Youth & HP Pilots

[Jonnyd]

I'm flying a lot now on HP since I'm out here in Phoenix, and one huge thing I see is how much younger a lot of the HP pilots seem to be compared to pilots on the "East" side. I sware some of the FO's on the 319-320's I've been on and some of the mainline pilots around the airport look like they can't even be out of their late 20's. Is this true? Anyone know when HP last was hiring pilots?

 

[Nebucanezzar]

I'm flying a lot now on HP since I'm out here in Phoenix, and one huge thing I see is how much younger a lot of the HP pilots seem to be compared to pilots on the "East" side. I sware some of the FO's on the 319-320's I've been on and some of the mainline pilots around the airport look like they can't even be out of their late 20's. Is this true? Anyone know when HP last was hiring pilots?

Ummmmm...you might be flying on MESA

AmWest is a much younger workforce than the East. I don't know what the average age is but I do know that East is around 55 or so.

 

[smfav8r]

I'm flying a lot now on HP since I'm out here in Phoenix, and one huge thing I see is how much younger a lot of the HP pilots seem to be compared to pilots on the "East" side. I sware some of the FO's on the 319-320's I've been on and some of the mainline pilots around the airport look like they can't even be out of their late 20's. Is this true? Anyone know when HP last was hiring pilots?

All of the young East pilots (late 20's to early 30's) have been furloughed since 2002. Remember...the East did not hire any pilots between 1992 and late 1998/early1999.

The current furloughs are back to 1989...so if a pilot was hired in 1989 at 23, he/she would be 40ish now.

 

[N905TW]

I'm flying a lot now on HP since I'm out here in Phoenix, and one huge thing I see is how much younger a lot of the HP pilots seem to be compared to pilots on the "East" side. I sware some of the FO's on the 319-320's I've been on and some of the mainline pilots around the airport look like they can't even be out of their late 20's. Is this true? Anyone know when HP last was hiring pilots?

Your eyes are not playing tricks on you, we do indeed have pilots here at US West in thier early 30s, and Flight Attendants in thier 20s. The last AWA new hire pilot class was hired on April 4, of 2005. Keep in mind that AWA was hiring around 250 a year at that time. Prior to the merger, "West" was anticipating another 220 or so new hires for 2005 which never happened.

Most "West" classes in recent years were a mix of pilots from various cross sections of aviation. My class alone in 2004 had furloughed pilots from United, TWA, and even US Airways East. Age ranged from 27 to 57. Military and Civilian, young and older, commuter pilots and heavy 747 pilots, our class was very well rounded!

 

[Justme]

All of the young East pilots (late 20's to early 30's) have been furloughed since 2002. Remember...the East did not hire any pilots between 1992 and late 1998/early1999.

The current furloughs are back to 1989...so if a pilot was hired in 1989 at 23, he/she would be 40ish now.

Can this be right? US Airways had furloughs back to 1989 in 2006? That seems like a time warp if true...how can something like that happen?

 

[USFlyer]

Can this be right? US Airways had furloughs back to 1989 in 2006? That seems like a time warp if true...how can something like that happen?

Lack of growth and then significant downsizing.

 

[crazystnic]

Lack of growth and then significant downsizing.

NOT true.

 

[BoeingBoy]

NOT true.

Absolutely true, Sherlock. Is not going from 400+ to ~230 planes significant shrinkage?

Jim

 

[Dont call me Shirley]

Let's see, abandoning the old PSA network (in all fairness to Scofield and Co, Bob Crandal -no slouch he- and AA did the very same to AirCal's routes), closure of several hubs and focus cities (even if they weren't called that), PIT, DAY, MCI, CLE, IND, SYR, whacking the Florida Shuttle. What have I missed?

 

[lynyrdskynyrd]

Your eyes are not playing tricks on you, we do indeed have pilots here at US West in thier early 30s, and Flight Attendants in thier 20s. The last AWA new hire pilot class was hired on April 4, of 2005. Keep in mind that AWA was hiring around 250 a year at that time. Prior to the merger, "West" was anticipating another 220 or so new hires for 2005 which never happened.

Most "West" classes in recent years were a mix of pilots from various cross sections of aviation. My class alone in 2004 had furloughed pilots from United, TWA, and even US Airways East. Age ranged from 27 to 57. Military and Civilian, young and older, commuter pilots and heavy 747 pilots, our class was very well rounded!

We do have a few pilots around the west who are in their early thirties, like you say. But not that many, and it seems like I hardly ever see them. I'm an early to mid 40s captain and I can't even remember the last fo I flew with who was younger than me. Most are ex-other airline and military types.

Honestly I can't seem to tell much difference in the appearance of the pilots of the east and west. Both sides have captains that look anywhere from 55-200 years old and the rest just seem to look average 40ish and 50ish, but no one that looks extremely young, at least to me.

 

[X-U]

Let's see, abandoning the old PSA network (in all fairness to Scofield and Co, Bob Crandal -no slouch he- and AA did the very same to AirCal's routes), closure of several hubs and focus cities (even if they weren't called that), PIT, DAY, MCI, CLE, IND, SYR, whacking the Florida Shuttle. What have I missed?

A big one, BWI.

 

[autofixer]

I can't actually verify this, but the average age on the East is supposedly 59. We will have over 500 pilots over 60 in 2011, with the rest not too far behind.

 

[BoeingBoy]

I can't actually verify this, but the average age on the East is supposedly 59. We will have over 500 pilots over 60 in 2011, with the rest not too far behind.

Naturally, the number will vary from year to year, but your numbers indicate an average of 100+ retiring at age 65 starting in 2012. Not the 300, 400, 500 that some claim but more like the 2 East to 1 West that makes attrition about equal on average.

Jim

 

[Metroyet]

Come on Jim!! We all know its ALPA' s fault!!