In class, you watched a documentary called "Flying Cheap". This
documentary is about the regional airline industry, focusing on two aspects.
First, there is a discussion of the Colgan accident and factors that may have
contributed to the accident. Second, the documentary presents information about
the career of a regional pilot.
Please address the following topics in this blog:
**First, address the state of the regional airline industry. There is a lot of "buzz" about the possible pilot shortage. There are two sides to the argument: 1) There is not a pilot shortage. The problem is pilot pay. There are plenty of people who want to be pilots in the United States but are unwilling to fly domestically because of low wages, and 2) The pilot shortage is real and based upon projected retirements and the current number of new pilots entering the industry. Which side do you believe and why? To answer this question thoroughly, you must research and provide evidence of research of both sides of the issue.
Please address the following topics in this blog:
**First, address the state of the regional airline industry. There is a lot of "buzz" about the possible pilot shortage. There are two sides to the argument: 1) There is not a pilot shortage. The problem is pilot pay. There are plenty of people who want to be pilots in the United States but are unwilling to fly domestically because of low wages, and 2) The pilot shortage is real and based upon projected retirements and the current number of new pilots entering the industry. Which side do you believe and why? To answer this question thoroughly, you must research and provide evidence of research of both sides of the issue.
The current state of the regional airline
industry is one of increasing panic and frenzy as many regional carriers are
scrambling to find eligible pilots to staff their aircraft. The source of this
warranted panic stems from the retirement age of 65 coupled with the fact that
many pilots do not wish to fly for regional carriers due to the poor pay, the
ridiculous number of hours one must fly to earn a decent paycheck, and the
absurd scheduling.
To explain my perspective on this topic, I
will begin with argument one, which states that there is no pilot shortage, but
the problem lies in pilot pay. Considering the Colgan Air accident in 2009, the
‘1500 hour’ rule was implemented by the FAA to ensure pilots were truly ready
for the airline experience and its endeavors. Consequently, the increase in requirements
have made an already expensive profession more expensive due to the increased
training and flight hours. Aspiring pilots aiming for a career in the regional
and/or major airlines must pay approximately $150,000 to attain the adequate training
to have a chance to become employed for a regional or major air carrier
(Fitzpatrick 2016). Subsequently, such a significant financial burden often
hinders many aspiring pilots, preventing them from ever achieving their career
goal of flying for an airline. The pilots that can secure the proper funding do
not see the point of flying for a regional airline for low-pay because the ends
do not justify the means of doing so (i.e. the $27,000 salary plus a potential
signing bonus is not worth the $150,000 of debt-financing).
The poor pilot pay is not the only reason as
to why pilots are unwilling to fly for the regional airlines in the United
States; the lack of benefits and inadequate feeling stemming from improper
compensation for their duty are two additional reasons pilots are fed up with
regional air carriers. Per Fitzpatrick (2016), the current average First
Officer (FO) salary is approximately $27,350, which is a significant increase
from the 2008 salary of $16,000. Despite the pilot pay increasing by $11,000 in
nine years, many pilots in the United States are still unwilling to fly
domestically because they strongly believe their compensation does not
correlate with the significance of their responsibilities as a pilot. According
to Fitzpatrick (2016), Daniel Rose, who is an aviation lawyer and former U.S.
Navy pilot stated, “It’s incredible you can still have a job where you’re
flying 50 people around and you’re responsible for their lives and you’re
getting paid $20,000 with lousy hours and minimal to none in terms of
benefits.”
Thus, underappreciated, under-paid, and poor
benefits may be underlying reasons as to why there are plenty of people who
want to be pilots in the United States, but are unwilling to fly domestically. The
previously mentioned factors are extremely important and poor pilot pay is a
growing problem in the regional industry that needs to be addressed. I believe
that at the end of the day pilots are less likely to quit their job, but when
push comes to shove (financially), sometimes the best option is to leave (maybe
the airline and/or industry itself for higher pay), despite the strong
need/want to gain flight hours and experience to advance to the major airlines.
Ergo, I personally believe that both factors outlined in the question above
play a critical role in the problem facing the regional airline industry,
however, having to choose one over the other, I feel the most prevalent issue
is that there are plenty of people who want to be pilots in the United States,
but are unwilling to fly domestically because of the poor treatment from
regional carriers.
