A couple news stories in recent days have passed almost completely unnoticed. In fact, if you aren’t subscribed to the AOPA eBrief, it’s likely you haven’t even heard these stories. Yet, they should be cause of grave concern among Americans. Taken together and in context with the state of the United States today, I can’t help but wonder of the Obama administration is correct: We can’t be number one forever and it’s simply our time to step aside so that others can move up.
On June 1st, one item reported student pilots will number only 69,000 next year, which is a drop of 30% over ten years. Apparently many of these fledgling pilots have no interest in commercial aviation, as one flight school owner mentioned in the article reports only 20% of his students express a desire to become commercial pilots. The story concludes the decreasing pool of student pilots could impact the commercial pilot hiring among the airlines. Could impact hiring? How about will impact hiring?
Soon, you’ll not only have to be concerned with an inexperienced kid flying your regional airline jet (which represents the majority of flights today – don’t let the major airline livery on the aircraft fool you), but also have to deal with foreign nationals flying these jets. As it stands right now, several foreign airlines employ American pilots. However, this pool is almost empty, so these nations are training their own nationals to take the place of American pilots. With the drastic drop in pilot numbers in the US, it’s only a matter of time before airlines here will be forced to hire foreign nationals to operate US-registered aircraft. We are on the threshold – if not already crossing it – of losing our dominance in aerospace.
Here’s the second piece of the puzzle to help you see the situation even clearer: today, a piece appeared cheering the economic benefits a new flight school has brought to Hondo, Texas. Go beyond the headline and you find disturbing information which ties into my comments above. Of the 120 students at this school, 80 are from China (no mention if any of the remaining 40 students are US citizens). Add to it, the facility is the former US Air Force Flight Screening facility where prospective USAF pilots went for years to be evaluated on their aptitude for flight training before being allowed to attend formal USAF pilot training.
Why are the Chinese (and many, many other foreign nationals) attending US flight schools? Because we still produce the best product. As it stands right now, if you want the best (and most cost effective) flight training, you get it in the United States. However, the numbers show we’re giving up on maintaining our lead. Due to the fact flight training is cheaper in the US (because the flight system isn’t overburdened with onerous taxation – at least for now), it’s likely these schools could remain in operation in the US, but staffed and “studented” completely by foreign nationals.
So what, you might ask? This situation is merely an indicator of a more serious problem in the United States. We’re already given up almost all our manufacturing – which allowed us to fight a World War and “produce” ourselves out of the Great Depression created by the FDR administration. Now, we’re giving up on maintaining an intellectual lead. If the rest of the world no longer must turn to the US for manufactured goods or for new technology and ideas, then what need do they have us of other than as “consumers” of their goods? We need to wake up and get back in the game before it’s too late. Unfortunately, it seems like most people are content to hit the “snooze button” of Big Government handouts instead of taking charge and facing reality head on. The only reason the United States cannot maintain a lead in the world is if we give up. So why are we giving up?
The Blaze News
Semper Alacer 
Chinese Pilots Train at ex-Air Force Facility — Are We Giving Up?
A couple news stories in recent days have passed almost completely unnoticed. In fact, if you aren’t subscribed to the AOPA eBrief, it’s likely you haven’t even heard these stories. Yet, they should be cause of grave concern among Americans. Taken together and in context with the state of the United States today, I can’t help but wonder of the Obama administration is correct: We can’t be number one forever and it’s simply our time to step aside so that others can move up.
On June 1st, one item reported student pilots will number only 69,000 next year, which is a drop of 30% over ten years. Apparently many of these fledgling pilots have no interest in commercial aviation, as one flight school owner mentioned in the article reports only 20% of his students express a desire to become commercial pilots. The story concludes the decreasing pool of student pilots could impact the commercial pilot hiring among the airlines. Could impact hiring? How about will impact hiring?
Soon, you’ll not only have to be concerned with an inexperienced kid flying your regional airline jet (which represents the majority of flights today – don’t let the major airline livery on the aircraft fool you), but also have to deal with foreign nationals flying these jets. As it stands right now, several foreign airlines employ American pilots. However, this pool is almost empty, so these nations are training their own nationals to take the place of American pilots. With the drastic drop in pilot numbers in the US, it’s only a matter of time before airlines here will be forced to hire foreign nationals to operate US-registered aircraft. We are on the threshold – if not already crossing it – of losing our dominance in aerospace.
Here’s the second piece of the puzzle to help you see the situation even clearer: today, a piece appeared cheering the economic benefits a new flight school has brought to Hondo, Texas. Go beyond the headline and you find disturbing information which ties into my comments above. Of the 120 students at this school, 80 are from China (no mention if any of the remaining 40 students are US citizens). Add to it, the facility is the former US Air Force Flight Screening facility where prospective USAF pilots went for years to be evaluated on their aptitude for flight training before being allowed to attend formal USAF pilot training.
Why are the Chinese (and many, many other foreign nationals) attending US flight schools? Because we still produce the best product. As it stands right now, if you want the best (and most cost effective) flight training, you get it in the United States. However, the numbers show we’re giving up on maintaining our lead. Due to the fact flight training is cheaper in the US (because the flight system isn’t overburdened with onerous taxation – at least for now), it’s likely these schools could remain in operation in the US, but staffed and “studented” completely by foreign nationals.
So what, you might ask? This situation is merely an indicator of a more serious problem in the United States. We’re already given up almost all our manufacturing – which allowed us to fight a World War and “produce” ourselves out of the Great Depression created by the FDR administration. Now, we’re giving up on maintaining an intellectual lead. If the rest of the world no longer must turn to the US for manufactured goods or for new technology and ideas, then what need do they have us of other than as “consumers” of their goods? We need to wake up and get back in the game before it’s too late. Unfortunately, it seems like most people are content to hit the “snooze button” of Big Government handouts instead of taking charge and facing reality head on. The only reason the United States cannot maintain a lead in the world is if we give up. So why are we giving up?