Hope Floats, But Success Burns Jet-A1

2022 is shaping up to be the best year on record for pilot hiring since 2000–so states a report from Future and Active Pilot Advisors (FAPA), a career and financial advisory service for professional pilots.

The first five months of 2022 saw airlines hire 5,526 pilots—one-hundred more than were hired during the same time-period last year.

“If you are a pilot, you are finding a job,” said Sam Scanlon, managing partner for JSfirm.com, an online, aviation-industry job-search forum. Scanlon explains, “The most popular trend right now is what we at JSfirm call Hooks. These can be anything from top pay, match pay plus, sign-on bonus, flexible schedule, flex time, four-day work-weeks …  Companies are going to every extent possible to compete for talent in this market.”

Scanlon asserts, “The job market is and will remain competitive. This past May was our largest month for job postings on JSfirm.com, coming in with close to 45,000 jobs. This coupled with Boeing and JSfirm’s reports about the shortage of qualified aviation personnel through 2035 will continue to make aviation a top career choice.”

JSfirm.com’s data suggests the top three flying jobs remain: Part 121 airline pilots, Part 135 corporate/charter pilots, and helicopter—primarily EMS pilots.

Top non-flying jobs include: A&P mechanics (I.A. is always a plus), and avionics technicians. Another rapidly-growing, aviation-related job is flight nurses/paramedics.

Pilots weighing career options are invited to attend FAPA’s Pilot Job Fair and Future Pilot Forum. The event—which is to be held in Denver on 25 June 2022—will feature over a dozen different airlines, private aviation companies, professional flight schools, and aviation organizations. Major carriers Atlas Air and United Airlines will be on hand to speak with qualified candidates about their airlines and pathway programs.

FMI: https://fapa.aero/about.asp, https://www.jsfirm.com