If there aren’t enough pilots why isn’t that reflected in the pay scale?
Most of the pilots I knew who got out didn’t do so for pay. I was in fighters (a WSO, not a pilot), but folks didn’t leave fighters to make more money hauling tourists.
The pay has begun to improve drastically over the last three years or so, but all that is doing is pulling people up from the lower rungs.
Local service airlines, and low cost freight providers are really just now starting to really feel the shortage.
The lack of entry into the training pipeline has also led to severe shortage in training instructors, as well. Even if you want to fly, trading slots are limited. As soon as an instructor makes the minimum regulated hours needed, they are off to the regionals for a lot more money.
Sometimes that very same day.