Posted on 06/29/2022 4:19:07 AM PDT by MtnClimber
Silenced, censored, and coerced—the fate of the pilots who are so desperately needed.
Every night, I hear a report on the network news announcing the number of flights canceled. If it’s a slow news day, reporters might interview a couple of irritated, stranded travelers. Thousands of flights are axed on any given day. Many more are delayed. News readers just read the report, without any substantive questioning about why there’s suddenly a great shortage of pilots. The weather is the only excuse ever offered, and that doesn’t work when there are no storms slowing things down.
What’s going on? We’ve never had a pilot shortage before. We may currently have more air travelers needing flights than a year ago, but not more than before COVID—and yet, here we are, facing an entirely new problem. It’s so bad that American Airlines is offering pilots on its regional carriers double and triple pay for the month of July if they’ll take extra flights.
It’s not hard to figure out what’s happening—despite the seeming prohibition on our pilots saying anything about it. We rarely hear a peep from them, at least on mainstream news outlets. There’s even a noticeable dearth of questions asked at Fox News of late. Nobody is questioning this fiasco beyond some Fox Business report of a lot of pilot retirements. It just is, apparently.
There are always going to be retirements and saying, as the link above does, that it’s “expensive to become a pilot.” Give me a break! That’s never been an issue before. So why even consider it now? What job does one get where advanced training doesn’t cost money?
(Excerpt) Read more at americanthinker.com ...
The pilots are fed up like everyone else. Apparently, many had the financial capability to go on to something else or simply said “screw it” and went John Galt.
America is a huge, complex country/society. It’s destruction isn’t going to happen overnight, although it’s happening much quicker than I thought 10 years ago.
Most systems and institutions are broken.
Even though we feel we have “wins”, the drip, drip, drip of the slide happens every day.
Wait until ticket prices reflect the cost of jet fuel.
:: I am waiting for a new Start up airline called ,” Freedom Airways” ::
Legacy airlines will not allow them to purchase gates at the big airports (”hubs”).
DOA.
My sister, a Trump hater who considers herself to be an expert on All Things Medical, is completely frustrated by the hassle she has to endure for air travel. I like bringing up this fact every chance I can and pointing out who is responsible. Of course, she’s had every shot.
“All of those pilots they fired, you can bet there were some pretty smart cookies in that bunch. And yet, they chose to walk away from a lifetime achievement and career rather than get these shots.
Do you ever wonder, what did they know that you don’t know?”
“The VAX refusers were probably among the best pilots as well.”
According to this article (and others). the number of commercial airline pilots decreased from 120,000 to 100,000 between 2011 and 2019: https://www.skytough.com/post/how-many-pilots-are-there#:~:text=In%20the%20USA%2C%20there%20are%20734%2C911%20pilots%20including,%2819%2C100%20Air%20Force%29%3B%20and%2058%2C541%20are%20female%20pilots. Blame the vaxx if that makes you feel better, but the number of commercial pilots has been declining for years.
I have to laugh though. The airlines are keeping the same schedules and routes when they know they can’t ppossibly service them.
The wirlines are in denial. They all put their foot in it and now they can’t even acknowledge that their socialist, MArxist policies in line with the Marxist now in control in Washington were dead wrong. If they had stood up and resisted the federaal mandates, then they would still be n business today.
The airlines are going down. And they do not want the public to know it, acticng still like socialist for no acknowledging how screwed up they are because o their socialism in management. I love it when commies screw themsleves. And this situation is one of them.
Where are Patriot Airlines when we need them? MAybe soon.Maybe with Trump back in the oval office.
And Ground Crew workers - Midway and O’Hare are short on Baggage Handlers, Re-Fulers, Maintenance workers every day - all over the Vax card
And the other thing not noted here is the number of pilots who took early retirement when the packages were offered in late 2020.
Now they are scrambling to fill the gap caused by that, which means pulling people up ftom the regionals...who can’t replace those people fast enough since they are losing much higher numbers then is typical.
You underestimate the power of new flat ground in the mid west.
Hubs? America does not do hubs. Because the socialists count on it. All we got now is crome hubs. Who wants to travel there?
Actually, the airlines have abandoned many routes already. It started during covid and they never brought them back.