In regards to argument two, which states the
pilot shortage is real and is primarily a result of projected retirement age of
65. As stated earlier, I do not believe the true issue creating the buzz within
the regional industry is due to a pilot shortage stemming from the retirement
requirement, but rather from the current pilots leaving. The current estimated
pilot deficit will be about 15,000 by year 2026, because of current pilots reaching
the mandatory retirement age of 65 and individuals choosing to pursue careers
outside of aviation (Sasso & Schlangenstein 2016). This equates to 1,500,
which is the number of pilots needed to be acquired each year to combat the
estimated deficit. The average number of pilots the major U.S. airlines hired
in 2016 was 5,000, which was done in efforts to replace those retiring in
addition to support airlines expanding (Sasso & Schlangenstein 2016).
Although the pilot shortage is an indefinite cause for concern within the
regional airline industry, it is not a major concern right now as it is
projected to be nine years out. Therefore, the regional airline industry should
focus on their retention rate and appeal to their current pilots in efforts to
get ahead of the future shortage as opposed to continuing to lose pilots now
due to voluntary resignation AND retirement.
**Second, with the new regulations, regional airlines may be concerned with their hiring pool. Why? What do you see as possible solutions - both for aspiring pilots and for the regional airlines themselves?
The regional airlines should be concerned with their hiring
pool for two reasons: 1. The implementation of the 1,500-hour rule resulting
from the Colgan Air accident in 2009 and; 2. The low-wages paid to regional
airline pilots (especially First Officers).
With the new regulations, primarily the implementation of
the ‘1500 hour’ rule requiring pilots wanting to fly for the regional and/or
major airlines, to accumulate 1,500 hours and their ATP, or 1,000 hours and a
four-year aviation-related degree (i.e. R-ATP) to gain employment, is and
should be a major concern to regional airlines. I believe this constitutes a
major concern for the regional airlines because the regulatory increase of hours
subsequently raised the already expensive cost to earn those hours, especially
for the student-pilots earning a flight science degree at a four-year
university. Although these students only need to acquire 1,000 hours to be eligible
for a R-ATP, these 1,000 hours are significantly more expensive. Flight
training alone can amount to anywhere from $50,000 to $64,000 depending on
which university you attend (i.e. in- or out-of-state) (Aviation Week &
Space Technology 2015). This enormous cost coupled with that of tuition, room
and board, textbooks, and other associated expenditures can equate to
approximately $105,000 for a student to attain a flight degree from a four-year
university (Sasso & Schlangenstein 2016). $100,000
is not chump-change and is an extreme financially burden for most families this
day in age; to acquire these funds, most students opt to take student loans,
which can also be a risk if not all the funds can be acquired. This often leads
to students not being able to earn the ratings outlined by the curriculum,
subsequently resulting in prolonged graduation, increased debt, and severe
discouragement. When considering the financial endeavors of pursuing a
flight/commercial aviation degree and/or hitting a financial roadblock (e.g.
failing to acquire a loan for training), aspiring student-aviators tend to cut
their losses and pursue a different career path, which is becoming an
increasing trend as training related costs and tuition continue to increase at
a significant rate. As a consequent result, the regional airlines are
witnessing their once overflowing hiring pool dwindle expeditiously.
As I elaborated upon this topic in the
previous question, the low-wages paid to regional pilots is an ever-growing
problem that is catching up to the regional air carriers. Implementing
low-wages may seem as a cost-effective measure to the managerial staff now, but
it will cause their air carriers to lose more money than they can make since
they won’t have enough pilots to fly their aircraft. Student-pilots earning
their four-year degree to attain a R-ATP so they can become employed at a
regional carrier are becoming more cognizant of the fact the regional industry
is not what it seems. As they become closer to graduation and/or the required
hours, they are realizing that the average salary of $27,000 (excluding sign-on
bonuses) for a First Officer is not ideal for someone with a Bachelor’s degree
and a moderate amount of experience (Fitzpatrick 2016). After taking on
anywhere from $50,000 to $100,000 of debt to earn their degree and obtain
employment in their field, $27,000 is not very appealing to a recent graduate;
such a low salary does not allow one to be self-sufficient nor does it provide
decent compensation to pay back loans. Knowing about the low-pay, minimal
benefits (if any), and varying scheduling, many student- and would be pilots opt
of the industry entirely or prolong their commitment as they search for
additional funds and/or other aviation-related opportunities. Subsequently, the
regional airlines are experiencing a ‘drought’ in their hiring pool as many
individuals determine that a $27,000/year salary is not sufficient for them to
live off post-graduation.
