Whether these are just warmed up versions of older programs or completely new, they are programs that recently made their way in to the Memphis business news that I read....

American's:
https://www.bizjournals.com/memphis/new ... light.html

Fed Ex:
https://about.van.fedex.com/newsroom/fe ... s-program/

If too many small towns loose service, the politicians will help... I expect ATP rule changes next year.

Is there a pilot shortage or a shortage of pilots willing to work for a poor wage? If you want people to work for you then you need to pay properly. Don't expect pilots to come rushing to you to fill openings at a poor pay rate because you negotiated bad contracts with mainline carriers and can't afford to pay properly. This is a shortage created by the industry and they can fix their own problem.

Pay at the regionals isn't the problem, its how much initial flight training costs and the fact that after you drop all that money you only have 200-250 hours of flight time (well short of the 1500 required to go to the airlines). Your only real option to get the remaining 1300 hours is to work as a CFI which is a crap job for crap pay. If they drop the RATP minimums down to 500 or even 750 I bet you more people would be willing to start flight training since they would only need an additional 300-500 hours to get to the airlines.

aaflyer777 wrote:

Pay at the regionals isn't the problem, its how much initial flight training costs and the fact that after you drop all that money you only have 200-250 hours of flight time (well short of the 1500 required to go to the airlines). Your only real option to get the remaining 1300 hours is to work as a CFI which is a crap job for crap pay. If they drop the RATP minimums down to 500 or even 750 I bet you more people would be willing to start flight training since they would only need an additional 300-500 hours to get to the airlines.

Up until quite recently, it took a few thousand hours to get an interview at a regional.

There are plenty of jobs in between new commercial rated pilot and flying a jet airliner. Unfortunately many potential pilots think these jobs are below them. Too bad, as they make you into a much better aviator.

I always wanted to be a pilot until I saw the wages paid by regional airlines. Granted they're getting better now, but I'm probably a bit too old to get started and reach 1,500 hours. If they drop the requirement I could actually see myself trying to go for an ATP.

mikejepp wrote:

aaflyer777 wrote:

Pay at the regionals isn't the problem, its how much initial flight training costs and the fact that after you drop all that money you only have 200-250 hours of flight time (well short of the 1500 required to go to the airlines). Your only real option to get the remaining 1300 hours is to work as a CFI which is a crap job for crap pay. If they drop the RATP minimums down to 500 or even 750 I bet you more people would be willing to start flight training since they would only need an additional 300-500 hours to get to the airlines.

Up until quite recently, it took a few thousand hours to get an interview at a regional.

There are plenty of jobs in between new commercial rated pilot and flying a jet airliner. Unfortunately many potential pilots think these jobs are below them. Too bad, as they make you into a much better aviator.

Its not that they think theyre below them, its they dont make a liveable wage.

There is no pilot shortage here in the US, but Asia is in serious trouble followed by the ME which still doesn't get it regarding long term retention of experienced flight crews.

acos24 wrote:

I always wanted to be a pilot until I saw the wages paid by regional airlines. Granted they're getting better now, but I'm probably a bit too old to get started and reach 1,500 hours. If they drop the requirement I could actually see myself trying to go for an ATP.

One way to handle the ATP rule is to work outside the US until you have 1500 hours. In Asia and Europe there are plenty of pilots with a CPL and 500 hours flying airliners.

And how old is too old? There are airline pilots that started flying at 40.

mikejepp wrote:

There are plenty of jobs in between new commercial rated pilot and flying a jet airliner. Unfortunately many potential pilots think these jobs are below them. Too bad, as they make you into a much better aviator.

Some of it may be that. But some it is also that they aren't good at one part of it but that doesn't mean they wouldn't be good at being an airline pilot. CFI is my best example, which appears to be the most popular way to build hours. There are people that are just really lousy teachers. It doesn't mean they aren't good executers. In fact the old (albeit unfair in it's own right) adage would imply the opposite that those that can do, don't want to teach.

I know there is banner towing and photography, etc... But how much of that is really out there?

SuseJ772 wrote:

mikejepp wrote:

There are plenty of jobs in between new commercial rated pilot and flying a jet airliner. Unfortunately many potential pilots think these jobs are below them. Too bad, as they make you into a much better aviator.

Some of it may be that. But some it is also that they aren't good at one part of it but that doesn't mean they wouldn't be good at being an airline pilot. CFI is my best example, which appears to be the most popular way to build hours. There are people that are just really lousy teachers. It doesn't mean they aren't good executers. In fact the old (albeit unfair in it's own right) adage would imply the opposite that those that can do, don't want to teach.

I know there is banner towing and photography, etc... But how much of that is really out there?

Spraying, surveying, glider towing, instructing, medevac, bush flying, air taxi. Easy way is look up who flies Twotters, King Airs, Metros, Cheyenne's, MU-2's etc. All of those need pilots.

diverted wrote:

SuseJ772 wrote:

mikejepp wrote:

There are plenty of jobs in between new commercial rated pilot and flying a jet airliner. Unfortunately many potential pilots think these jobs are below them. Too bad, as they make you into a much better aviator.

Some of it may be that. But some it is also that they aren't good at one part of it but that doesn't mean they wouldn't be good at being an airline pilot. CFI is my best example, which appears to be the most popular way to build hours. There are people that are just really lousy teachers. It doesn't mean they aren't good executers. In fact the old (albeit unfair in it's own right) adage would imply the opposite that those that can do, don't want to teach.

I know there is banner towing and photography, etc... But how much of that is really out there?

Spraying, surveying, glider towing, instructing, medevac, bush flying, air taxi. Easy way is look up who flies Twotters, King Airs, Metros, Cheyenne's, MU-2's etc. All of those need pilots.

135 IFR PIC requires 1200 hours, not a whole lot less than an ATP does.