(9 Feb 2023)
FOR CLEAN VERSION SEE STORY NUMBER: 4418737
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Goodyear, Arizona - 27 October 2022
1. Various of Ashley Montano flying small plane with flight instructor at United Aviate Academy
HEADLINE: Flight schools aim to help solve U.S. pilot shortage
ANNOTATION: Student pilots are learning to fly at United Airlines' new flight school Aviate.
ANNOTATION: Several U.S. airlines have started their own training programs or partnered with flight schools to create a more diverse pipeline of future pilots.
ANNOTATION: Many U.S. airlines, particularly regional carriers, are struggling to hire enough pilots after many were forced to retire early in the pandemic.
2. SOUNDBITE (English) Ashley Montano, Aviate student pilot:
"I thought it was definitely the best time to enter the field. With United in their push to bring in more women and people of color and diversify the flight deck, that it was really a perfect opportunity and the perfect time, I think, for me to make that career change and start something new."
3. Various of Ashley Montano flying small plane with flight instructor
4. Worker pulls small plane into hangar
5. SOUNDBITE (English) Sara McCauley, Aviate student pilot:
"The lack of woman representation definitely discouraged me in the beginning, but now I just see it as ... well I get to be the first wave. Well, the first big wave of women. And I now just see it as like a .. well, yeah, I get to change it. I get to be a part of the change."
6. Technicians working on small plane
ASSOCIATED PRESS
San Franciso - 2 November 2022
7. SOUNDBITE (English) Henry Harteveldt, travel industry analyst at Atmosphere Research:
"Regional airlines, the airlines that operate the 50 to 76 seat aircraft that go mostly to smaller communities have been losing their pilots to the larger airlines and struggling to hire new pilots to replace the pilots they've lost. And as a result, we have seen hundreds of communities in the U.S. lose some or all of their airline service."
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Santa Ana, California - 26 October 2022
8. Various of Southwest Airlines plane in flight at at airport
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Oakland, California - 21 November 2022
9. Travelers at Oakland International Airport before Thanksgiving holiday
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Goodyear, Arizona - 27 October 2022
10. Technicians working on small plane
11. SOUNDBITE (English) Dana Donati, CEO, United Aviate Academy:
"The pilot shortage is being experienced within the regional airline environment. As soon as those pilots are getting hired by the regional airlines, they're spending minimal time there before going off to the legacy carriers. And so what we're doing is trying to train our students, get them to 1500 hours in the safest, most efficient way so they can fill those slots at the at the regional airlines."
12. Various of student pilot and instructor in flight simulator at United Aviate Academy
13. Various of Ashley Montano flying small plane with flight instructor at United Aviate Academy
14. SOUNDBITE (English) Ashley Montano, Aviate student pilot:
"I mean, with the pilot shortage and also looking at like the ages of those pilots and they're getting ready to retire, it's a great opportunity to not only bring in younger crowds, but also diversify that."
15. Montano landing plane on runway
16. Montano stepping off plane after flight
STORYLINE:
As the aviation industry struggles to hire enough pilots, several major airlines are partnering with flight schools or starting their own training programs to create a more diverse pilot of future pilots.
Clients are reminded:
Find out more about AP Archive: [ Ссылка ]
Twitter: [ Ссылка ]
Facebook: [ Ссылка ]
Instagram: [ Ссылка ]
You can license this story through AP Archive: [ Ссылка ]