A possible solution for aspiring aviators
would be to earn their certifications and flight hours through a Part 61 flight
training company and earn a degree in a different major (i.e. do them
separately), as opposed to conducting their training through a university (i.e.
Part 141). I view this as a viable solution because it is ultimately tens of
thousands of dollars cheaper than a Part 141 training school/university.
Furthermore, by separating the two into their own entities, you not only save
money through the Part 61 company (as their rates are significantly cheaper),
but students save money on their education (in terms of tuition costs) and can
explore other interests and degree options as well. As I am currently pursuing
this option myself, I have found it to be more beneficial to my growth as I
have become more knowledgeable in pertinent aspects of life (e.g.
business/finances, managerial and soft skills, etc.)
I believe there are two possible solutions to
this problem/concern that the regional air carriers themselves can implement.
The first of those two solutions, which many regional airlines are currently
doing, would be to offer signing bonuses and tuition reimbursement. To combat
and deter the negative stigma of the compensation offered by the regional air
carriers, they have steadily increased the amounts of the signing bonuses
and/or tuition reimbursement. Recently, Envoy, Piedmont, and PSA airlines
increased their signing bonuses to $15,000, while Endeavor’s maximum bonus
offered is $23,000 (Sasso & Schlangenstein 2016). By offering such a hefty
signing bonus, the appeal of the regional air carriers has increased in the
eyes of aspiring pilots as it compensates for the low-wages paid to regional
pilots. Using signing bonuses and/or tuition reimbursement options, the average
first-year pay is raised from $27,000/year to $35,000, and $47,000 (maximum) at
prestigious regional airlines like Endeavor (Sasso & Schlangenstein 2016).
By offering more money up front, I believe regional air carriers will increase
their reputation, combat the negative low-wage stigma, and slowly attract
pilots, resulting in an increase of their hiring pool.
The second possible solution to this problem,
and probably the easiest, would be to merely increase the first-year base pay
for pilots in addition to increasing the benefits offered to employees. Akin to
the previous option, increasing the salary of these first-year pilots will
indefinitely attract individuals and increase the size of the hiring pool. A
$15,000 singing bonus, which is a one-time lump-sum (or is distributed in an
employee’s paycheck over 12-24 months), does not amount to much after taxes and
other garnishments albeit it may seem like a ‘gold-mine’ to young, recent
graduates. Those individuals that realize how minute the signing bonus is are
not truly won over by its presence and instead, opt for a different airline or
aspect of the industry (e.g. business or general aviation). Ergo, I believe the
regional airlines need to increase the overall base salary to a minimum of
$35,000-$37,000 to ultimately re-establish a positive reputation (in the eyes
of the public and aviators) and increase their hiring pool.
**Third, ALPA represents most regional pilots. Which organization represents the remainder of the industry, such as management, manufacturers, etc.
**Third, ALPA represents most regional pilots. Which organization represents the remainder of the industry, such as management, manufacturers, etc.
The organization(s) that represents the remainder of the
industry, such as management, manufacturers, etc., is the American Association
of Airport Executives (AAAE). The AAAE is an organization that represents
thousands of airport management personnel and whose primary goal is to assist
airports, management, and in some cases, manufacturers, in fulfilling their
responsibilities. An additional organization that represents and supports
management and manufacturers is the Airports Council International (ACI). Their
purpose is to promote cooperation among airports and other aviation partners,
including governments (managements), manufacturers, and other aspects of the
industry, to ensure safe, secure, and efficient air transport (Florida
Department of Transport [FDOT], 2016).
**Forth, keeping the documentary in mind, please answer the following questions:
-I proposed that one theme in the events that led up to the Colgan accident was the lack of professionalism. Answer the following three questions related to professionalism:
* 1) Define professionalism in your own words.
**Forth, keeping the documentary in mind, please answer the following questions:
-I proposed that one theme in the events that led up to the Colgan accident was the lack of professionalism. Answer the following three questions related to professionalism:
* 1) Define professionalism in your own words.
