Many Fear Pilot Shortage in Future

    Since the 1940's, air travel has continually grown. More and more people every year get to their destinations by traveling through the sky. But in recent times, regional airliners are having more trouble finding pilots to fly their aircraft. 

American Eagle CRJ-900

     Ever since September 11, 2001, air travel has been more secure and more restricted. Since air travel has become more restricted, the number of new pilots per year has gone down about 2% per year. Every time there is an accident with a commercial jet, the FAA seems to add a new law or change the minimum requirements to become a pilot. Although you only needed 250 hours of flight time to get into the airliners before, now you need 1,500 hours. To get this amount of flight time, it will take you about 2 years of flying every chance you get and it will cost you about $80,000. Since it costs this much to train for a job that starts at an annual salary of $20,000, many people aren't too excited to be a new pilot. 

A Cessna 172, a Common Plane for a Student Pilot

      Since people are reluctant to become pilots because of cost and low benefits, very few people are getting their pilot's licenses in modern times. If people do get their licenses, they don't go into the Regional airlines in fear of getting paid less than a fast food worker and never paying off debt. Since the regional airlines are the bottom of the chain that you move up to get to the big time jets, people never start the chain and that is where the shortage is coming from.