Hello all! First off thank you for letting me have a place to ask this question! It means a lot!
I am a commercial pilot who hasn’t flown in 2 years, I am 21 and have low hrs, once Covid hit things went a bit sideways for me. Nothing seemed to pan out so I decided to give it a rest and maybe come back to it one day, so here I am about 2 years later, having flown only on 2 joy rides (with a current and proficient PIC) since my last actual training. I keep hearing shortages, is that true to the extent that I would now be considered to have something of value in my previous training? I’d love to think there is a future in aviation somewhere down the road for me. Honestly, I don’t think commercial drone work is quite as rewarding as I thought it would be lol. Thanks for reading and for any responses!
I am not sure what you mean by “low hours”, but 1,500 is the minimum needed to fly for the airlines, that has not changed. Without that amount flight time, you will need to find a way to build flight time. The most common paths via flight instructing. There are of course flight instructor positions available, but you will need to get current and go apply for them.
I am asking if it is worth the time and money to even attempt to re-enter the aviation industry, to spell it out I have 250 hours but that is somewhat irrelevant to my question.
Your time is not “irrelevant” to your question at all as it directly relates to the amount of work and effort you’ll need to put in which directly relates to your question “is it worth it?”.
You keep hearing shortages because it’s true. The Regionals have just this past week announced salaries that rival the Majors. They’re not offering that money because they’re being nice. They’re desperate for bodies. There literally has been no better time than right now to get into this industry.
That said I have to be honest. You already invested a good amount of time and money into your training and as soon as things didn’t “pan out” as you thought you quit. If you had continued you’d be getting money thrown at you from every Regional in the country right now. There are zero guarantees in this industry and building time requires ALOT time and effort. Is it worth it? You obviously didn’t think it was worth it to stick it out then, so what’s changed? Because there’s a shortage and you think it’ll be easy? There was a shortage before the pandemic and it never ceased, it simply slowed for a short time and it could happen again. Chris and I did this when people had to pay to build time and the chances of even getting an interview was slim but to us it was worth it just to have the chance.
Sorry I didn’t mean to sound rude, I get the hrs thing but my only real question really was if I were to get back into it would there be opportunities for me? Also the reason I left the aviation industry was far more than things going sideways, I lost a couple of friends while I was in flight school and my school didn’t even let me go home for their funerals, that left a very bad taste in my mouth for the kind of “professionals” I was around. And when I finished my training (at the time) no one would return my calls or emails regarding working as a low time pilot, since I tend to like paying off my debt I was forced into a different industry just to get by with my loan payments. My question was will there be room for me if I spend the next couple years building my time? Or will the shortage already be solved and I will have wasted more money and time?
The shortage is forecasted to continue for several years but no one has a crystal ball. I’m off tomorrow and the forecast is for a beautiful day. I’m going to my alarm and get all me gear ready for a nice long paddle. If the forecast was right I’ll be ready, if it isn’t I’ll keep hoping it’ll get better and I’ll be ready for then. The answer to your question is maybe? Again many pilots got hired for many years long before there was a shortage. Those who put in the work and never gave up eventually got there but if you’re looking for guarantees again there aren’t any. BUT, things are as good as they’ve ever been right now.
Of course they would not be very happy. But if that were to happen, there would most likely be many newly minted doctors, lawyers, engineers, etc that would also be rather unhappy.
You’re 100% right. The reason however is because far too many of them suddenly decided they’d “always dreamed of being a pilot” right about the same time the pilot shortage became a reality and they thought their path was set in stone (coincidence?). I’m in no position to say anyone’s reason is any better than another’s in choosing a career, but, I have always believed (and still do) that there needs to be a fundamental desire to fly and genuine affection for the job. This who do will and do succeed, regardless of the demand. Those who don’t are easily dissuaded, disappointed and yes, very unhappy when their careers hit a few bumps.
Like it has already been said, you need 1,500 hours to get hired at any airline.
What’s something to look at to help decide if the pilot shortage is here and real is not to long ago at 1,500 hours you would get a job at one of the regional airlines making around $45-50K a year and you’d be happy. Fast forward just a few months and now you can get a job at the same regionals making around $80-90K a year. Or with the right prior experience you can go straight to a Major Airline via a ULCC and depending on which one you get hired by you can be making around $55K or $80K a year to fly an Airbus A319/320/321 domestic and international.
As far as if its worth it is a question only you can answer for your situation. Just my .02
Adam,
I fully agree, that it requires passion, hard work and perseverance to succeed. I have many many examples in my life to vouch for that fact.
Flying is not a ‘job’ like any other. It is a lifetime passion and love.
Regards,
Jawed
I noticed in this prior post you mentioned too many folks are stating they “always dreamed of being a pilot” right as the pilot shortage started. That is true for many other professions too - fill in the “I have always dreamed of being a” [BLANK] just as there seem to $$$ to be made.
However, with a passion for flying and being a pilot, it is not something that goes away if that is truly a passion. You live, breathe, and sleep it. I have been involved in this space for many years; however, circumstances and changes in life force decisions that would be best for your family vs. your passion(s). I believe if you truly have a passion for being a pilot, you will work just as hard to get to the goal (even if not right when you planned it) regardless of the challenges. The question that each of us has to answer is what type of flying you’d want to do and why.
To that extent, being a career airline pilot is a dedication with high reward. Being a commercial pilot flying Make a Wish Foundation flights can be as rewarding. In my opinion, commitment to ensuring we reach our set goal is the primary objective.