Lack Of Lurkers

[R1830]

Has anyone else noticed that there seems to be far fewer people out pounding the pavement in those must start places in the last year or so..I think I was served food by someone who wasn't looking for a flying job the other day..whats going on? Not that there's a bunch of jobs these days, but I haven't seen the dressed up kids with resumes wandering around a lot lately..input..

 

[N2]

I'm still pounding the pavement (sometimes in frustration with my fists) but I have noticed a lot of people are reconsidering taking up the profession because of cost and prospects of landing employment. (pun not intentional).

The other day when I was in buying fuel for my plane I got looking at the board....wow how in god's name can anyone afford to rent a twin these days to build hours or a single for that matter? I never thought I would see the day when a class 1 instructor costs $65.00 per hour or a class 4 at $45.00.

The flight school I was buying my fuel from said their flying is down to 40% of what it was last year at this time. Sad indeed!

With fewer people staying in the game long term now you would think that jobs would be easier come by but that is certainly not the case. The jobs are still as tough as ever to find and even tougher to land.

Guess I should have been building the twin time a few years ago when I could rent a fully loaded C310 for $185.00 per hour wet.

 

[flythenumbers]

TAL (Toronto Airways) in Buttonville is really busy these days. I find it hard to get a plane there now. (They have 3 172's offline now I am told. One getting an engine, one destroyed, other snagged.)

They real issue is that since the school on the Island Ariport closed, Buttonville has gotten alot more students and people. Good for them, the instructors are flying back to back and long days. Bad for us renters who just wanna book on the spur of the moment and enjoyt the fall colours.

 

[Charles W.]

When you fly one hour do they still add on 0.2 for briefing?

If so then a Class 1 is $78.00 per hour.

 

[Double Wasp]

1830,
It is probably that this is a bad time of year to see lurkers around. For the most part everybody knows that the spring is the season to hire and most of the flight college programs end in the spring. however I do agree that there seems to be less and less guys around that want to fly. I can think of 2 off the top of my head that have left the industry. It is pretty bleak out there right now. I do however, feel that now is the time to stick it out because I think better days are just around the corner.
If you have stuck it out then at least when there is an upswing, and there will be another one, you will be in a prime position to choose which job you want.
Just my thoughts,
DW

 

[R1830]

I agree..it's got to get better, i'm not leaving, you know that, but even in spring I didn't see near the volume there used to be of people looking for work...

 

[twotter]

I do however, feel that now is the time to stick it out because I think better days are just around the corner.

Hey Double Wasp, did you just open a flying school?? 😛

Sorry, couldn't resist... 😀

 

[Double Wasp]

No man but it sure seems like they like to fill guys heads with dreams. At least they did with me. I am just looking at what I have in front of me. There sure is a lot more job postings than there were a year ago and I have a feeling that this spring something good will happen for the industry. I could be way off.
It does however seem criminal to tell kids that there is a shortage of people when there is a two year wait out there. How often do you walk into a flight school and the CFI says " well it isn't really the best time to get into flying." I understand that they have to make a living. Couldn't there be a system set up where there were only so many commercial licenses awarded each year depending on need. I know I am one to talk I already have mine but, if there was such a thing it would eliminate the employers ability to work us for nothing by drying up the supply of new blood. I realize that this would take more pull than I have but it is just an idea for discussion. Comments? Outbursts?
DW 😉
PS I know someone who instructs for a living is probably going to flame the s**t out of me but ohwell I havn't been lit up for a while. B)

 

[twotter]

You know, I'm kinda new to this industry compared to Charles W.. But in my 28 years, I've seen the same advertising over and over...

THE PILOT SHORTAGE IS JUST AROUND THE CORNER!!!

I've yet to see an actual "PILOT SHORTAGE" in my time... In fact, it's gotten considerably worse over my career.. When I started, you could usually find some flying job with a bare commercial and a float endorsement.. Good luck nowadays unless the owner is your uncle...

I feel sorry for the new guys for that. I also feel that with the new technology (GPS etc.) you guys/gals missed something that I was lucky enough to catch the tail end of..

Good luck to all of you

 

[Double Wasp]

I was just wondering what the minimum time for most float jobs is these days. 50, 100, I have even heard as high as 250 hours on floats. That is just outrageous considering the amount it costs per hour for even the smallest float plane. I have a debt load but at a modest guess of 150.00 per hour that would make it impossible to get the qualifications required. I guess I am lucky to have a gig.
Good luck boys.
DW

 

[Laser]

Couldn't there be a system set up where there were only so many commercial licenses awarded each year depending on need. I know I am one to talk, I already have mine, but if there was such a thing it would eliminate the employers' ability to work us for nothing by drying up the supply of new blood. I realize that this would take more pull than I have, but it is just an idea for discussion.

The 'closed shop' that you propose is the antithesis of our free market economy. I don't see it ever happening, nor do I want it to.

The surplus of pilots is far from unique: our society has too many people seeking too few jobs in many different occupations. But the alternative is the government trying to micro-manage the economy, which - in addition to all of the other problems and added costs that that would entail - would result in affirmative action quotas. Frankly, I don't see any place in the skies for that sort of thing.

P.S. I don't instruct for a living, nor do I employ pilots, nor am I a would-be commercial pilot ... so I have no axe to grind re this issue.

 

[R1830]

The thing with our freemarket economy and relatively large numbers of pilots for relatively few jobs is it tends to weed out some people that perhaps an instructor should have taken aside and mentioned the possibility of another occupation being more suitable, and also people who just don't want it bad enough. I'm not saying this works all the time, or even most of the time, but it does work some of the time, and hopefully once you go through a few jobs, you find yourself and your coworkers are proffesionals who really want to be doing what they are doing.

My 2 cents...