GREENWOOD, Ind. (WISH) — A slew of retirements and promotions are fueling the demand for new pilots in both the commercial, charter, and cargo industries.
Greenwood based Jeff Air held an open house Saturday at Greenwood Airport.
The flight instruction company hosted several regional carriers, including Indianapolis based Republic Airways. Republic operates flights for Delta, American, and United.
“I started last June. I have around 14 hours in, I loved it so far,” Isaac Carter, a senior at Indian Creek High School and Jeff Air student, said.
The FAA mandates commercial pilots retire once they turn 65.
Retirements along with pilots moving to larger airlines are creating vacancies at smaller carriers.
“We were really facing a significant pilot shortage even pre-pandemic, and with some of the buyouts, it possibly deepened that,” Jeff Air owner David Jeffries said.
To become a commercial pilot, you need to accumulate 1,500 flight hours.
The cost of flight school can range from $75,000 to $80,000 to become flight instructor certified.
Jeff air allows students to pay those costs as they progress through training, and upon certification, regional airlines like PSA will give new pilots up to $30,000 in bonuses.
It’s all to lure pilots into an industry that is suffering from a labor shortage post pandemic, and a slew of retirements.
“The next year, year and a half, I see myself completing all of my pilot training, and moving on to become a certified flight instructor, or move on to fly cargo,” Dalton Heppeard, who is making a career switch to the aviation industry, said.
Republic Airways is offering bonuses of up to $60,000 for new pilots as well.