Feeling the pinch

Australia is not alone in this situation. The United States are feeling the pinch, with many calling for their 1,500 hour minimum requirement to be axed, while it is a shortage of skilled pilots in rapidly-growing Asia that is leading to the increasing exodus of Australian pilots. For all of the conjecture, there is little doubt that a gross global shortage is on the horizon. Even if the projections of the number of pilots that will be needed are out by a significant amount, that number is still a big one.

Additionally, there is no doubting the cyclical nature of aviation and its peaks and troughs existence. One moment pilots are being furloughed or given leave to fly for other airlines and the next cycle, flights can’t be crewed. This is nothing new and the challenge that airlines face is hitting the sweet spot for the majority of the time with the flexibility to both ramp up and scale down as demand dictates.

Aircraft, simulators, pilots and Captains on training allowances all cost money to maintain to standard. When there is a training lull, these costs seem significant and they are shed. However, when recruiting ramps up, it is a little like trying to turn a cruise liner around to have the system move from idle to maximum thrust – it can’t happen in an instant. Even so, aircraft orders don’t take place overnight so there is a lead time that training departments can utilise if they are able. Once again, it’s about getting the timing right. Outsourcing training to overseas centres is an option, but again it is a costly exercise to transport, accommodate and pay for training and in many cases, there is still the need to conduct standardisation training on their return.

Often overlooked is the cost of downtime. When a pilot converts onto a new type it can take months. These are months that are spent on the ground initially, leaving the previous aircraft fleet flown understaffed and without the pilot’s new type being crewed either. This can exacerbate the perception of a shortage to some degree as there are gainfully employed pilots within the company, but they are not in a position to crew revenue-generating flights.

Whether the two-year working visa is a solution can only be debated. Firstly, is two years really enough to lure pilots and families to uproot and move to another country? Also, some raise the point that Australian pilots have been going overseas for years, so it’s only fair to reciprocate and this is a valid point. Still, we must also consider whether it is an equitable exchange of expertise in this instance. Most airline pilots heading for foreign fields are already highly experienced and will that be the case for those entering Australian ranks? What regulatory requirements will the incoming pilots be required to meet? Will they need to pass all of the Australian ATPL subjects to hold a valid licence? If so, the two-year term seems to shrink even further and make it less lucrative to pilots from overseas?

‘Is it an equitable exchange of expertise?’

And beyond the elevated position of the flight decks, let’s not forget the burgeoning commercial pilot desperately attempting to fill a log book and one day step up to the airlines. They are a raw material within our own borders. Much has been said about governmental support for pilot training costs if there is indeed a shortage on our doorstep. Or possibly a return of the fully-funded scholarship airline training schemes?

Yes, there is a cost involved to the airline, but a look back in history shows that such schemes have been successful. Their competitive nature of selection generally brings a high quality of candidate and such schemes of the past have seen graduates have 40-year careers, managing departments and rising to become Chief Pilots. One would think that is a very satisfactory return on investment, even if a significant ‘return of service’, or bond, is required to repay the debt in the first instance.

Training and maintaining pilots to a high standard is undoubtedly a costly business. From the student pilot digging deeply into their pockets to the major airlines with fleets to fly. History would suggest that we cannot avoid the boom and bust of the aviation industry, nor can we avoid being at the mercy of the next 9/11 or global financial crisis. However, it is apparent that to avoid such pain in the next inevitable trough of pilot resources and investment must be made. An investment of time in long term planning and bearing the brunt of training costs, possibly from entry into the industry.

An aviation career is competing with far more fields of endeavour in the 21st century and has lost a good deal of the lure it once held. If the nation with one of the world’s proudest aviation histories is to continue to maintain its benchmark, it must do so by valuing its most basic resource – its people.