Airlines are scrambling to train and hire young aviation professionals, and will be almost indefinitely. Aircraft manufacturers, Boeing and Airbus are projecting the industry to need 1.3 million aviation professionals, such as pilots, mechanics, and dispatchers within the next twenty years. With aviation being one of the world’s favorite forms of transportation, with 48% of American vacationers flying in airplanes for travel, it is important to sustain the industry.

Aside from transportation, aviation is used to power global commerce giants, to protect our pipelines, fight wildfires, among numerous purposes. With aviation having an employment disparity of this level, it is important to engage the next generation to fill the important needs aviation solves. Thus, aviation needs to be promoted as the welcoming field and community it is.

Unfortunately, it is hard to decide on pursuing aviation with a lack of exposure to it. It is hard to know if you enjoy flying an airplane if you don’t know what’s involved in it. The Philadelphia Youth Aviation Fair is a gathering of aviators, current and future to promote careers in aviation to the next generation. Participants in the fair will receive a complimentary flight in an airplane, a tour of the airport facilities, and access to numerous career-oriented opportunities.

Five high school students, from Science Leadership Academy experienced aviation first-hand. With the partnership of the Experimental Aviation Association, all participants are now enrolled in an online ground school and will be eligible to apply for the prestigious Ray Aviation Scholarship.

Bibliography:

Airplane Owners’ and Pilots’ Organization. “High Schools.” Be a Pilot, More Fun, Lower Cost - You Can Fly. July 11, 2016. Accessed January 25, 2019. https://youcanfly.aopa.org/high-school. This source provides information on another aviation nonprofit organization’s efforts to attract youth to aviation. This organization admits that attracting young aviation professionals isn’t a competition, it is a collective effort by the aviation industry. This organization is working with educators to promote aviation topics to youth, by developing a STEM curriculum.

Camera, Lauren. “A Push for Aviation to Take Flight in Schools.” U.S. News & World Report. November 9, 2015. Accessed January 25, 2019. https://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2015/11/09/new-push-to-get-kids-interested-in-aviation-jobs. Lauren Camera wrote this article to promote how important youth exposure is to the future of aviation. Camera states that clubs like the Future Farmers of America are successful in their purposes, and that there is an importance for a nationwide club that grants the youth of America to aviation, and promotes aviation as a realistic, prosperous career choice.

Experimental Aviation Association, comp. “Entire Publication.” EAA Pilot Update, November 26, 2018, 1. November 26, 2018. Accessed January 25, 2019. http://pages.eaa.org/index.php/email/emailWebview?mkt_tok=eyJpIjoiWWpFM01HRXdNMkptT0daaiIsInQiOiI2RHBYa3pnYUZFZ0RDb1hacklYeXJJQVlWUmM5eURvb2VyUDc1d1lPeUN3bW43NGVMRTBrb2FOc0JnV0ZYQmgwdGtubmdwUC8wd3NQYzRhQm9pSzMzWFBFeUdhUnlwa2ZwOG5qWGFpenBHbGZhMEZFUUY5Y05oRUg4cVg2V0dCLyJ9. This source is a sample of a newsletter that the Experimental Aviation Association publishes, and sends to its volunteers for events of similar nature to my capstone. I need to subscribe to this publication in order to remain up to date in order to have the latest and greatest of regulation information, so no one gets in trouble.

Experimental Aviation Association. “ICE (In Case of Emergency).” Experimental Aviation Association. Accessed January 25, 2019. https://www.eaa.org/-/media/Files/EAA/EducationResources/YouthEducation/YoungEagles/1507-ICE-v2-PDF.ashx. This source basically provides guidance for what to do if something unfortunate happens at an aviation event. There is a risk at my capstone being exercised, just like any other activity. Basically, this document tells its readers not to talk to the media, call the Federal Aviation Administration, and first aid. Media will push things out of proportion, in order to get people to watch it, so you have to be careful when the media tries to interview you.

Experimental Aviation Association. Young Eagles Pilot Guidelines. Oshkosh, WI: Experimental Aviation Association, 2018. https://www.eaa.org/-/media/Files/EAA/EducationResources/YouthEducation/YoungEagles/1602REV-YE-Pilot-Guidelines.ashx This 2-page brochure provides the basic guidelines that the volunteers at my event must follow in order for my event to be successful, and so that no one gets in trouble. This document is very short, yet it is all that is necessary, which is really beneficial for me, considering the simplicity of everything. The main ground rules for me is to make sure everyone passes a Youth Protection Check, that the pilots’ are safe and proficient, and to make sure parents sign off on the flight. All in all, this resource is going to be the document that rules the world for my event.

