<p>After nearly a four-year drought of job openings, the airline industry is on the brink of what’s predicted to be the biggest surge in pilot hiring in history. Aircraft maker Boeing has forecast a need for 466,650 more commercial pilots by 2029 an average of 23,300 new pilots a year. Nearly 40% of the openings will be to meet the soaring travel market in the Asia-Pacific region, Boeing predicts, but more than 97,000 will be in North America.</p>
<p>so…if anyone is looking for a career that will likely provide lots of jobs…</p>
<p>I’m married to a pilot and so I know a lot of pilots. My husband’s chosen career post-military is not flying related but many of our friends are flying in the civilian world. It is an unstable profession. The economy takes a downturn? Pilots get laid off. An incident stops people from flying (ex 9/11)? Pilots get laid off. Two airlines merge? Pilots get laid off. </p>
<p>Sure, when things turn around pilots will be recalled but how do they make a living in the meantime? Many pilots fly regional jobs which pay 1/4-1/3 of what they were making or to make the same money, if they have the qualifications, they can go fly somewhere like Afghanistan as contract pilots. Most pilots move onto other careers.</p>
<p>I know there are a lot of pilots getting ready to retire and I don’t mean to sound so negative but it’s not quite as easy as the article is making it sound.</p>
<p>My brother graduated from Embry Riddle in the late 80’s. While he continued to build his hours in the cockpit he fueled airplanes for a year, got on with a regional for a year and then with a large commercial carrier. If your not an ex military pilot it takes a lot of money to build those hours. Once you get hired you are stuck in the seniority system. If you switch airlines (with a US carrier) you go back to the third/lowest seat and start the climb again. So you better hope that your first airline is going to be around for awhile or the pilot needs to make the switch early in their career. 9/11 played havoc with the airlines and thousands of pilots were furloughed. Many went overseas to find jobs. That seems to be where the growth is. There are still a lot of furloughed US pilots waiting for their call back. A good friend of ours who is 747 Captain took a 40% pay cut when Northwest was suffering. It is a volatile industry but it seems that being a pilot is a calling. I have never met a pilot who wasn’t passionate about their job. Most are willing to stick it out no matter what the set backs. It will be great if these rosy predictions come true!</p>
<p>Some commuter pilots are eligible for food stamps. Be careful not to expect to break into the ranks of the senior highly paid unionized pilot ranks for major airlines. There is a huge difference in pay and benefits between the top and the bottom.</p>
<p>While this surely does not explain all the job openings, a lot of Vietnam era pilots are retiring and that will continue for the next few years.</p>
<p>Also, what Paris said is very true…by far the cheapest way to break into being a commercial pilot is to have been a military pilot.</p>
<p>Considering how much time we’ve been at war since the end of Vietnam, I’d say there are plenty young military pilots who’d be thrilled with those jobs.</p>
<p>Most people have no idea how much money and time it takes to get to the point where a pilot can even be entry-level ready, and then how very little they are paid for a very long time, usually under difficult working conditions.</p>
<p>Also, be aware that medical issues that might be a bump in the road for an ordinary worker can be career ending for a pilot. Be sure to get the best long-term disability coverage possible upon being hired.</p>