As Need for New Blood Mounts, Education Brass Considers Changes to Traditional Training Pipeline
The Air Force's recruiting and training situation is scarcely better than it was last year, amid a growing industry-wide pilot shortage. The USAF thinks it can train 1,470 new pilots in fiscal year 2023, something its own AF Times calls a "lofty goal amid an enduring shortage of flyers". The target is not far off the original plan to graduate 1,500 new, combat-ready pilots per year by 2024, but so far its efforts to even reach its overarching goal of 21,000 pilots haven't panned out. Usually, the service is only about 19,000-strong, across active duty, reserve, and Guard pilots overall.