Today’s youth can help the national pilot shortage

WBNG ^ | 7/3/2021 | Chloe VanCaeseele

[Right Wing Vegan]

JOHNSON CITY (WBNG) -- Civil Air Patrol, a non-profit organization and auxiliary of the United States Air Force, is a program that teaches the youth about aerospace careers.

Doing their part to try to combat the pilot shortage, Civil Air Patrol is encouraging those aged 12-18 to join the program to prepare them to become either commercial or military pilots.

By the end of 2023, commercial airlines are expected to be short 12,000 to 20,000 pilots. Currently, the Air Force is out 2,000 to 5,000 pilots.

With open opportunities on the rise, the chance to pursue a pilot career can start at the Greater Binghamton Airport where the local Civil Air Patrol squadron is located.

Government Relations Advisor Maj. Franklin Birt, says that the program is a hands-on experience right from the beginning.

"At twelve years old, the cadets get to go up with one of our pilots," Birt said. "The pilot will take off and get up to altitude and then hand the controls over to the cadet and then let them do some maneuvers."

To further inspire current cadets, pilots of the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds will be participating in a meet and greet event with the future pilots before the Greater Binghamton Air Show in mid-July.

Anyone that is interested in joining the program is encouraged to attend a meeting on Thursdays at 6 pm at the airport, visit the national website, or email the local squadron at nerny292@gmail.com for more information.

[max americana]

If you played MS Flight Simulator, which has the same controls in the cockpit, you’re pretty much trained for it ..

[billorites]

Civil Air Patrol is an outstanding adolescent leadership program.

[TalBlack]

When I was taking flying lessons as a teen back in ‘77 there wasn’t the slightest hope of a career what with the jet jocks coming out of the military.

[Shady]

One of our neighbor kids did very well with this, and my Nephew is flying for Jet Blue after flying Blackhawks in the Sandbox.

[dfwgator]

A pilot is there for when things go wrong. Anyone can fly a plane when everything works.

[gundog]

Recruiting tomorrow’s workers from today’s kids. Amazing.

[ProtectOurFreedom]

MS Flight Simulator is not sufficient. You have to first complete the Antiracist CRT Math Courses where 2 + 2 = 3. Or 5. Or whatever you want it to be. If you insist the answer is 4, you are a racist and certainly not pilot material.

Everybody knows that Bernoulli was a white guy who pushed his racist ideas about how airflow over an airfoil speeds up and creates lower pressure on the top side of the airfoil to generate lift. All Antiracists know that isn't true, so budding pilots must deny the truth of Bernoulli.

Then there is the "angle of attack" for the airfoil. Students bringing that up will be accused of being insurrectionists and imprisoned without counsel for months.

I'm afraid being a pilot is not a promising career.

[married21]

We toured Embry Riddle University in AZ a few years ago. Excellent, motivated students there. Not cheap, as they do not have some huge endowment. We talked with students who worked two or three jobs, or transferred in after community college to afford it. Most, but not all, wanted to fly fixed wing planes.
You want to restore your faith in the younger generation? Check it out!

[ridesthemiles]

HOW?

Schools don’t want to teach MATH.

Don’t want to have that person piloting MY plane, thank you.

[ScottinVA]

Young people, don’t go anywhere near the military.

[WASCWatch]

An aspiring commercial pilot can get the private, multi-engine, commercial, and certified flight instructor ratings by the time they are 19. Then start teaching flying lessons to build the hours.

My younger son did it; was hired by a regional airline at 21½, worked his way up the food chain and has been flying A-330s to Europe and the Far East for the past four years.

Absolutely no reason to go to Embry Riddle to become an airline pilot. With the pilot shortages, even the airlines have started training pilots.

[married21]

Part of what Embry Riddle sells is the idea of a double major, and having a college degree under your belt when you graduate. The reasoning is that pilots age out before they are really ready or able to retire. They are going to need a second career. So they study engineering or business or something.

[Rebelbase]

In same time frame a pal of mine felt the same way and decided to go to private flight school and pursue corporate aviation. Ended up a few years later as a pilot for AT&T.

[cockroach_magoo]

Ender’s Game?

[SaxxonWoods]

A pilot is there for when things go wrong. Anyone can fly a plane when everything works.

My neighbor is a pilot/instructor for a major and says exactly that. He says things go wrong so seldom that no one is ready when it happens.

[CFW]

Not if they are allowed to pretend 4+4 equals 5 and reading skills are racist they can’t.

[GaryCrow]

There isn't a pilot shortage. The major airlines have people fighting to get hired and there's never been a point in my lifetime that that hasn't been the case (I'm a 53 year old airline pilot). What there is is a shortage of people willing to fly for regional carriers that have made a business model of hiring pilots for near starvation wages. Regionals know that when someone builds enough flight time they'll leave for a mainline carrier so they think they can use their desire to build time as an inducement to fly for almost nothing. That model worked in the past because people had to take it, today it doesn't work. Now the regionals are screaming pilot shortage when what is really happening is they can't fill the seats by paying $22K a year any more. Pay what's required to hire a professional and you'll find all the pilots you need.

Someone mentioned pilots timing out. Pilots in the U.S. have to retire at 65. Most people aren't going to start a second career as an engineer at age 65. I'm hoping to retire at 60 and I'm not going to take another job. I'm going to sit on my boat and fish or drink Pina Coladas, I have no desire to work until I die.

[Larry Lucido]

Watch out! There’s an Airstream headed right for a blimp! Turn right!

[Keyhopper]

Yeah but that woke pilot can get you to the ground really fast.