Notes Demand For Career Pilots Will Increase
Young aspirants to a professional
pilot career face many daunting challenges on their paths
to the sky... but it may help them to know the over 412,000 members
of the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association are behind them. AOPA
tells ANN the pilot advocacy group has launched "AOPA Career
Pilot," a new effort to support America's young men and women who
are planning or already working toward a career as a professional
pilot.
"AOPA has always been about pilots," said AOPA President Phil
Boyer. "We have provided world-class products and services to
millions of members since we were founded in 1939. This program
continues that tradition -- one that leverages our unique strengths
so we can effectively serve an important and fast-growing segment:
the next generation of career pilots."
AOPA Career Pilot provides several useful resources for anyone
seriously considering a career as a professional pilot, as well as
those already in the early stages of flight training. The print and
online resources have been developed by AOPA staff members, in
conjunction with highly-respected aviation and training
professionals.
In the coming years, a
range of factors will increase the demand for new pilots -- the
airlines are using smaller jets for short-haul flights; new
air-taxi services are expected to become available as the new
very-light jets start to enter the market; low-cost carriers like
JetBlue continue to grow; fractional-ownership programs like
NetJets are expanding. And the military, historically a major
contributor of personnel to the airlines, is moving toward
technologies that require fewer pilots.
"This is a growing market, one that AOPA is uniquely positioned
to serve with our unmatched range and depth of resources," said
Boyer.
One of the features of AOPA Career Pilot is a section dedicated
to aspiring professional pilots in the award-winning AOPA Flight
Training magazine. Each month a variety of articles will focus on
the needs of tomorrow’s professional pilots. Stories will
provide information on employment options, training programs,
hiring statistics and strategies for effective interviews and
resumes. Other topics will include pertinent information such as
profiles of flight schools, job market forecasts and inside tips
from airline recruiters.
In addition to the print materials, an AOPA Career Pilot Web
site will offer a broad range of interactive resources. Visitors to
the AOPA Career Pilot website will be
able to enjoy services such as participating in a mock interview
session; creating a blog about their own experiences; and chatting
with professional pilots, among many other planned resources.
"Over the past decades AOPA has created a remarkable body of
resources for pilots," noted Boyer. "Our AOPA Career Pilot
initiative continues that tradition while building a whole new
level of service, using today’s latest technology for
tomorrow's professional pilots."