Garcia, Marisa. “A ‘Perfect Storm’ Pilot Shortage Threatens Global Aviation.” Forbes. July 29, 2018. Accessed January 22, 2019. https://www.forbes.com/sites/marisagarcia/2018/07/27/a-perfect-storm-pilot-shortage-threat ens-global-aviation-even-private-jets/#3163cc1b1549. Marisa Garcia, a retired professional in the aircraft manufacturing industry provides thoughts on the impending pilot shortage. Garcia claims that airline incentives are not enough to alleviate the blow the pilot shortage will have on the commercial aviation industry. Garcia openly supports greater incentives, including a loosening of hour restrictions for airline pilots, citing 250 hours as adequate to operate a commuter aircraft. Reasoning for the removal of the 250 hour requirement is provided, considering a Colgan Air accident that occured in the year of 2009. Garcia uses this to weigh insights on how to attract young pilots to aviation.

Gear 74. “Worldwide Pilot Shortage [2019] Is the Pilot Shortage Real?” YouTube. October 03, 2018. Accessed January 24, 2019. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i5aE97LGgOw. A high-ranking Boeing 747 pilot shares his opinion on the pilot shortage on YouTube. He claims that the pilot shortage is caused by young pilots being underpaid about five years ago, which was misleading, considering the training requirements needed to become a professional pilots are so high. The pilot suggested that entry-level airlines have increased first-year salaries, and have increased signing bonuses tremendously, in order to attract younger pilots, and encourage them to continue throughout their training.

Kotwicki, Jon. “Solving the Pilot Shortage…” YouTube. January 03, 2019. Accessed January 23, 2019. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=90ksy53JJ84. Jon Kotwicki: a world-renowned flight instructor, flight instructor, and successful entrepreneur details his experience at Lufthansa Aviation Training, in Goodyear, Arizona. While this video touches on solving the pilot shortage, its main purposes seems to be advertising for Lufthansa. Kotwicki himself said that he went to apply for a job there in the video. However, Kotwicki did detail that Lufthansa hires people off of the streets, and gives them a full scholarship so they can fly for Lufthansa to alleviate the pilot shortage in Germany. This reminds me of the U.S. Naval Academy. If I were to grow my capstone organization out, I might consider giving a scholarship to young pilots who are legitimately interested in aviation.

Nickerson, Dana. “Can Grassroots Flying Solve The Pilot Shortage?” AVweb. January 03, 2019. Accessed January 24, 2019. https://www.avweb.com/blogs/insider/Can-Grass-Roots-Flying-Solve-the-Pilot-Shortage-232078-1.html. Dana Nickerson, a recreational pilot recalls the differences of what it meant to learn to fly back then, and how it’s different now. Nickerson stated that pre-9/11, students would gather at local grassroots airports and fly ultralight aircraft, such as hang gliders and airplanes with very small engines. It used to be accessible to anyone whom wanted to learn, and was willing to help the operation. Nowadays, flight training is being controlled by expensive flight schools, that sit behind the fences and gates, that prevent people from feeling welcome to an airport.

Tulis, David. “Boeing Forecasts ‘unprecedented’ Pilot Demand.” Senate Addresses Maintenance Tech Shortage - AOPA. July 24, 2018. Accessed January 23, 2019. https://www.aopa.org/news-and-media/all-news/2018/july/24/boeing-forecasts-unprecede ed-pilot-demand. David Tulis, an independent, vintage aircraft pilot discusses Boeing’s efforts to help alleviate the effect the pilot shortage has on the industry. What Boeing highlights in their activities is that there is not only going to be a pilot shortage, but also a technician shortage, and that the industry needs both. This narrows the scope of my capstone to include discussion on more of the technical sector of aviation. What I disagree with is the venue of their efforts; an event known as EAA Airventure, the world’s largest aviation convention. The reason why young people attend Airventure is because they already are interested in aviation. Some inner city child won’t attend Airventure, considering they don’t have the interest in aviation (at least yet).