Career pilot: Here comes the sun

Hundreds of aviators who were thrilled to have an upcoming training date at an airline were suddenly demoralized when they got the news that their scheduled initial training was canceled or postponed indefinitely. The best guess for when the airline world would return to some sense of pre-pandemic normalcy was, maybe, 2024.

According to The New York Times, some vacation destinations are now busier than before the pandemic. Another sign of increased travel is airlines filling those middle seats again.

So, what’s really going on with pilot intake at the air carriers?

For many years, Future and Active Pilot Advisers (FAPA) has been one reliable resource for all things career pilot related. FAPA offers consulting services, job fairs, career forums, publications, and interview prep. One of the benefits of FAPA is the organization’s connections to the airlines. A recent FAPA Pilot Hiring Bulletin provides some encouraging news:

• Atlas, FedEx, and UPS airlines are bringing 122 pilots to their flight decks.
• American Airlines announced it plans to hire 300 pilots in 2021 and will resume its flow-through programs with its wholly owned regional partners.
• United Airlines plans to begin off-the-street hiring and has started recalling around 300 pilots whose classes were deferred in 2020. United is getting ready to ramp up its United Aviate Academy in Phoenix with an inaugural goal of training 100 new students in 2021 and a total of 5,000 over the next decade.
• Southwest Airlines has recalled 209 pilots who had been placed on extended leave in 2020 and plans to recall another 382 pilots this year.
• Delta Air Lines plans to upgrade more than 1,000 first officers to the left seat.
• Frontier and Kalitta Air are actively recruiting pilots.

Of course, all this activity upstream means more opportunity downstream at the regional carriers.

• Air Wisconsin is hiring pilots, with new hire classes scheduled every two weeks.
• CommutAir opened a new base at Denver. The company has recruited 200 pilots so far and plans to hire another 400 before the end of the year.
• Endeavor Air is recruiting pilots off the street and plans on holding new hire classes weekly through the remainder of the year.
• Envoy Air has started recalling pilots placed on leave last year.
• GoJet Airlines is hiring new pilots and direct entry captains. The company plans on training 20 new candidates in each class, held every two weeks.
• Mesa Airlines has recalled 87 pilots who were furloughed out of training, with classes starting every three weeks.
• PSA Airlines is hiring first officer candidates off the street and holding new-hire classes every two weeks. The company is planning to put 30 new pilots in every class.
• Republic Airways is recalling pilots delayed from 2020 classes and has opened its first officer application window. The first new hire class was scheduled for May.
• SkyWest Airlines announced it is hiring first officers.

Any veteran in the airline game will tell you that a periodic economic crash in the airline world is inevitable. Expect it. Prepare for it. The industry always bounces back in time. Some pilots who eagerly anticipated a new-hire class became so disenchanted with the situation produced by the pandemic that they abandoned their aviation goals. Mom and Dad had a well-worn phrase: “Patience is a virtue.” That certainly applies here.

During any downturn, it is essential to stay engaged in aviation and continue flying. If your résumé shows a gap in flying experience, you can expect an airline interviewer to ask you why. If your competition kept engaged during the hiatus and filled in the logbook through flight instruction, flying for the Civil Air Patrol or the Coast Guard Auxiliary, or even Pilots N Paws, you will be at a disadvantage. It may be that your application or résumé needs updating.

Good luck! It may be time for your moment in the sun.