A couple weeks ago I had the opportunity to speak to Jeff Hensley, a United Airlines pilot, to get an understanding behind what pilots can expect during the pandemic. Pilots are still being heavily effected by COVID-19 and various organizations dealing with the travel industry are hemorrhaging money. Most recently, reports are coming out showing higher links of COVID-19 cases with international travel. I reached out to an experienced pilot in the DFW area, who wishes to remain anonymous, to discuss what we can expect from pilots moving forward.
Hello, with fleets becoming grounded due to these staff reductions, some pilots are having trouble with finding new side-jobs to stay afloat and sharpening their aviating skills to keep their certifications. What could a post-COVID situation look like for these current pilots and how will this affect future flight school attendance rates?
I could see a lot of pilots returning to their former flying jobs like aerial imaging or flight instructing granted there are still positions available. Jobs in the aviation industry are starting to become increasingly scarce and not everyone will be able to stay in aviation for the time being. As far as attendance rates go, I think that a large part of that could depend on the economy. Flight training is not cheap and those that are considering going to flight school need to understand exactly what they are getting themselves into.
Chris Riggins, a spokesman for the Air Line Pilots Association, has stated that pilots will “do anything we can by problem solving and managing risks to protect our families”. What professions have you seen grounded pilots switch over to effectively and what skills do pilots possess that are very transferable to other roles?
I’ve talked to many captains during my trips over the past few months to brainstorm new ways to make income after inevitably getting furloughed. I can’t say that there is one industry that pilots just so happen to be very successful at. We do this job because we like flying, but outside of that our interest can vary completely. The most recent captain that I flew with cuts grass on the side and has a small lawncare business. Another went to school to be an A&P (Aviation Maintenance Technician) and works at his local airport from time to time. My biggest piece of advice would be to diversify yourself. Develop new skills outside of just being a pilot. Like my father always told me, “you need to have a plan a, b, and c”.
Speaking more on those pilots currently grounded or being offered fewer hours, what are the requirements to keep your commercial license and is it hard to keep your aviating skills efficient during a forced grounding?
To keep a commercial pilot license you’ll need to complete a Biennial flight review. This review consists of at least 1 hour of ground and 1 hour of flight instruction. In the airline world however the bigger issue is keeping current. Every year airline pilots go to recurrent training where we fly and are tested over a wide array of situations in a full motion simulator to continue flying. We also have to complete 3 takeoffs and landings within 90 days to remain current and if that number isn’t met than a pilot will have to take a trip to the sim to fulfill that requirement. With many pilots no longer flying there has been an increasing need of sim time for landings instead of the new hire and upgrade training that once took its place. When I was a flight instructor, I would always tell my students that flying a plane is the opposite of learning how to ride a bike. It’s a skill that needs consistent practice to gain growth and development. The best pilots are the ones that are always learning and sitting on the sidelines waiting to fly I can hardly see that as being beneficial to your skills. Luckily I believe the aviation professionals in this industry are a bright group and with a mix of that professionalism and experience can hopefully pick right back up where we left off after some time in the sim.
With the CARES Airport Program expiring October 1st, do you see increasing layoffs amongst pilots moving forward or could increases in foot traffic stop this?
That’s hard to say. I’d love to think that an increase in passenger count would solve all of our problems but the industry as a whole has lost so much money that I find it hard to believe that if we went back to pre covid passenger counts that everything would be back to normal. The business has changed and it’s going to be a very long time before we return back to normal in my opinion. Airlines and Unions are doing everything that they can to save jobs but at this point it feels as though furloughs are inevitable.
Is there any optimistic news that you would share with a new flight school student who might be very nervous with the market demand for pilots?
The good news that I could give to an incoming flight student is that aviation will be back. I can’t say when, but I do know that with the increasing age of pilots and the mandatory retirement age of 65 for those in the part 121 world. The pilot shortage will return and who knows, it just might be a larger shortage than the before.
Laura Einsetler, an aviation blogger and commercial airline pilot with 30 years’ experience, has stated that the effects of 9/11 were massive and “even though the airplanes were only grounded for five days, the ripple effects lasted over a decade”. Is there any lasting effects or procedures we could expect due to COVID-19?
I was recently talking to an old high school friend about the changes his company has made since the pandemic has started. He works a corporate 9-5 job and he told me that since the pandemic his business travel has come to a halt. In fact, all of his business meetings have been cancelled for the rest of the year and into the 1st quarter of 2021. That’s the big challenge that I see. When will business travel come back or are we moving into a world where Zoom meetings are the norm?
