Posted on 03/06/2016 7:56:20 AM PST by SkyPilot
Mid-sized and regional airlines in the US are suffering from a pilot shortage that could threaten the health of the broader US aviation industry.
The labor shortfall has led to canceled flights at carriers like Mesa Airlines and Silver Airways. That has hit smaller airports, such as in Redding, California, or Erie, Pennsylvania, according to figures from the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA).
The staffing crunch could also constrain traffic for larger companies like United Airlines and Delta Air Lines that depend on the mid-sized companies to serve rural consumers and feed customers into their networks.
"It's becoming a crisis at some carriers, resulting in the cancellation of flights and other serious disruptions," said Patrick Smith, a pilot who runs "Ask the Pilot," an aviation blog.
Republic Airways, which operates flights for Delta, United and American Airlines, filed for bankruptcy protection last month, citing the labor crunch.
"We've attempted to restructure the obligations on our out-of-favor aircraft -– made so by a nationwide pilot shortage –- and to increase our revenues," said Bryan Bedford, chief executive officer of Republic Airways.
"It's become clear that this process has reached an impasse and that any further delay would unnecessarily waste valuable resources of the enterprise."
Things at Republic came to a head last July, when the airline acknowledged cutting four percent of its flights due to a dearth of pilots. Delta subsequently filed suit against Republic, alleging breach of contract.
- Pay gap -
Aviation industry insiders cite a number of factors for the drop-off in pilots: longer working hours, contentious relations with management, fewer job protections and industry turnover with the expected retirement of some 18,000 pilots through 2022.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...
Do not want. I know regional pilots and their schedules are not fun. Example. There are two types: line pilots and reserve pilots. Line pilots pick and choose their flights, trade with other pilots (it’s more detailed than that); reserve pilots don’t have a regular schedule but are on call so like at 3am they get a call to do a flight from Phoenix to Chicago but they live in Atlanta. They have to get a jump to Phoenix to do their flight but the clock doesn’t start until push-back. Some airlines don’t start paying until wheels up so whatever taxiing time to get to takeoff there’s no pay. So our hero gets to Chicago and guess what? No flights so they hang out in the crew lounge waiting for a flight. There’s more to it than what I wrote. I like my bizflights although not every week.
I understand; do you want a surgeon operating on you who just came from his second job? Scary (and sad)
Prototype delivered.
Fuel Cost? $1 hr projected.
The Fuel? Electricity. Total cost "Wet" ( or equivalent ) $13 / hr. ( then add your bank note, Instructor and FBO margins ). Range 2.75 hrs+ depending on the Regen of the Prop via touch and go's and the Solar Panels on the wings.
Go here for more..http://www.sunflyer.com/#!SUN-FLYER-2SEAT-POC-PROTOTYPE-DELIVERED/c21xo/56d872410cf25a66a5368512
Talk about a paradigm changer to train said Pilots...
Nice.
American Airlines Pilots Blast Return of ‘Toxic Culture’
Yeah. Doug Parker.
One step up from Jonathan Ornstein.
Most pilots, even long term pilots with the majors, have a second job. They do not fly everyday and find something to keep them active. . .most are lawyers in my experience.
In the Buffalo case it was some low-paying job, like waitressing, IIRC.
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