This article about the shortage of USAF pilots makes no sense at all

[roundhouse]

http://www.mcclatchydc.com/news/nation-world/national/national-security/article94922927.html

It mentions that the pilots are worn out from flying. Then mentions that they are leaving because the don't get enough flight time

Then mentions that they are short 700 pilots so they are going to build 2 new flight training facilities

If you have less pilots why would you need two new facilities to train the pilots you don't have ?

If no one is signing up to be a pilot I'd think the existing training facilities are less than Capacity?


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[FantomKnight]

It does seem a bit confusing. But, my son will happy to hear that the Air Force is expecting a shortage of fighter pilots in the next few years. He's dreamed of being a fighter pilot since he was 3 years old. A shortage just means that he will have a better chance of getting assigned a slot when he does enlist. He's already fairly well on his way. This summer, he earned his bronze wings in the USNSCC for completing the FAA ground school training.

 

[roundhouse]

My son wants to be a helicopter pilot
And had talked to the army recruiters who were Impressed with his asvab scores but he got offered a good college lacrosse scholarship
So he's doing that first

The army doesn't require a college degree for pilots


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[freedom]

I think it's not distinguishing between pilot pilots and drone pilots.

 

[roundhouse]

I think it's not distinguishing between pilot pilots and drone pilots.

I bet you're right

The article made it sound like the pilots are unhappy about flying actual combat

You know , the ONE thing they spend years training for
And they are only happy if they get to fly around all day doing nothing at a place where they can be home every night

Course only the govt would be so dumb as to offer the Existing employees a $25K retention bonus when it costs $3 million to train their replacement.....


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[Jayro]

The article is completely misguided and incorporated numerous scapegoats and blame;of which never addresses sensical reasons why pilots and other personnel are leaving. Although Pilot may be the title of a USAF aviator; that is only where 10% of their efforts are spent.

 

[JamesG]

Actual combat today is pretty much just flying around for hours at a time waiting for someone to need something blown up on the ground, punching in a grid coord and then pressing a button to release a smart bomb.

I think it's not distinguishing between pilot pilots and drone pilots.

I don't think so. The drone operators are coming from other branches, attack, transport, etc. or are the low scoring pilots who would probably get separated if they weren't flying a computer.

Mostly this is just USAF brass pressuring congress for money, the way they always do. The real thing is that the drones are coming, both teleoperated and autonomous, and so they are going to spend all this money recruiting, training, and paying pilots only to have to fire a lot of them in a decade when a) UCAVs make them obsolete b) We can't afford to maintain a 3500 A/C fleet (esp. if most of them are supposed to be mindbogglingly expensive F-22/35s).

 

[keith089]

Army requires asociates degree to fly as a warrant officer

 

[JamesG]

The problem isn't the education level. There are plenty of people with BAs. The problem is attracting and retaining the people who can qualify and make it thru the flight training.

 

[gober13]

Army requires asociates degree to fly as a warrant officer

Flight warrant is the only one that doesn't require any civilian education. At least it was that way 2 years ago when i looked into it.