Flight Training - September 2013 - 46

CAREER PILOT»

or the ATP-specific program
syllabus. Nor is there any policy
for timing. What of the graduate
who exits an aviation program at
age 20, defers entering the ranks
of professional aviation for a
decade while tending to the family
construction business, and then
applies to the airlines at age 30?
The law’s ramifications already
are being felt throughout academia, prompting academics
from the University of North
Dakota (UND) and the University of Nebraska-Omaha to take
a hard look in a study titled, An
Investigation of the United States
Airline Pilot Supply. In that work,
“1,410 respondents answered the
questions of how the new ATP
requirement and 1,500 hours to fly
as a first officer had affected their
career aspirations.” One hundred

twelve (7.9 percent) indicated
that they had changed their mind
about pursuing an airline flying
career, and 469 (33.3 percent)
indicated that they were thinking
twice.
UND’s Kent Lovelace, chairman
of the department of aviation, says
the rule has caused some students to pursue a different career
track. “These changes will likely
contribute to a projected shortage of up to 35,000 pilots over the
next 20 years or so, starting two or
three years from now.”
Gerry Fairbairn is director of
the aviation studies division at
Westminster College in Salt Lake
City, Utah. “The new requirements probably scare some of
them away, but for the students
who are serious about a career in
aviation, I think they find the

forecast demand for pilots that
has been publicized heavily during the discussion of this rule
outweighs the negative impact
of the increased flight time
requirement.
Right now, the number of
students that have deposited and
registered for the fall of 2013 is up
significantly over what it has been
for the last several years.” But,
Fairbairn speculates that “having
a large number of pilots trying to
build time as flight instructors is
likely to keep flight instructor pay
depressed.”
At Purdue University, Associate
Professor of Aviation Technology Larry Gross says, “We have
noticed that some of our students
in the professional pilot program have indicated that they
are considering changing their

CAREER ADVISOR

RECRUITED FROM HIGH SCHOOL?

The industry’s not there yet—but it could happen
» By Wayne Phillips

» Q: What is the best route to take to get
hired by a major carrier? I am a junior in
high school with just about 11 hours under
my belt. Are any airlines going into high
schools to recruit young adults?—Jackson

» A: Not yet—but maybe someday. If you
have been following the articles in this
magazine for the past few months, you
have seen some discussion on the “pilot
shortage.” I believe it is a reality. In the
not-too-distant future, Americans will
be surprised when flights are cancelled
because there are not enough pilots to
fly them.
Will U.S. airlines recruit the brightest
young folks from high schools and train
them at company expense when they

come of age? I’m guessing not, simply
because there are enough corporate,
charter, and military pilots who will compete for jobs at the major airlines. The
regional and second-tier airlines: maybe.
As you think about your career ambitions, here are some ideas to consider.
Don’t pass up college. The best jobs at
the biggest airlines go to those holding
a college degree. What’s more, the new
ATP rule will reduce the number of flight
hours required for the certificate to those
who graduate from an accredited college
aviation program, saving up to 500 hours
in some cases.
Do your homework. Certainly, you
want a college education that you can
afford in an environment that you are

THERE ARE ENOUGH CORPORATE, CHARTER, AND MILITARY
PILOTS WHO WILL COMPETE FOR JOBS AT THE MAJORS.

comfortable with—whether that’s a
large campus or a smaller program.
Search out college programs that reach
out to aviation companies to form
internship and cooperative programs. A
number of institutions have fast-track
programs where students are virtually
guaranteed an interview upon course
completion and reaching flight time
minimums.
You might also consider colleges that
offer a two-year program. Although you
may need to acquire additional hours
to get that ATP, you will earn all your
important ratings in half the time, and
start building flight experience that much
sooner. Finally, minor in something other
than aviation. Have a fallback position in
case the flying career goes belly up.
Send your career questions to careers@aopa.org
and we’ll publish the best ones here.

46 /

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