Need for Pilots in Canada after recession perhaps?

[Blue Streak]

Hi guys,I have been laid off on the ground here in manufacturing.Was thinking on trying to see if the government will pay for my recert for Multi-IFR & get a Flight Instructor Rating.I need to prove to my career councilor via documented research that there is indeed a demand for Commercial Pilots.
I am 37 years old in 2 months and time is ticking.

I am pretty sure I know the answer to my question above but just wanted to put this topic out there.


Thank you for your serious replies,

[magyar]

well i think there is a severe demand for luggage monkey's right now at some places......

[mcrit]

Hi Blue, hate to be the bearer of bad news, but that is going to be a tough sell to your councilor. This market is currently overstocked with pilots, and going to get worse. If past cycles are anything to go by it will be 5 or 6 years before there is any real demand for pilots in this country.

[Conquest Driver]

Firstly, I have to admire your foresight. I think now is a very good time to get training done. This recession/depression isn't going to last forever and the worse this is, the greater the demand is going to be when it ends.

However, as mcrit mentioned, it may be hard to get funding when HRDC has an expanding database of unemployed pilots. All you can do is to try and convince them to take a long term approach. There are quite a few surveys out there which predict a global pilot shortage. Right now, that's not the case, but the fundamentals are still there. So, I'd try to go with long term surveys and studies. As an observation, HRDC training opportunities seem to vary vastly depending on the geographic region where you live. If you live in a region with high unemployment, I'd say your chances are much improved.

As far as I know, the best way to make your case to the HRDC is to collect a few letters from employers which state that they would consider hiring you with the Multi-IFR. They don't have to guarantee anything, "consider" is what you're looking for.

Best Wishes

[Blue Streak]

Ok, thanks guys. I am going to finally send in my application by the end of the month I think.

Thank you for your replies so far,

[just curious]

Google pilot shortage, and search, copy and paste the job ads here. All of them are gonna show a requirement for an IFr or an instructor rating. Print them and bring them, Good Luck

[Flybaby]

I just searched pilot shortage and could find anything resent except for South Africa. I did find this bit in an article for 2007 that made me yell at my computer screen.

In Europe, Belgium's largest carrier Brussels Airlines recently complained of losing an average of 10 captains a month to pilot-hungry airlines in the Gulf, and have requested government intervention.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19806380/
My response; "PAY YOUR PILOTS BETTER AND TREAT THEM BETTER AND THEY WON"T WANT TO MOVE TO THE MIDDLE EAST. AND DON"T GO CRYING TO YOUR GOVERNMENT BECAUSE YOU CAN"T CONVINCE EMPLOYEES THAT THEY WANT TO WORK FOR YOUR S****Y COMPANY"
I feel a little better.

[VikVaughan]

Might be recent enough:

http://www.cbc.ca/world/story/2007/11/2 ... rtage.html

Try not to laugh (cry) too hard..

[Tango Romeo]

My assumption is that most of the pilots who have already been laid off will be the first to get in as soon as the economy starts to pick back up. A buddy of mine was laid off but his employer definately told him he would be recieving a call as soon as things were back in order. This could just be simply a nice gesture from the employer, nevertheless l would think that would be the norm when someone gets laid off. Employers l find rarely take on new people after a lay off unless they have moved on to bigger and better things.

l do wish you all the best though!

Cheers,

Tango

[Blue Streak]

Hi guys,

Well I have my mind made up. I am returning to school for Water and Waste Water Treatment, a one year co-op paid program.

I don't really have enough positive info to actually give me the drive to pursue flying again and all that comes with it. I am 37 now and life goes on I guess you could say. This does make me sad though but, I need to have a career without layoff's and one that isn't so cut throat to get into.

I will have another student loan if approved but this career should work out for me nicely I am forecasting.


Thanks for your insight everyone,


D

[North Shore]

Water and Waste Water Treatment, a one year co-op paid program.

...Not a bad option, IMHO. I can't see there's ever not going to be a need for clean drinking water...

[black hole]

Not a bad idea! Get a real "JOB" with real money. Then you can buy your own plane and do all the flying you want, and go where you want, and when you want!!!! Good Luck


BH

[Flybabe]

I have to agree. The wastewater program sounds like a good idea.

Flying is fun, for the most part. I'm finding lately, though, that I'm missing out on a home life. I guess my priorities have changed a bit.

Best wishes in your career change.

[Changes in Latitudes]

Hi guys,

Well I have my mind made up. I am returning to school for Water and Waste Water Treatment, a one year co-op paid program.

I don't really have enough positive info to actually give me the drive to pursue flying again and all that comes with it. I am 37 now and life goes on I guess you could say. This does make me sad though but, I need to have a career without layoff's and one that isn't so cut throat to get into.

I will have another student loan if approved but this career should work out for me nicely I am forecasting.


Thanks for your insight everyone,


D

Honestly, if I had to do it over again, I wouldn't. This is coming from someone who makes a decent living at a stable flying job. I've lost too much in my personal relationships and in my life. Family who feel they barely know the man I am now, people that have passed away that I could have been around for; all in sacrifice to this all-encompassing job that has somehow become my defining characteristic as a human being. Yea, it's fun at times, but not worth the price of admission.

Go, make some money, and buy something fun to fly on the weekends if you still like airplanes.

[iflyforpie]

I've lost too much in my personal relationships and in my life.

A reason why I don't want to advance to that 'dream job'. I can make it on what I am making now and somehow the I just don't see the benefit of me going on half-pay and a terrible schedule to be an F/O on a King Air; so maybe someday I can be Captain; so maybe someday I can be an F/O for Westjet or AC; so maybe I can be Captain; so maybe I can have a stable job with pay and benefits that will make up for the lean years.

But it takes a lot of money later to make up for lack of money now and by the time I get there; my wife and my kids won't know me.


I love flying; and making a blue-collar wage flying pistons, to be home pretty much every night at a stable job is fine with me...

[BibleMonkey]

Water and Waste Water Treatment, a one year co-op paid program.

...Not a bad option, IMHO. I can't see there's ever not going to be a need for clean drinking water...

Yup. Good choice Blue Streak; there's an increasing demand for certified operators.

A lot of them have given up advertising-there's not enough utility operators now, and there's a lot of grey haired ones......

http://www.awwoa.ab.ca/?object=1

http://www.nait.ca/program_home_15228.htm

[Rowdy]

A few flying jobs around with solid paychecks and homelifes. Just gotta find them, they're usually a little under the radar, so the masses dont spoil em

[Blue Streak]

Hi guys, thank you for your encouraging posts.It'll be interesting to see how things unfold over the next year or two!

Cheers,


D