Pilot Shortage: Up in the Air

Flying seems to have lost it's appeal to American's youth, and as less and less young men and women desire to take to the skies, more and more positions are left vacant in the aviation industry.

This may not seem like a big deal to those of you who don't fly, but it could affect several aspects of modern-day life around the country including how people travel, how patients in critical condition are transported, and how remote infrastructures like pipelines are investigated.

Pete Michaud, a local pilot, Air Force Veteran, and flight instructor with the Brownwood Flying Service, says he's witnessed this loss of interest in aviation firsthand.

"I've been here 42 years, instructing the pilot exam for the FAA," states Michaud. "When I first started, check rides were $35 and now they are $400."

It's that bottom-line which could be cooling off some of the interest and passion for flying; but not for Steven Bates, the son of long time Brownwood police officer and avid pilot Tom Bates.

Steven Bates says he's been flying since he was in a car seat but now that he has his own family, Bates likes to "take the family around. Go to vacations or just go up for an hour and have fun."

Other local instructors, Bryce Stickney with Lytle Aviation in Abilene and Dan Kenley say they've seen not only a decline in students, but a decline in places for them to learn as well, and the price of pilot education has only risen over the years, acting as a deterrent for many potential students eager to learn the trade.

"There is no shortage of people wanting to learn to fly," explains Stickney. "It just really comes down to money and time."

Experts predict this trend will lead to a deficiency of nearly 20,000 pilots with major airlines within the next five years, causing may of these jobs to be outsourced to expanding markets in Asia. Many American pilots are reaching retirement age as well, creating a greater need for the next generation to garner an interest in aviation.

Dan Kenley believes, "there [are] just about as many [people learning to fly] as there were before. It has gotten a lot more expensive but people are still learning."

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