current pilots

[J-ROD]

Hi, I am new to this site. I am 18 and about to graduate from high school. I am going to become a pilot that is why I am here. I have a few questions for airline, freight, and/or corporate pilots. I am curious of where the business is going? Do you think there will be a great need of pilots when new technology comes about? There are a few more I will ask later, but that is all for now.
Thanks!

[mooneyguy]

Originally Posted by J-ROD

Hi, I am new to this site. I am 18 and about to graduate from high school. I am going to become a pilot that is why I am here. I have a few questions for airline, freight, and/or corporate pilots. I am curious of where the business is going? Do you think there will be a great need of pilots when new technology comes about? There are a few more I will ask later, but that is all for now.
Thanks!

I am not an airline pilot yet myself, but if you follow what is going on in avaition, the planes coming out of design and production right now (yes they still require pilots), and forcast for the number of air travellers (forcast to continue large growth)...Your future will be as bright as you want it to be!
Good luck!

[Matt13C]

I am curious what people think the future holds with the current world economic market slowing down, fuel prices rising and America facing the possibilities of a recession. Do you think this will be the end of the hiring boom or will the baby boomers looming retirement continue to force regionals to hire as their pilots move onto jobs at the majors? Or will some of the regionals simply disappear leaving a surplus of pilots.

[DV8Pilot]

{Magic 8 Ball Inop - Deferred per MEL 64-32-11a}

[SIUav8er]

Anyone know whos gonna win the election in Nov.?

[jspeed87]

Osama Hussain Obaaa...... nope not that guy, Hiliray Clinton will win!!

[bdhill1979]

Originally Posted by DV8Pilot

{Magic 8 Ball Inop - Deferred per MEL 64-32-11a}

[Stomp16]

Originally Posted by DV8Pilot

{Magic 8 Ball Inop - Deferred per MEL 64-32-11a}

NICE!!!!

[Number1atNumber2]

The aviation job market goes through its cycles. Right now things are good and you can get jobs with pretty low time, just a few years ago the minimums were a lot higher. It seems like things are starting to slow a bit now, some regionals aren't hiring like they were. But the jobs are still out there for freight and charter. As far as the recession goes, yeah that will slow things down, but who knows how long? Some recessions last longer than others. It's hard to tell.

[Number1atNumber2]

Oh and, there will aways be freight that needs to go somewhere, so I don't know if that will slow down as much. However, when the airlines stop hiring that tends to have a ripple effect throughout aviation. When I got my CFI in 2004, I had a hard time finding work, but things were starting to improve. Now there are a lot of CFI job out there.

[BajtheJino]

Originally Posted by Matt13C

I am curious what people think the future holds with the current world economic market slowing down, fuel prices rising and America facing the possibilities of a recession. Do you think this will be the end of the hiring boom or will the baby boomers looming retirement continue to force regionals to hire as their pilots move onto jobs at the majors? Or will some of the regionals simply disappear leaving a surplus of pilots.

World Economic slowdown? Wha?

[B767Driver]

Originally Posted by J-ROD

Hi, I am new to this site. I am 18 and about to graduate from high school. I am going to become a pilot that is why I am here. I have a few questions for airline, freight, and/or corporate pilots. I am curious of where the business is going? Do you think there will be a great need of pilots when new technology comes about? There are a few more I will ask later, but that is all for now.
Thanks!

The technology visible to the end of your career will still require pilots. I believe there will be a substantial need. If governing bodies and professional associations permit the reduction of qualifications to fill the growing need then it may not be a good career to get into...as you will be competing for jobs with those from underdeveloped nations and there will be very little leverage for professional pilots to improve their quality of professional standards. We've seen it happening at some level over the past decade with the proliferation of the regional airline industry. However, if professional standards and qualifications are strictly upheld, then it could be a very rewarding career for you.

I made my first dollar in aviation at age 18 as a CFI and have had the extreme fortune of being in one cockpit seat or another for 19 years, uninterrupted. When I first entered the profession, I thought I would be forced out because I couldn't find very good jobs and then later in my career I thought I would be forced out due to a strikes, furloughs, and bankruptcies that my companies have been through. I have always prepared myself to turn off course and enter another profession should aviation not work out.

Through it all, when the airplane's door(s) have been closed and it's just about aviation it has been nothing but rewarding. It still is everytime I go to work.

When I got into flying in the mid '80s Eastern had just gone out of business and there were thousands of pilots with heavy iron experience out of work. At least 7 of 10 people I talked to discouraged me from entering the profession. But I suppose it was such a part of my fabric that I kept with it and have been glad that I did.

At your age, I would set your sights on a lofty goal and work very hard to position yourself, to the best of your ability, to attain the qualifications necessary for the career you want. At the same time, diversify your talents and qualifications so that you will be successful at whatever life may throw at you.

To get back to anwering your original question, it is hard to say where this career and industry are headed. You are probably an intelligent and motivated young man and looking to make a good future for yourself...to position yourself for long term success. Unfortunately, I've found that I've never really been able to look beyond 3 to 5 years in regards to planning in my profession. This really worries me about attracting top notch, intelligent talent into the piloting profession. From my observation, it seems as though we are not attracting enough quality individuals into this profession. It is my hope that the professional piloting associations will work to reverse this trend so that we can bring the "best and the brightest" back into the fold. I hope you are one of them!

[aviatorrbt]

Originally Posted by SIUav8er

Anyone know whos gonna win the election in Nov.?

My buddy at the airport bet $100 with a citation pilot that Obama would win. I don't have that kind of confidence. I also think he doesn't know what he's talking about.

[JA Yawd Bwoy]

Originally Posted by J-ROD

Hi, I am new to this site. I am 18 and about to graduate from high school. I am going to become a pilot that is why I am here. I have a few questions for airline, freight, and/or corporate pilots. I am curious of where the business is going? Do you think there will be a great need of pilots when new technology comes about? There are a few more I will ask later, but that is all for now.
Thanks!

I seriously doubt that there will EVER be a time where there won't be at least 1 pilot flying a plane no matter how advanced technology gets. Its like the train you used to need the coal guy and a whole bunch of other people, now you only need a guy to push buttons. You will always need someone to make sure everything is going right because you have to say a airline jet during its career fly's itself 60% of the time and the pilots just observe, land, takeoff, and etc. bassically you will always need a pilot lol.