Marlin

Hi all,
Current AA guy here,10.5 year regional/ commuter guy prior.
I keep up with the RJ world via this site, and have a question about the new hire mix at various places. Is it a lot of RJ guys just bouncing around chasing a better gig( I get that), or is there a steady stream of true newbies to the biz? I seem to hear more and more "foreign" accents on the radio as well. No offense plz😁.
Fwiw , I am very fortunate to have the job I have. I'm no better or worse than any other pilot out there, or in the other seat for that matter. All of us at mainline, at least the ones I discuss this with, realize we are as much lucky as good, paid our dues wherever , and somehow our app floated to the surface.
Best wishes to all
Joe

rickair7777

At this point not as much lateral transferring, since most folks can expect an upgrade and hopeful a major job in a reasonable amount of time.

Still getting folks from lakes and the like of course. Steam prop TPIC is not going to do the trick for most folks.

Systemized

The pilot shortage has pushed the average age of regional new hires way up. There's a lot less college-grad, early to mid 20s CFIs and a lot more random background 40-something year olds.

USMCmech

There is a trickle, but nowhere near enough once mainlines start hiring in large numbers.

AA alone is going to drink the RJ pilot well dry over the next 10 years

Skyler02

Very, very, very few are new, young guys entering the field. Visit any flight school and you will see almost all the students are foreign and will be returning to their own country after getting their ratings.

I would say almost half of each new hire class is close to or over 40. Some of the reasons:
- 65 Rule and Recession held people back and now they're repositioning to get PIC and move on
- 65 Rule and Recession forced many to leave aviation bc they couldn't afford to be stuck at the regional level for years and now with opportunity on the horizon, they are able to come back
- Young kids can't afford the training/degree unless someone is going to give them financial help (banks aren't loaning to Pilots bc historically they can't repay the loan)
- Second career guys that made a good living in another field can now afford to do the training and be a pilot like they always wanted to be (bucket list)
- Their Spouse is now making a good living and says - go do what you've always wanted to do

This all leads to - although some new pilots are entering/re-entering the field, they won't be here for the full span of the career. Within the next 20 years when the empty pilot slots are skyrocketing, many of these new guys will also be on the way out.

Airlines created this mess by destroying this profession. It will be interesting to watch them try to dig themselves out of this hole.

FlexNinja

I'll tell you Monday after I start my new hire training.. haha..

but my boat is, 34yoa, changing professions due to my wife making decent money and being debt free so I can chase the dream. From my travels and surveys, Skyler02's post seems to be dead on. Im pursuing a masters currently at an aviation college and I can say that over the years since I attended undergrad and now grad, ive noticed the number of pro-pilot students fad as well as graduate only to be discourage by the 1500hr rule and pursue other employ. I knew one guy, 500hr CFI, two years after graduating left and joined the police department. When I asked him why, he said, "Man, ive got a kid, I need to make money now, I cant wait 2 more years to get on at a regional and make slave wage for an unknown number of years past that".

Just my experience so far why navigating the hiring process.

zondaracer

I was in a new hire class half a year ago. Almost 50 total in the class. There were 6 lateral transfers from other regionals, 1 retired military guy trying to get current and some 121 experience for the majors. There were a handful of part 135 guys and pipeline patrol, aerial survey or similar work. Over 50% of the class came from flight instructing and were at their first turbine job. Age ranged from 22 years old to 55 years old with everything in between. Age seemed to be spread out between 22 and 55. The 6 lateral transfers had only been at their previous 121 regional for 9 months or less, and before that they were all flight instructing or aerial survey pilots.

Celeste

Almost a year ago, my new hire class of 20 had only 4 pilots that weren't prior 121. Of that one was retired mil, one 135 cargo and the other two were flying corporate jets.

Most were making lateral moves (to trans states as a cqfo), and a few were coming back to flying after extended time away from the 121/aviation world.

RedGuy

Discouraged by the 1,500hr rule? boy it must be really rough to have to get ALL those hours to get to your first airline job. How times have changed.

The cost of attending some of these aviation colleges I can understand being a deterrent, but you don't have to spend $200k and go to Embry Riddle to be a pilot either.

Anyways as far as makeup I don't know other than my class which was mostly under 30.

sweetholyjesus

Four years paying college tuition making no money, then 2 years flight instructing to get 1500 hours making no money and paying back loans, then spend your first year at a regional making poverty wages. Up to 7 straight years of crap with no guaranteed career progression and you don't see how someone can be discouraged to join this industry