Sun, Jan 13, 2008
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.
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