US Airlines Looking for New Pilots -- Big Opportunities Await You

According to Aviation Week, perhaps the most highly respected aviation magazine in the world, challenges continue in pilot recruitment, and the minimum flight hours required for employment appear to be falling as carriers attempt to attract newly qualified pilot candidates.  That means you can get a job as a first officer with an airline more quickly after pilot training than anytime in recent history.

Pinnacle, ExpressJet and Republic all had pilot staffing problems in 2007, to name just a few. Pinnacle's attrition rate (typically pilots leaving for jobs with other airlines who are aggressively recruiting to meet their own pilot shortages) was 20 a month last year. ExpressJet lost some of their senior check-airmen, which caused a lag in check-ride time for other pilots, compounding the pilot shortage problem. And Republic Airways had to cancel flights in the second and third quarters of 2007 because of its lack of pilots. SkyWest has been running its own job fairs to hire pilots. It's definitely a "buyers" market for newly-minted pilots looking for jobs with airlines.

To attract more new pilots, the minimum hours required have indeed fallen considerably. Previously, you typically needed a minimum of 1,500 hours total time and 500 on multi-engine aircraft, as well as FAA-required ratings.  That has all changed, making it the best time for new pilots in recent history. 

For example, when checked recently, Atlantic Southeast Airlines had 500 hour total time minimums with 50 hours multi-engine. Comair requires 600 hours total time with 100 multi-engine. American Eagle posted 800 total time and 100 multi-engine. Trans States had one of the lowest total time minimums at 250 hours.

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