I define
professionalism as the actions and/or behaviors exhibited by an individual in
an exemplary manner, of which denotes their morals/standards, sense of respect
and safety (for them-self and others), integrity, and level of knowledge
pertaining to their profession, especially when operating in a business, or
otherwise professional setting.
* 2) List two ways in which lack of professionalism was demonstrated in this documentary. Remember: Both pilots and management can lack professionalism.
Four ways in which a lack of
professionalism was demonstrated in this documentary are as follows:
1.
The Captain’s inappropriate responses
to the wheel-shaker and stick-pusher, in which he was supposed to push
(forward) on the respective controls, but instead he pulled back on the wheel
and stick pusher, respectively, which further slowed the speed of the aircraft.
Additionally, the First Officer (FO) decided to put the flaps up (without the
consent or knowledge of the Captain), which placed the aircraft into a stall,
and subsequent spin and crash.
2.
The FO made the conscious decision
to perform in the capacity of a pilot despite the fact she was sick, clearly
under the weather (as noted by the Captain and other crew members), fatigued, and/or
otherwise not able to perform her flight duties at 100%. Therefore, the FO
chose to exercise the rights of her certificate even though she was cognizant
of the fact she was not fit to fly.
3.
Colgan Air management initially
hired the Captain, Marvin Renslow, even though he only accumulated
approximately 600 hours of total flight time, which is less than half the time
required or recommended by most the major airlines. Furthermore, Colgan Air
management failed to thoroughly vet the Captain record/flight background (and
presumably other candidates), which caused them to not discover or become
cognizant of two of the Captain’s failed check-rides (he had four total).
4.
The Vice President of Colgan Air
Operations called Chris Wiken, a former Colgan Air pilot, and informed him that
if he claimed fatigue (due to working several 16-hour days in a row) he would be
stuck at the airport he was at for the night. To persuade the pilot to not
claim fatigue, the VP of Operations offered to shorten his duty by altering his
time card to read that he began working at 0600 as opposed to 0540, which would
give the pilot 20 additional minutes to catch a flight back to his home base. In
other words, the VP of Operations offered to falsify the pilot’s records to
make it appear as if he worked a legal duty day although exceeded the legal
working requirements for a crew member. Offering to falsify the records of an
employee (or anyone) to abide by the FAA regulations is an extreme and blatant
exhibition of a lack of professionalism. Furthermore, this severe lack of
professionalism was exhibited by a high-ranking member of Colgan Air
management, which only makes the instance worse.
* 3) Do you feel that first year pilot pay and/or the compensation structure of a regional airline is a contributing factor in the lack of professionalism demonstrated in the documentary?
* 3) Do you feel that first year pilot pay and/or the compensation structure of a regional airline is a contributing factor in the lack of professionalism demonstrated in the documentary?
I
strongly believe the first-year pilot pay and the compensation structure in its
entirety of a regional airline was one of the contributing factors in the lack
of professionalism demonstrated in this documentary. I can say this with
confidence because the FO, Rebecca Shaw, was a prime example of how poor the first-year
pay was and the sacrifices she made to ensure she made as much money as
possible. The FO made less than $16,000 during her first year with Colgan Air
in 2008, which is equivalent to the average salary of a full-time associate
working for a fast-food restaurant (e.g. McDonalds).
As
a result of the extremely low first-year pay, most FO’s opted to commute to
work even if they lived out if state and/or sleep in the crew rooms (when able)
to reduce expenditures, including the FO, Rebecca Shaw. In the case of the FO,
who lived in Seattle, WA, commuting across the country for a flight and
sleeping on aircraft, in crew rooms, or couches/crash-pads does not constitute
for adequate and/or qualitative (i.e. restful sleep). Consequently, a lack of
qualitative sleep can cause adverse health effects, primarily manifesting in
the forms of fatigue and illness. Due to these FO’s being paid poorly, many of
them have no choice but to commute out of state and sleep wherever, whenever,
and however as they cannot afford to pay for hotels or call-in sick (i.e. lose
money). This was especially evident in the case of Rebecca Shaw as it was noted
in the Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) transcripts that she mentioned the costs of
staying in a hotel until she felt better if she were to call-in sick.
