One of our readers—an airplane owner and active CFI—recently called to ask why the magazine doesn’t bring more attention to rule-bending, which he thinks is a growing trend. Although he had no hard statistics to back up his assertion, he offered the stereotype that older and financially capable pilots with medical issues are getting their hands on technically advanced and highly automated aircraft (yes, he mentions Cirrus). He went on that the combination of an aging pilot population and the anticipation of third class medical reform is making for a lot of scofflaws, while the advocacy of AOPA and other alphabets is fostering an arrogant sense of entitlement among the older and financially flush GA pilot community. Last, if these pilots fly without medicals (he found a half dozen recent crashes where the pilot had a lapsed medical), then they also must have a lax attitude when it comes to maintenance. Is it really a free-for-all out there? If it is, it’s not exactly a new trend, in my estimation.
This got me thinking about one of the most mechanically skilled aircraft owners I’ve ever known. He would half jokingly proclaim that since it was he who owned his airplane—and not the FAA—he could do whatever the heck he wanted with it. If that included making improvements and modifications to his ride without jumping through a lengthy and convoluted FAA approval process—which wouldn’t add a bit of safety to his mission—he’s already done it. When I challenged my friend’s rebellious ways, he admitted to trying to play by the rules, but after years of dealing with misinformed FAA airworthiness inspectors who shot at him from their hip, he started walking to the click of his own wrench. I have no idea if he flew his airplane out of annual inspection or without a medical certificate, but I do know that he never put a scratch on the airplane in 50-plus years of flying. He’s lucky and skilled, but that doesn’t make him right.
After researching lots of NTSB reports each month, it does make me wonder if the regs still matter. They should matter because they are the rules and responsible pilots follow rules, right? But how many other pilots are taking this do-what-I-want approach to flying because of the outdated medical requirements, not to mention a stale Part 23? Since flying—and aircraft ownership in general—is based almost entirely on the honor system, it’s impossible to know exactly how many pilots fly without medicals, in unairworthy aircraft and without flight reviews. You’ll have to look to the NTSB reports for hard evidence, which do have a healthy number of probable causes with narratives that include all of the above—especially pilots who were flying without a valid medical certificate. As we reported in the operational blunders article in the April 2016 issue of Aviation Consumer, if you crash, you or your lawyer might be defending your actions because almost every crash could have a rule-breaking gotcha in its wreck report.
The pilot who continued to fly VFR into IMC conditions and augered into rising terrain busted an FAR, and the FAA and NTSB can argue that the pilot should have known that the weather conditions were beyond his or her capabilities. That pilot would get slapped with a 91.13 bust—careless and reckless. But, it’s easy to see why some rule-breaking is easy to justify by dint of common sense. For example, if the annual inspection on your airplane expired on May 31 and you hop in and fly it to the shop on June 3, are you really at an increased risk of crashing? I highly doubt it. Perhaps a 10-day grace period might keep rule-abiding pilots honest. The rest will fly on day 11.
I can’t think of a workable alternative to the self-policing honor system that’s currently in place. The naysayers of medical certification reform argue that self-certification is tantamount to allowing the fox to guard the chickens and is a step away from compliance. I say that as long as there is a human element involved, any and all rules will be bent. If you’re among the crowd that can’t stop yourself from bending the FARs, follow the lead of my rebellious friend and simply don’t bend the airplane.
According to their numbers, the demand for pilots will greatly outstrip supply over the next decade. According to their 2022 estimates, the US market will likely have a shortage of nearly 30,000 pilots by 2030. Regional airlines are likely to be the hardest hit.
Based on current figures, we expect to see a mild pilot shortage this year, with pilot supply and demand converging in 2024. This could result in a surplus through the early 2030s.
This was previously in section 609 of the law that established the FAA, as many older pilots will recall it having been known as a “609 ride”. The law gives the FAA wide latitude to reexamine an airman, and granting the FAA the authority to do so at any time.
Other long-haul pilots are gone for three or four days at a time, home for a few days, and then leave again for another trip. In general, long-haul pilots get extended time off between work days in exchange for working longer shifts, whereas short-haul pilots could be home every night but have fewer days off.
How much does a Pilot make at Delta Air Lines in the United States? Average Delta Air Lines Pilot yearly pay in the United States is approximately $228,528, which is 182% above the national average.
Most pilots are retiring because of age: At least 5,773 retire each year because they hit the mandatory retirement age of 65. By 2029, not a single baby boomer will be able to legally fly commercial aircraft, says Mark Baier, CEO at Aviation Manuals and an aviation safety expert and licensed commercial pilot.
Equipment delays from Boeing and Airbus are also contributing to the hiring slump. While manufacturing issues abound at Boeing, Timothy Genc, Chief Advisor and Executive Editor at Future and Active Pilot Advisors, said that Airbus currently has a backlog of almost 8,800 aircraft to be delivered.
Delta Air Lines will hire 1,100 pilots in 2024 to support growth and retirements, and anticipates this pace to continue through the remainder of the decade. Additionally, Delta's profit sharing in 2023 was more than all competitors combined.
The states and districts that pay Pilots the highest mean salary are Washington ($278,260), Florida ($270,720), California ($252,110), Michigan ($236,970), and New York ($229,120).
When the FAA has reason to believe an airman's competency is in question or an aircraft does not meet FAA standards, they can request a reexamination of an airman's abilities or or reinspection of an aircraft under U.S. § 44709 (below), commonly referred to as a “709 Check Ride”.
A practical test, more commonly known as a checkride, is the Federal Aviation Administration examination which one must undergo in the United States to receive an aircraft pilot's certification, or a rating for additional flight privileges.
As a result, they're often confused. But they have different purposes, and only Section 609 will support a dispute letter. Under the FCRA, Section 604 defines the circ*mstances under which a consumer reporting agency may furnish a consumer report. This section is titled “Permissible purposes of consumer reports.”
The issues with pilots are similar to those flight attendants face, and the pilot divorce rate is high at 30.5%. Divorce is so common among pilots that there's a term for it in the industry: Aviation-Induced Divorce Syndrome.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported the median U.S. airline pilot, copilot, and flight engineer salary at $219,1400 for 2023. This means 50% of pilots earn more than this, and 50% earn less. However, there are pilots working for major airlines making more than $700,000 per year.
A difference in life expectancy of more than 5 years longer was found for our sample of retired airline co*ckpit crew members. Half of the pilots in this sample retiring at age 60 were expected to live past 83.8 years of age, compared to 77.4 years for the general population of 60 year-old white males in 1980.
In the current estimate for 2024-2042, the years to come will require 649,000 new pilots worldwide with nearly 130,000 of these new pilots in North America. Even with airlines hiring thousands of pilots every year, the industry is still expected to be short 30,000 pilots in 2032.
Tsourdos says it is highly unlikely that we will have commercial flights without pilots any time soon. “The role of the pilots may change through the years, so they will be supervisors. I think from the safety and resilience point of view, it's unlikely they'll disappear,” he says.
Over the next 10-15 years, the global pilot workforce will undergo a dramatic change. Aviation is continuing to grow, creating a demand for pilots that exceeds supply in most places; at the same time, an increasing number of pilots in the baby-boom generation are reaching mandatory retirement age.
Introduction: My name is Gregorio Kreiger, I am a tender, brainy, enthusiastic, combative, agreeable, gentle, gentle person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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