Demand For Pilots Puts Squeeze On College

The soaring demand for pilots to fill the cockpits of regional airliners is prompting one of the nation's top collegiate flight programs to adopt new incentives to keep its flight instructors tied to the academic world.

Western Michigan University's College of Aviation tells ANN it has developed a new compensation and benefits program designed to retain the college's best flight instructors, and attract new ones. College officials hope the addition of a more competitive pay structure and major enhancements to the benefits package will convince promising young pilots to stay longer in their roles as flight instructors for the college's nearly 700 students.

Traditionally, a flight instructor's position is the entry-level job of choice for aspiring pilots, and many of WMU's aviation graduates begin their careers teaching flight skills to their younger counterparts. In recent years, with a generation of pilots trained during the Vietnam-era retiring from the nation's airline industry, commercial carriers have increasing turned their sights on WMU and other top collegiate programs to fill their need for new employees.

"WMU is producing such good pilots that the industry is hiring our graduate at a rate that is beginning to impact our flight instruction capacity," says Tom Grossman, WMU's chief flight instructor. "A few years ago, we kept a flight instructor for an average of 24 months before he or she moved into industry. In the past six months, it's become common for them to stay only four to six months before taking that first industry job."

Grossman says that while he's happy industry sees his former students as so desirable, it's in the long-term interest of the college to have greater stability in its instructor ranks. To keep current instructors and attract new ones, the college has developed a higher pay scale--up to $29 per hour-- and a benefits package that includes new internal college benefits such as:

• reduced aircraft rental,
• flight medical insurance,
• paid additional training and
• reduced tuition for the college's jet orientation course.

Flight instructors will also be eligible for University benefits that include:

• health insurance,
• 100 percent tuition coverage for employees and 75 percent discount for employee dependents,
• paid holidays,
• paid vacation and sick leave, and
• flexible spending accounts and tax-deferred savings plans.

"We are hoping to attract young pilots who want to stay for a while, build their aviation skills and perhaps take advantage of the opportunity to take additional course work that can help them boost their career options when they finally head into industry," Grossman said.

FMI: www.wmich.edu/aviation/