Therefore,
the FO’s decision to perform in the capacity of a pilot despite the fact she
did not receive adequate rest the night before (since she spent the previous
day commuting from Seattle), was experiencing symptoms of fatigue (denoted by
the yawns on the CVR), and was under the weather (i.e. not fit to fly),
demonstrate a significant lack of professionalism on her behalf. Albeit the FO
was clearly in the wrong for deciding to fly despite not being ‘fit’ to do so,
I also feel as if Colgan Air exhibited an equal lack of professionalism with
their severely low first-year pay-scale and overall compensation structure.
Implementing such a low pay scale indirectly pressures and negatively
influences pilots, especially FO’s, such as Rebecca Shaw, to fly and avoid
calling-in as much as possible regardless of their health, well-being, safety,
and location. This indirect pressure stems from the fact that the fewer pilots
that are flying means less aircraft are being operated (i.e. “less rigs being
move”), less passengers are traveling, and less revenue is being generated by
Colgan Air, who then has the option to cut costs (such as pilot staffing) to
save money. Thus, I strongly believe the blatant direct and oblique disregard
of employee health and safety, whose consequent fatigue and impaired
decision-making can adversely affect the customers constitutes a severe lack of
professionalism exhibited by Colgan Air.
Furthermore,
I feel that the first-year pilot pay and the compensation structure in its
entirety of a regional airline was one of the contributing factors in the lack
of professionalism demonstrated in this documentary. I strongly feel this way
because the poor first-year and compensation structure forces pilots to make
unethical and poor decisions, of which demonstrate a lack of professionalism
(in one form or another) they would not normally make if it were not for the
financial stress. Consequently, these decisions, to fly while ill and/or
fatigues jeopardize their safety and the safety of others, but are still made
because if they miss work they lose money, which they cannot afford to do since
they already do NOT make ENOUGH!
* 4) List two specific ways you plan on maintain and expand your level of
professionalism once you are employed in the job that you listed in 1). These
ways must be independent of the requirements of the job.
Two
specific ways I plan to maintain and expand my level of professionalism once I
become employed in the job/career I previously listed in the personal
introduction post are as follows:
1. Treat others the way I would
expect to be treated while operating in a professional setting, regarding the
areas of morals/beliefs, safety, and respect.
2. Attain a mentor (e.g. a Captain or someone akin to such position) within the company so that I may learn from both their personal and professional mistakes and experiences in efforts to not only exceed their level of professionalism, but to also surpass the company expectation of employee professionalism.
2. Attain a mentor (e.g. a Captain or someone akin to such position) within the company so that I may learn from both their personal and professional mistakes and experiences in efforts to not only exceed their level of professionalism, but to also surpass the company expectation of employee professionalism.
References
Aviation Week & Space Technology. (2015).
The coming U.S. pilot shortage is real. Aviation
Week Network. Retrieved from http://m.aviationweek.com/commercial-aviation/coming-us-pilot-shortage-real
Fitzpatrick, A. (2016). Here’s the major crisis
the airlines are facing now. Business
Aviation. Retrieved from http://time.com/4257940/pilot-shortage/
Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT).
(2016). Aviation professional organizations. Florida Department of Transportation. Retrieved from http://www.fdot.gov/aviation/organizations.shtm
Sasso, M., & Schlangenstein, M. (2016).
Shrinking pool of future pilots keeps major airlines on edge. Bloomberg. Retrieved from
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-06-29/shrinking-pool-of-future-pilots-keeps-major-airlines-on-edge
Hello there!
ReplyDeleteI do agree with your statement that a low pay wage could contribute to a lack of professionalism. I believe that airlines should be able to compensate employees in a way where they are not so cash strapped that they have to make unprofessional decisions. It is not just the pay. Maybe these regionals should have offered paid sick days, so that pilots did not have to work while being sick just so that they won't lose money.
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ReplyDeleteTheo, I have no idea where to begin in this long book of yours. First of all, your sources were great and you seemed to get a lot of quality information from them. Some of the stats are quite surprising, and I don't think it surprises anyone that pilots chose not to get paid such bad wages. Especially after all their hard work and building hours, a FO job paying under $30,000 is much of a reward for your hard work at all. I also like the points you made on professionalism. It is crucial to treat others the way you want to be treated, otherwise, you will not the the respect you want. This, along with finding a mentor, whether it be in the industry or not. If you have a good role model, and have learned how to do things the correct way and not cut any corners, you are setting yourself up for a successful career.
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