representing airport executives/managers. The list is large and covers everything from mechanics to executives, women and other minorities in the aviation industry.
Switching gears now to the topic of professionalism and what ultimately led to the crash of Colgan flight 3407. Professionalism to me is as simple as being able to conduct yourself properly in a professional atmosphere. What I believe to be the ultimate reason to bring down Colgan flight 3407 was a lack of professionalism. Professionalism, or lack there of in this case, includes the ignorance of management. During the video, flying cheap, there was an interview with an airline executive who was under the impression that pilots who make under $20,000 dollars can live no problem with having to pay for a mortgage as well as pay for a crash pad and the rest of the expenses that come with adult life. This ignorance is where the problem began with the awful quality of life for young line pilots of the time. This led to pilots not being able to afford to live near their domiciles and having to endure long commutes. This problem is what led to the crash of Colgan Air flight 3407, in combination with the pilots' lack of professionalism by confessing that they were tired and the female pilot was sick. Had they come clean with the fact that they were unfit to fly the accident might not have happened. I have learned a lot over the years about professionalism from my time in the Marine Corps, as well as my time at the university here. I intend to continue to display the level of professionalism that I have grown to know over the years. I will continue to try to set the example for others to emulate as well as following the lead of senior pilots that I work with as well as other senior people at whatever company I work for.
Shrinking Pool of Future Pilots Keeps Major Airlines on Edge. (n.d.). Retrieved September 29, 2016, from http://bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-06-29/shrinking-pool-of-future-pilots-keeps-major-airlines-on-edge
Croft, J. (n.d.). U.S. Carriers Face Shrinking Pool Of Pilots. Retrieved September 29, 2016, from http://aviationweek.com/commercial-aviation/us-carriers-face-shrinking-pool-pilots
You made an excellent point with your comments about the lack of professionalism on both sides of the table in regards to the Colgan accident. I found the comment by the gentleman on the documentary to be ignorant and unprofessional. It's a little ridiculous to say that everyone can exist on $20,000 a year while maintaining a household and a crashpad as well as paying back student loans, all while having to commute across the country. I'd enjoy finding someone to tell me that an individual could maintain any quality of life in a base like New York let's say, on $20k/year.
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