Unprepared, the Air Force has not implemented any fresh retention ideas since , when it half-heartedly attempted, and then quickly aborted, a fly-only technical track program for its mobility pilots. Instead, it chose to focus on training more pilots to replace those leaving active-duty. Not every pilot will stay, nor should they.
But, for those on the fence or leaning in, these changes might be enough to keep more of them. Historically, when the economy goes into recession, travel slows, and the airlines cease to hire many new pilots until several years into the recovery.
While bad for the country, the military services usually enjoy higher pilot retention rates. In the past, when the U. After that, the Air Force enjoyed healthy retention rates for over a decade until the most recent crisis began. Without airline jobs waiting for them, more pilots will remain in the military to ride out the economic storm.
The airlines have a rapidly aging population of pilots to replace soon. In , when airline pilot hiring began to accelerate, and Air Force pilot retention began to slip, there were 15, pilots within five years of the federal age limit of 65 — concluded with 21, The requirement for military pilots was waived to hours, an easily attainable mark for Air Force pilots, thus making them even more attractive to airlines.
That scenario seems unlikely considering there are 45 clinical trials for vaccines currently ongoing and recent Department of Defense research shows that airline travel can be accomplished with a low risk of exposure to COVID The Air Force has a narrow window, probably no more than three years, to improve retention rates before airline hiring picks back up.
The Air Force should take concrete steps to increase pilot retention now. Given the uncertainty of defense budgets during recessions , these efforts should minimize cost. My three recommendations are as follows. First, the Air Force should restore trust in its aviation bonus program , the mechanism by which pilots commit to additional years of service in exchange for money, by centering it around the pilot-commander relationship. Squadron commanders are in the best position to present the aviation bonus retention contract and honestly discuss its implications with their pilots.
The squadron commander is the only person who straddles the line between the senior leadership who make policy and the pilots doing the day-to-day work. But right now, the squadron commander is cut out of the process. The way I got my aviation bonus offer was the same way every pilot, combat systems officer, and air battle manager got theirs: via a robo-email from Air Force Personnel Command.
The Air Force asked me to consider a significant life commitment of three to 12 years in exchange for a modest sum of money, putting the onus on me to complete the necessary administrative steps to accept the contract.
My commander was not formally involved in the process until I decided to accept the retention contract, at which point I had to track him down to sign in concurrence. That was it. Who would refuse a bonus? The difference is that when civilians receive their annual bonus, they can quit the next day. A tad melodramatic? Unfortunately, this toxic attitude infects others and can complicate the decisions of those considering the aviation bonus offer.
The perception gap of the aviation bonus program between the Air Force and its pilots is a serious problem.
The service needs more honesty to rebuild trust and rehabilitate the aviation bonus program. Air Force Personnel Command should not be making aviation bonus offers. Instead, the Air Staff and Air Force Personnel Command should be empowering and supporting a process that puts the pilot-commander relationship at the center instead of on the periphery. Every signed aviation bonus retention contract is an occasion to be celebrated. The appearance of external links on this site does not constitute official endorsement on behalf of the U.
Air Force or Department of Defense. Skip to main content Press Enter. Home Demographics. But by , the Air Force needed 1, bomber pilots, and the manning percentage declined to 91 percent. Jacobson said his team is in close contact with Air Education and Training Command as they look for ways to increase pilot production, such as through the Pilot Training Next virtual reality and artificial intelligence program.
To do this, the Air Force is working on getting the authority to offer special salary rates for sim instructors at certain locations, as well as direct-hire authority to bring civilian instructors on faster. The Air Force has put several programs into place to try to increase pilot retention, including offering more generous bonuses and giving pilots more flexibility on their assignments.
The Air Force is also working to improve the diversity of its pilot production, Jacobson said. This includes looking at how the Air Force reaches out to potential pilot candidates and evaluates them to make sure everything is race-, ethnicity- and gender-neutral, he said. Stephen Losey is the air warfare reporter at Defense News. He previously reported for Military. Before that, he covered U.
Air Force leadership, personnel and operations for Air Force Times. Your Air Force. By Stephen Losey. Jul 7, The Air Force's fighter pilot ranks continue to be undermanned, partly because its requirements are increasing as more F squadrons are stood up.
About Stephen Losey. More In Your Air Force. America and its foes remain in the way of a landmine-free future: report The International Campaign to Ban Landmines has been issuing the report annually since Aircraft maintenance squadron commander at Nellis ousted Maj.
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