Flying Cheap

From watching the Flying Cheap documentary in class, I believe the that there is a pilot shortage, but the cause is of two reasons: Pilot pay and pilot hours.  First, it costs a lot of money to begin pilot training, in which a good deal of pilots become in debt shortly after finishing training, as discussed in class. The starting pay for beginning pilots, many of which get their foot in the door through the regionals, is extremely low for such a demanding career. In addition, people become pilots because they want to make flying a career instead of a hobby that happens to pay very little; often, not very much to survive on. Below is a list taken from The Dallas Morning News. "In each case, the salary listed is what a first offer would earn in his or her first year on the job. Pilots start at airlines as first officers. They can move up to captain if they stay long enough to get enough seniority" (Maxon, July 2014).

10 Lowest-Paying Airlines

Estimated First-Year Salary as of July 20, 2014

Great Lakes	$14,616
Silver Airways	$18,693
SkyWest Airlines	$20,064
Mesa Airlines	$20,183
GoJet Airlines	$20,504
Republic/Shuttle/Chautauqua	$20,655
ExpressJet Airlines	$20,745
Atlantic Southeast Airlines	$20,907
Trans States Airlines	$21,531
PSA Airlines	$21,600

As airlines have started hiring to address growth demands and attrition, 11 of the 12 regional airlines we interviewed reported difficulties filling entry-level first-officer vacancies," the U.S. Government Accountability Office said in a February (2014) report. Many of the mainline carriers' new pilots are coming from the smaller regional airlines where pay and opportunities are less (Maxon, July 2014).

Second, the new requirement for pilot hours may drive pilots away from the bigger airlines because they are “stuck” flying in the regionals to build time. "The rule requires first officers — also known as co-pilots — to hold an Airline Transport Pilot (ATP) certificate, requiring 1,500 hours total time as a pilot. Previously, first officers were required to have only a commercial pilot certificate, which requires 250 hours of flight time" (FAA, 2013).

Causes cited include new Federal regulations that require applicants to have more hours of experience and that require airlines to give pilots more rest; an aging population of pilots who are reaching the mandatory retirement age of 65; and low starting pay that discourages people from joining the profession (Maxon, December 2014). The rule requires first officers to hold an Airline Transport Pilot (ATP) certificate, requiring 1,500 hours total time as a pilot. Previously, first officers were required to have only a commercial pilot certificate, which requires 250 hours of flight time (FAA, 2013).

While searching for associations or organizations that represent the rest of the aviation industry like ALPA represents pilots, I came across the NBAA or National Business Aviation Association. This association plays parts in various different realms of aviation including airspace, airports, CNS, Environment, International relations, maintenance, Parts 121 and 135, safety, scheduling, security, and unmanned aircraft systems. (NBAA, 2015).

Professionalism in my own terms means having a good sense of judgement, a positive attitude, and showing proper behavior. On behalf of the documentary, however, a lack of professionalism was seen in a few different ways. First, both pilots involved in the Colgan accident had to drive a very long distance away in order to just get to base. The FO was also feeling under the weather in addition to being tired, yet still forced herself to fly. She also brought up the fact that if she were to not fly, she would have to pay for her own hotel room that she couldn't really afford. Not only was the FO inexperienced, which ultimately aided the series of unfortunate events leading up to the crash, but the Captain was fairly inexperienced as well...for being a Captain. The lack of relevant communication within the cockpit had also had an effect on why the incident happened. Neither of them communicated very much in the stalling process, especially when the FO didn't inform the Captain about her decision to use flaps; a decision that ultimately doomed the flight. 

Moreover, I do believe that the pilot compensation structure had hand in the unprofessionalism seen in the documentary. If pilots were paid better wages, were given some kind of bonus or contract deal, and were treated better by upper management, I believe the pilots would show more optimism and professionalism. As for me, I plan on maintaining and improving my professionalism skills by engaging in communication between management, co-workers, and anyone else I work with directly and indirectly. I also would like to improve my decision making skills, since they will prove to be extremely important in the industry. 

Frontline. (2010, February 9). Retrieved January 26, 2015, from http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/flyingcheap/

Maxon, T. (2014, July 31). ALPA lists 10 airlines with lowest starting pay for pilots. RetrievedJanuary 25, 2015, from http://aviationblog.dallasnews.com/2014/07/alpa-lists-10-airlines-with-lowest-starting-pay.html/

Maxon, T. (2014, December 22). No. 10 on our top 10 airline stories of 2014: The pilot shortage begins to bite. Retrieved January 25, 2015, from http://aviationblog.dallasnews.com/2014/12/no-10-on-our-top-10-airline-stories-of-2014-the-pilot-shortage-begins-to-bite.html/

NBAA Corporate Aviation Management Committee. (2015, January 1). Retrieved January 25, 2015, from http://www.nbaa.org/about/leadership/committees/camc/

Press Release – FAA Boosts Aviation Safety with New Pilot Qualification Standards. (2013, July 10). Retrieved January 25, 2015, from http://www.faa.gov/news/press_releases/news_story.cfm?newsId=14838

Regulations & Policies. (2015, January 1). Retrieved January 26, 2015, from http://www.faa.gov/regulations_policies/