For example, I live in southern NH. There is a great regional airport in Manchester, NH. Easy to get in and out of as opposed to Boston Logan. For 35+ years I have been flying out of there, now it is almost impossible to find a flight out of there to where you need to go.
I am flying to Boise, ID in a couple weeks. Then up to Spokane, WA and then back home at the end of the week. In years past I could always get flights out of Manchester through Chicago, Detroit, Charlotte or Denver going east and west. Now, nothing was available when we booked the flights three months ago. So, I have to fly in and out of Boston Logan.
The other issue right now is they are doing construction at Logan airport and the tunnel going out to it. People are stating it is taking an additional 45 minutes to an hour to get in and out of the airport.
Not looking forward to flying soon.
Has it been confirmed that Biden-Buttiget has actually increased the minimum pot training months for airline pilots?
Yes, their Covid vaccine requirements forced pots out. Their fuel price increases forced costs up, reduced available fuel. Add Biden’s new handout benefits and their Tax increases and their added governments “incentives” to retire:
“Who really wants to work when work is unpleasant and irritating and frustrating, and when retirement is quiet and pleasant and has less stress?
But, add too Biden’s smaller military. Less pilots are leaving the military, less pilots are being trained early in their military careers.
There is also the problem with rental car availability. I fly constantly and anymore cannot get into a rental car as none are available. I am a top tier customer having nearly 200 rental days this year so far and they put me on a call list if anything shows up. It doesn’t. I have had to rent from local dealerships or individuals, and at this point we are considering having our teams drive to projects.
The usual suspect, the federal government, is at the root of the problem. FAA air traffic controllers woefully understaffed. Just take a gander at their help wanted ads! Quality will be jettisoned to get warm bodies ...accidents will multiply. Happy flying!
Very good point. While covid may have added to the shortage, it did not cause the shortage.
In addition, the US Military, which has historically provided “turn-key” pilots to commercial airlines, has been short of pilots for several years, which means there are fewer pilots leaving the military to replace the retiring commercial pilots.
I have suggested that feds and the states establish four year colleges to train pilots with both a military and commercial path — similar to the US Merchant Marine Academy and state equivalents. (FYI — Graduates of the US Merchant Marine Academy, NYS Merchant Marine Academy, and similar schools have some of the highest salaries of five years after graduation.)
“And the other thing not noted here is the number of pilots who took early retirement when the packages were offered in late 2020.
Now they are scrambling to fill the gap caused by that, which means pulling people up ftom the regionals...who can’t replace those people fast enough since they are losing much higher numbers then is typical.”
I was one of those who took early retirement. Ironically, I later chose to get the vax due to an existing family health issue. Within two weeks I ended up in the hospital with heart problems and subsequently would not be able to maintain my FAA medical certification.
With air travel being basically shut down, airlines were faced with the necessity to reduce staff. Furloughing the most junior pilots used to be the norm...but bringing them back takes upwards of 18 months. The other option was to offer early retirement to the most senior. For every senior pilot that leaves, two junior pilots can be retained. That’s the smart decision when the timeline for return to normal is unknown-just two more weeks.
But you did correctly identify where the problem exists. The shortage is with the regional partners’ pilots and the pipeline to replace them running dry.
It has little to do with the cost of jet fuel. That cost has already been passed on to the customer with a 47% increase in airfares.
Thanks Brandon.
EC
I'd have already considered it if not for the obvious.
It's pathetic that so many are in abject denial, especially here at FR.
Who is John Galt?
I know people who have rented personal cars in places like HI.
I believe they did it through VRBO.
I have also heard of people renting a truck/van from UHAUL and Ryder.
I am actually flying into Idaho Falls on a Sunday and then driving to Boise the next day(4 hours). I return it to Hertz at Boise on Tuesday. $706 for three days. Then fly to Spokane.
I pick up another car in Spokane and keep it for five days $625. Cheaper than the other car.
Four years ago I went to the big island of HI. My Mustang convertible rental car was $230 for the week as a comparison.
Makes me wonder if some of these airline corporations have woke executive management? Perhaps they are not getting enough of the appropriate checkboxes checked?
Female check
Black check
LGQBT+ check
or to put it another way, white male pilots are not being considered?
Flies in the face of being a profitable company, but these are extraordinary times.
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