I donâ€Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
t know if this meets the definition of an official “pilot shortageâ€, but if anecdotal evidence is worth anything, my company is adding pilots and airplanes at a rapid rate. Weâ€Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.re already one of the biggest large-cabin charter companies in the business — and still growing.
You can see the same thing happening all over the country. A friend who flies for a competing charter company recently attended an industry job fair and said business at his booth was “very slowâ€. He indicated that it was hard to find pilot candidates if you were a corporate, charter, or regional entity. The major airlines seem to be beating the bushes for people as well. JetBlue has an ab initio program, and airlines have partnered with flight schools large and small (including one I used to work for) in order to find a pipeline for new aviators. Another friend of mine, recently hired by Southwest Airlines, said there were a number of no-shows in his class.
Plenty of people saw this coming. The financing options for pilot training rapidly dried up when the 2008 economic crisis hit, and for a number of years, relatively few people had the wherewithal to pursue flying. As a result, there werenâ€Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.t many new pilots created in the 2008-2012 time frame. Meanwhile, professional aviators continued to age out, retire, pass away, lose medicals, change careers, and so on.
So if youâ€Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.re an aspiring pilot seeking an experienced instructor, you might find the pickings are rather scarce. Ironically, the odds of finding a highly qualified CFI are probably better if youâ€Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.re looking for some kind of specialty training, since teachers in those nooks often make a career out of it.
Iâ€Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.d imagine this problem is going to get a lot worse before it gets better – if it ever does. A former student of mine whoâ€Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.s been trying to earn his instructor certificate has been run through the wringer by a number of unprofessional operations and individuals. The list of drops, no-shows, and abusive behavior by those charged (and being well paid) to mold him into a first-class CFI is long and varied. His story is so compelling that Iâ€Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.ve encouraged him to write about the experience once heâ€Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.s done. I suspect my friend is not the only one in that particular boat and that his tale will ring true with many pilots in the training pipeline.
What surprises me most is not where youâ€Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.ll find the bad instruction but rather where youâ€Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.ll find the good stuff. It might not be where you think. Take the corporate/charter world, for example. The PIC on a jet aircraft is pretty much required to have Airline Transport Certificate these days. The FAA thinks highly enough of an ATP that they are allowed to provide formal dual instruction to other pilots in the course of charter and/or airline service, even without a flight instructor certificate or any other teaching experience (see 14 CFR 61.167).
I donâ€Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.t know how often this kind of instruction takes place on an official level, but the reality is that every co-pilot is a captain-in-training, so most PICs will find themselves doing a fair bit of mentoring and teaching in the cockpit.
As I look back on my flying career, I think Iâ€Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.ve seen as much competent and effective instruction from non-CFI ATPs as I have from those whoâ€Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.ve been through FAA-sanctioned instructor training. It pains me to say that, because Iâ€Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.m a CFI myself. Teaching is not only a passion but one of the things Iâ€Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.m most proud of as a pilot. I wish I could say otherwise, but there are many sub-par CFIs out there. Oh, they probably have the knowledge and even the experience, but without consistent professionalism toward and dedication to their student, none of that matters.
To put it plainly, the fact that a person has a flight instructor certificate in their wallet doesnâ€Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.t make them a good teacher. Likewise, the lack of formal CFI training shouldnâ€Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.t infer an inability to instruct effectively.
One of my favorite teachers, James Albright, is a guy who has undoubtedly forgotten more about flying than Iâ€Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.ll ever know. Iâ€Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.ve never taken a course from him. In fact, Iâ€Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.ve never even met the guy. But Iâ€Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.ve read his books, articles and posts. Heâ€Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.s been kind enough to reply to email inquiries, too. As a result, Iâ€Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.ve learned many things that were not a part of my formal aviation education.
And thatâ€Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.s what this post is really about: the fact that we are all teachers. Weâ€Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.re all instructors, whether we know it or not. Oh, we may not be signing logbooks or endorsements, but every time we fly, there are people watching us. Every time we open our mouths, theyâ€Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.re listening. Coworkers, passengers, fellow pilots – present and future. Theyâ€Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.re observing us and learning something – even if itâ€Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.s simply what not to do, how not to fly. As incident and accident reports show us, that can be a powerful lesson, too.
So the question is, what kind of instructor are you?