Global Aviation – A time to learn to fly.
The opportunity for you to learn to fly and become competent enough to become a commercial pilot has never been better or easier. More people are flying every day for business and pleasure, which increases the need for new pilots and creates more new jobs and more new venues for the aviation community.
Global aviation is growing and expected to double in 20 years,
This means it’s a possibility to be on a fast track for a job in aviation.
Imagine yourself as the captain of a commercial airliner.
Imagine yourself flying into space! It’s not too distant in the future.
What will make a difference?
The answer is you…
The pilot shortage.
We have a pilot shortage right now that needs to be addressed. Based on information obtained from a google search of the pilot shortage today indicates a 12,000 pilot gap by 2023 or around 15% of the total supply. If you’re passionate about an aviation career it’s the greatest time ever to learn to fly.
When I started learning it was far from a shortage, many pilots were returning from Vietnam so finding a job as a Flight Instructor was a big challenge and that was the only stepping stone in that time that allowed anyone to advance.
Based on the latest research done by Redbird Flight Simulators just published, the worldwide interest in learning to fly is about 40 million people. That is 60 times the number of pilots in the United States alone right now.
Electric Airplanes?
We will look at the exciting opportunities with the new technology behind electric aircraft. I’ll give you some ideas about what’s going on in the industry as far as completely electric training aircraft that are available today.
At $6 a gallon aviation fuel is one of the greatest costs in learning to fly. With the new all-electric trainers that are available now and already certified for training the cost of a pilot’s license is considerably reduced. Unfortunately, these aircraft are not readily available. That is changing every day.
Revolution in Aviation
Things have changed considerably since I began learning to fly 50 years ago.
Opportunity abounds in aviation right now.
We are moving into areas have that we have never thought possible in the past. This means that you can make yourself marketable easier than ever before.
For example, becoming an aircraft mechanic or an avionics technician in addition to having your pilot’s license will make you a very desirable employee because of your diversity.
We must move away from internal combustion engines to electric motors simply because of the pollution that airplanes create.
Battery technology has not yet advanced far enough to be able to utilize electric motors for large commercial airplanes. This allows one to be involved in new technology, new designs for new propulsion systems, and new guidance systems for aircraft.
We are coming to an age where our aircraft will replace the modern car.
Is flying difficult to learn?
Flying is simply hand-to-eye coordination. And it’s fun and easy to do.
Just like anything else you want to learn you have to learn the rules. The rules come pretty easy because you begin learning them the moment you step into the airplane for the first time.
Educational materials are readily available. In my estimation reading everything you can about flying is a plus.
Even books like “Fate Is The Hunter” by Ernest K. Gann, the story of a man who became an airline pilot. I doubt very much that you will put it down once you start reading it.
There are a lot of companies selling aviation books and they’re all about the same.
I really like Rod Machado because he is a very personable flight instructor and is a contemporary of mine that I admire for his teaching ability and demeanor. I promote his products because of that. He’s been instructing for a long time.
Through the years I’ve used pretty much every training outfit that there is for CFI renewals to ground schools.
Conclusion
I’ve been a student of aviation for nearly 50 years. My first flight at the controls was in September of 1973 when I took my first introductory ride in Helena Mt.
I will always be a student. That is what aviation requires.
I hope that my experience and my life in aviation will help you choose by learning to fly. Or continue with your aviation career perhaps adding a new rating or making the choice of becoming a flight instructor yourself.
I will be telling stories of my experience learning to fly and my experience flying the line and going along for the ride from the Cessna 150 to the Boeing 737 and perhaps some other pilots will join in and tell us some of their stories
We need pilots in this global industry and lots of them. As training costs decline it opens the doors for people who in the past were not allowed to involve themselves in aviation.
I will be happy to help people find ways to finance their flight training.
I’ll be talking about schools of aviation that can accelerate your learning. I will try to give you examples of good choices in instructors. Most of all I will be available to you To answer questions or give you my personal opinion on a matter that you may be concerned about.
I have taught many many people how to fly airplanes and I am happy I found a way to continue helping anyone that has the interest. I hope some of these stories will inspire you and I hope that some of them will help you make a decision and not make the same mistakes I did
The saying goes, “There are old pilots and there are bold pilots but there are no old bold pilots”…
Good work Bennett. Keep it going.
Hey Bennet, thanks for this interesting and in depth post. I like how you share your own experience with flying, address the predicted pilot gap, and telling us about helpful books such as “Fate Is the Hunter”. What are some personal benefits of being a pilot? My grandma on my dads side was a pilot and she really enjoyed her career.
Hey brother thank you very much for the comments I do appreciate that. I have no idea what kind of response I might get from this thing so something positive is always help thank you most personal benefit to me flying was the immense increase in self confidence. It’s a real rush to control the airplane and master it. If your grandma’s still alive you ought to get some stories out ever. If not put down on paper what you remember.
This is an incredibly interesting article. Although I personally have no interest in flying an aircraft myself, I haven’t even ridden in a plane as a passenger, it’s quite unfortunate that we’re experiencing a pilot shortage. I can understand with the pandemic and economy, the demand just isn’t there. Thanks for sharing that information, and your own flight experiences though. I hope reading your article sets a spark in someone and they can find passion in aviation like you have.
Thank you very much Rachel I loved reading your comment. It’s hard for me to imagine life without an airplane it was the greatest confidence builder that ever occurred for me and the greatest freedom I have ever experienced. It’s kinda hard for me to imagine that there are people like you that have never been in a plane. Thank you for taking your time for me.
Your friend
Steve
Thank you for very interesting article. I always dreamed about flying (who didn’t?) but I always thought its extremely difficult and complicated process. But looking on your post it seems as something average person can learn and definitely I would love to try. Im sure it will take lot of time, but your opinion is very encouraging!
Learning to fly can be a daunting process but it’s also a lot of fun . And yeah you could do it so do go try I do appreciate your comment and if you decide to continue with your journey into aviation don’t hesitate to get in touch if you have any questions
your friend
Steve
This has been a very interesting post. I agree with you that this is a time to learn to fly. It has always been one of my interests. And I had seen it as an imposible. Thanks for sharing that educational material is available. I always use comparisons taken from the aviation world. And there are many similitudes between the challenges we have to confront and the challenges a pilot has to deal with up in the air. But we can be grateful that in most cases, for us, a negative outcome is not fatal.
Hello Ann, thanks very much for your kind words. When I started writing this I wasn’t sure that it was even a topic that would be met with any interest. I do hope that in time that it becomes a lucrative website but one only can guess on that. Your comment about the challenges we all face; One thing that I do know about flying is that situational awareness is imperative and that follows true with everyone in life even driving a car we all know we must be very attentive to paying attention to things around us
your friend,
Steve .
This article reminds me that a helicopter flight instructor told me about a similar shortage of helicopters pilots. He said that he received frequent calls from employers who wanted to know about his current students so they could set up interviews. You speak of commercial pilots here but my friend was quick to point out that there is no shortage of opportunities from private employment with a company or person, delivering goods, scenic “tourist” flights or even rescue and/or patient transportation. I hope some young people will look into this great opportunity!