Air Force at Odds with President on How to Fix Pilot Shortage

Great news for those who want to get into the aviation industry:

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2017/11/14/air-force-trumps-plan-to-aid-pilot-shortage-will-not-work.html

Link to Aviation History - ULTRA-RARE footage of the most famous fighter pilot ever

https://videos.komando.com/watch/8095/ultra-rare-footage-of-the-most-famous-fighter-pilot-ever

ULTRA-RARE footage of the most famous fighter pilot ever

If you're interested in history or aviation, you cannot miss this footage. It was just posted online, and I've never seen anything like it. It's from 1917, and it's an up-close and personal look at the most legendary combat pilot who ever lived, the infamous Red Baron, Manfred Von Richthofen. Watch the extremely rare, extremely old footage and relive history. 

The Air Force’s pilot shortage continues to get worse as the armed services branch is now about 2,000 below their target number.

Air Force pilot shortage climbs to 2,000, inundated aviators carry 'a very heavy burden’

Air Force will recall as many as 1,000 retired pilots

Air Force will recall as many as 1,000 retired pilots to address serious shortage. https://tiny.iavian.net/jp07

The U.S. has a staggering pilot shortage.

The U.S. has a staggering pilot shortage. https://tiny.iavian.net/i5c9

STILL A PILOT SHORTAGE - see pages 34-37

http://www.historyinorbit.com/30-facts-about-the-f-22-raptor-that-will-blow-you-away/?utm_source=outbrain&utm_medium=CRAIG_HistoryInOrbit.com-Desktop-US-Raptor-1&utm_content=F22a.jpg&utm_campaign=F_22_Raptor_Does_Things_Scientist_Cant_Figure_Out&utm_term=FoxNews.com+-+Breaking+News+%7C+Latest+News+%7C+Current+News

30 Facts About the F-22 Raptor That Will Blow You Away 

The pipeline of Air Force pilots going into the commercial ranks continues to exist each year. As the previous generation of pilots start to retire, the airlines are looking at hiring anywhere from 15,000-20,000 new pilots.

The Air Force, which currently has around 13,000 veteran pilots will provide a harvesting ground for these positions. Additionally, maintainers and drone pilots are being sought by these carriers. Where does that leave the military?

The Air Force simply can’t match the salaries, benefits and job security offered by commercial carriers.

Air Force Chief of Staff Gen.Mark Walsh laments, “You’re going to find that military pilots will be a focal point of this recruiting. Every time the airlines have recruited heavily in the past, we’ve lost more people… They’ve been deploying, and deploying, and deploying. After a while your family gets a little tired of that.”

A recent study projects major airlines will hire an average of 2,000 pilots per year over the next decade, including upward of 5,000 per year beginning in 2022.

By the end of an Air Force pilot’s service requirement, they will likely have met the 1,500 hour requirement for landing a co-pilot job.

Now let’s look at the pay comparison between Air Force and private sector pilot jobs.

In order to compete with the glamour of the airline industry, the Air Force has had to increase its retention bonuses. Annual installments are now between $10,000 and $25,000 for anywhere from five to nine years of work. Multiple this out and you’re looking at between $50,000 and $225,000 total.

To sweeten the pot, the Air Force is offering Aviator Retention Pay to drone pilots for the first time in addition to fighter jet pilots.

While all this is nice, there’s something else the Air Force offers that simply can’t be rivaled by a commercial airline. Adrenaline.