Airline Pilot Supply and Pilot Experience

Abstract

Verbatim from Embry-Riddle Scholarly Commons. Not paraphrased, not summarized.

A well-trained and highly skilled pilot is the most important safety feature of any airline flight. Since 2010 there have been no passenger fatalities on board an airline aircraft in the United States. This remarkable achievement coincides with FAA rule changes that mandated higher levels of minimum experience for airline pilots. ALPA continuously monitors the current trends in pilot hiring, pilot license certificate issuances, and pilot supply forecasts. With an eye towards ensuring that airline safety remains the highest priority, the presentation will begin with a review of the current pilot supply data. An argument is made for valuing high-quality pilot experience using accident reports. The paper will examine studies that claim training duration and washout rates of newly hired pilots is an indicator of the quality of a pilot. Various aspects of experience will be discussed, including key elements. . As many have postulated, the foundational training received during the pilot’s education and flight training is important. However the pilot’s training environment, types of testing, the diversity of airports and weather encountered, mentoring, and even a pilot’s life experiences outside of aviation are all contributors to pilot safety.

Author

• Ryder, Paul Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University

Keywords

• pilot
• pilot experience
• pilot supply
• pilot training