Scudrunners

So I'm picking up a couple cases of W100, and boy have things
changed from just a few years ago.

On the bulletin board is a want advertisement for Caravan
pilots: 1200TT, USD$80k/yr salary, 700 hours per year.

Kids sure have it good these days.  You can't even go buy
oil without tripping over job offers.  Not the way it used to be!

The FTUs that are left can't keep enough instructors around to tell people about the pilot shortage now that there finally is one.

Remember when you needed 10,000TT and 3 moon landings
to fly a 'ho?

They sure have gotten easier to fly, since then  ;D

[quote author=Rosco P Coltrane link=topic=8659.msg23779#msg23779 date=1530362594]
The FTUs that are left can't keep enough instructors around to tell people about the pilot shortage now that there finally is one.
[/quote]
:))

If the job market 14 years ago was like it is now I would definitely be flying for a living. I distinctly remember looking over job ads on Avcanada requiring multiple thousands of hours to captain a Navajo for not much money and watching my instructor just scrape by on three jobs trying to make it in the industry (he did, well done him for sticking it out). I decided that it would take money I didn't have to try and get  a job that may not exist to make a go of flying professionally so I opted to pursue other things.

I recently saw an article about a woman who came out of flight school with a commercial/multi IFR and is now in the right seat of a 737, six months later. I would have killed for that kind of opportunity when I was 20

Sadly my parents did not take my future aviation job prospects into consideration when choosing what year I was to be born.

Heh.

[quote]came out of flight school with a commercial/multi IFR and is now in the right seat of a 737, six months later[/quote]

I know there are some people that despite living the Cinderella
story, get up to speed on the job.  But I fear that others do not,
and as a result have the depth of a puddle when stuff goes south.

I would like to think I would have still gone up north and had fun flying.
However a nice shiny 737, a schedule, pay scale, benefits and the odd attractive biscuit shooters bringing me coffee
might have influenced me otherwise.


Oh well I like where I am now and have way more interesting war stories. 

I wouldn't trade my 7 years at Buffalo Airways.
Things I learned there have kept me out of trouble flying large jets around the World.
Makes my CV stand out from everyone else's and I get some interesting reactions when people find out I worked there.

There's only so much you can learn from a book.

I agree 100% with Eric.  I am a much more capable pilot due in large to my experience in Alaska.


While in spirit of the thread, down here in States, you can't swing a stick and not find a help wanted poster.


The Regionals are nearly fighting each other for pilots.  A few years ago (when hiring was good) you'd be disqualified with a 2+ failures on your record. Now... come one come all!


My old regional airline started a flight school.  The Ab-intio flight school is happening.

I'm just a random Internet Troll who knows nothing -- the experts like Goldeneagle know much more --but these trends do not happen early in the business cycle.


Enjoy it while it lasts.  Bank a chunk of money. Reduce borrowing leverage.


Next recession closer than it seems.