CAREER PILOT Landing your dream job CAREER PILOT is designed to help you get your flying career off to the best start (www.aopa.org/careerpilot). A TIDAL WAVE OF THOUSANDS OF PILOTS WILL BE EXITING THE TOP OF THE RANKS STARTING DECEMBER 14. PERFECT STORM FOR PILOT SHORTAGE Three events that could be a boon for qualified applicants » By Pete Bedell KEEP YOUR RÉSUMÉS polished and the applications updated. The outlook is looking quite certain for a pilot shortage in the upcoming years. And if it comes as predicted by many industry insiders, there will be a big boost in hiring of qualified pilots. The pilot shortage will likely be brought on by three significant events looming ahead. First on the list is the five-year anniversary of what’s commonly known as the Age-65 rule for airlines operating under FAR Part 121 regulations. In December 2007, the mandatory retirement age of 60 was raised to 65. In the wake of lost or frozen pensions and dwindling pay, most pilots who were looking at forced retirement decided to stay on with their airlines for the extra five years, or at least a significant portion of it. As a result, the pilot ranks have remained static for much of this period, negating the need for hiring AUGUST 2012 FLIGHT TRAINING / 49http://www.aopa.org/careerpilot