Pilot Shortage could really be here........

[ScudRunner-d95]

So I just received a text telling me that a large charter company out west can't find pilots for its Turbo Prop fleet. Not one internal bid nor external resume received, not even a kid from the Philippines saying he would work for free with a picture of him leaning against an F-18.

Not one email or even a hail marry low timers piece of paper saying pick me ,
could this be true, how do I fact check this?

I'm told I have to fact check before posting on the web these days.  :P lame

i'm told WJ mainline has only 40 resumes in its pool, upgrades at Jazz are 12 months. Who's going to fly the C-Series or the 737MAX at AC?

Could get very interesting very soon around here.

[Colonel]

How does Wasaya get pilots to pay to fly?

You'd think a negative signing bonus would
turn people away, for better options.

[Eric Janson]

My company is actively recruiting A340 rated Pilots.

Not very many of those around - going to be interesting to see what happens.

[Colonel]

meh.  If they can't find one at the price they want,
they either up the price, or pay for an otherwise
qualified pilot's type rating.

Either way it's only money, which is not entirely
unexpected when the [i]demand [/i]for a commodity
increases, and the [i]supply [/i]decreases.

The type rating can be viewed as just a signing
bonus for the pilot.

A simple economic solution.  Vote with your
wallet, people.  Like a good forensic accountant,
merely follow the money and see where it takes
you.

[Eric Janson]

I'm not seeing the "Pilot Shortage" reflected in terms and conditions. These remain in a downward trend.

My salary is still the same as what I was making when I joined 3.5 years ago.

As for jobs - there are plenty of them - all with some big negatives attached to them. There's nothing that jumps out at me looking at what is on offer.

[Colonel]

I may be wrong, but it has been my experience that pilots
individually are very poor negotiators.  Only when pilots
have unions negotiate for them, are they well-compensated.

Pilots are famously all too happy to undercut each other, to
get ahead.  And that kind of bidding war drives down the price.

I have said for many years that pilot unions do not protect
pilots from management - they protect pilots from each other.

Perhaps I am just too cynical.

[Trey Kule]

My experience is identical.  And as a contract pilot I have found that pilots, after accepting a lower benefits package, are constantly trying to find out how much everyone else is getting paid, and then getting very bitter at the company when they realize they could have gotten a better package.

In fact, in interviews I have had the question posed to me very directly:  How much do you want?
It seems pilots are all to eager to get the job and lowball their demands..
The result is I am very very picky about every clause in a contract.
I have some interesting experiences where companies tried, or wanted to , change the contract terms mid term..
Some actually quite funny to me in retrospect.

On the other hand, I have seen pilots asking on forums "how much should I get", and the answers are astronomically high and unrealistic.

[Colonel]

(fantasy moment)

OPEC showed us all, what you could do with a
world-wide cartel to control (and hence price)
the supply of a commodity.

In a perfect world, all pilots would be members
of a international cartel.  The cartel would deal
with the airlines and set the prices.  Pilots could
not undercut each other, and would not be allowed
to negotiate because they fuck it up.


[quote]pilots, after accepting a lower benefits package,
are constantly trying to find out how much everyone
else is getting paid, and then getting [b]very bitter at the company[/b]
when they realize they could have gotten a better package[/quote]

What a bunch of twats.  Why are they angry at
the company, when in fact they are to blame,
because they are shitty negotiators?

Here are my 3 simple rules to negotiation, which
have served me very well over the decades:

1) never mention a price.  If you do, it only comes
down from there, which is not good for you.

2) the first offer, wrinkle your nose as if they'd
shit their pants, and tell them that the offer
needs to be in a different ballpark

3) second offer, ask them if that's the best
they can do.

Take the 3rd offer, and never, ever be eager
to make the deal.  Always play reluctant and
distant - you have plenty of other offers.

I remember doing some consulting for a large
multi-national, my main problem was that
someone leaked my daily rate (plus expenses)
which resulted in wide-spread butthurt in the
office.  I was earning multiples of them, because
of what I could do, and how I could negotiate.

[Liquid Charlie]

Back in my ALPA days I can remember being introduced to the American way of labour relations and I was shocked at to all the shit dealt out from companies south of 49. Seems Canada has a lot more labour laws in place than our American brothers.


Getting back to the topic, [b]yes we are[/b]. I made a statement down there on day. "The companies have our number, all that is required is to attack a seniority list and pilots implode. They turn on each other and the blood letting is endless and all the companies do is sit back, laugh and rub their hands together with glee."


Yup most pilots think with their dick -- haha -- damn we are an entertaining bunch from time to time  >:D

[Colonel]

I've said for years that Economics 101 should be a required
course for the ATPL.  You're a [i]commercial [/i]pilot that wants to
work for an [i]airline transport service[/i], right?