Pilot Retention - A 'Gray' Issue? The Impact of Airline Hiring of Retirement Eligible Pilots on Air Force Leadership

Abstract

In the last three years the major airlines have relaxed their rigid standards for employment to include age, vision, height, weight, education, and flying experience. As a result, literally every Air Force pilot currently qualifies for employment, and the major airlines are aggressively recruiting the Air Force's most experienced pilots. The study determines an increasing number of retirement eligible pilots are leaving the Air Force, some even turning down promotion to colonel, to pursue a career in the civilian airline industry. The study concludes that this trend will have a negative impact on the number of quality pilots who remain on active duty beyond the 20-year point to fill critical command and staff duties. Retention of the Air Force's most experienced pilot corps is a critical personnel issue.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Apr 01, 1988
Accession Number
ADA195018

Entities

People

  • Billy J. Hoppe

Organizations

  • Air Command and Staff College

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Air Platforms
  • Biomedical
  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Air Force
  • Business Administration
  • Civilian Pilots
  • Classification
  • Commercial Aviation
  • Commercial Pilots
  • Economics
  • Education
  • Employment
  • Flight Training
  • Governments
  • Military Personnel
  • Military Pilots
  • Personnel Management
  • Pilots
  • Schools
  • Students

Fields of Study

  • Business

Readers

  • Aerospace logistics and air mobility.
  • Naval Personnel Management
  • Systems Analysis and Design