![]() ![]() "You don't see pilots out in the wild."Īt Farmingdale, which is about an hour car-ride away from Blanco's Queens home, less than a third of the entering class makes it through to becoming pilots, said aviation program director Michael Canders. "When I was in high school, I had no idea how to be a pilot," he said. "It's historically been such an expensive field to break into that you've almost had to come from a certain demographic financially to be able to afford flying," Chebli said. He has helped start a New Jersey nonprofit to mentor and provide scholarships to high school students interested in aviation. ![]() But "the stars aligned," said Chebli, who met the pilot of his firm's corporate jet, a female, who became a mentor.Ĭhebli, 35, avoided a heavy debt toll by taking pilot classes on the side while staying in his job. United Airlines pilot Khaled Chebli also came to the cockpit later.Ĭhebli was bitten by the aviation bug early, but not knowing any pilots, pursued a career in information technology. "It was a dream deferred for me," said Horton, who describes flying as "a magical feeling." The staffing crunch has also generated concern in Washington from lawmakers who represent low-population areas that have seen service curtailed.Ī 2022 task force report identified a "largely untapped” solution: "young people from currently underrepresented groups."īut the report, developed by a US Federal Aviation Administration advisory panel, noted that pilot training costs can easily top $100,000, posing "a significant barrier," particularly to students like Blanco, the first in her immediate family to go to college.īesides tuition, the costs include tens of thousands of dollars in flight training for the multiple certifications in the Odyssey-like path to becoming a professional pilot.įor Darrell Horton, the financial toll was simply too high when he entered college, leading him to the Marines before working in engineering and project management.īut faced with a setback at his old employer and seeing headlines about a pilot shortage, Horton sensed an opportunity.Īt 37, the African-American Horton is more financially established, and, with his wife's encouragement, began training at United Airlines' Aviate Academy in Arizona in October 2021. That dynamic has resulted in labor contracts with hefty wage increases, as well as signing bonuses of up to $100,000. "And then when it came to looking into the colleges and how expensive it was, it was extremely scary," said Blanco, a junior at Farmingdale State College who is midway through her pilot training.īlanco's experience highlights the challenges facing the US aviation industry as it seeks to diversify the pilot workforce in a tight labor market.įor more than a year, US airlines have been competing for trained pilots in a market roiled by the sudden surge in demand after the doldrums of Covid-19. Student pilot Caitlyn Blanco (L) undergoes a training session in a flight simulator at the Farmingdale State College in Farmingdale, New YorkĬaitlyn Blanco realized early on that there was no ready template to follow in her quest to become a professional pilot.Ī Latina female in a field traditionally dominated by white men, Blanco, 20, didn't know any pilots growing up, and nobody at her New York public school could advise her. MHRA 'LAT', All Acronyms,, Bluebook All Acronyms, LAT (May. LAT, All Acronyms, viewed May 21, 2023, MLA All Acronyms. Retrieved May 21, 2023, from Chicago All Acronyms. Facebook Twitter Linkedin Quote Copy APA All Acronyms. ![]()
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