Book Description
The Air Force is facing a pilot shortage that is unprecedented in history. Unprecedented losses are occurring for pilots reaching the end of their initial active duty service commitment as well as for pilots who complete bonus-related obligations. Operational units are the only assignment options for newly trained pilots while they mature and develop their mission knowledge. Thus, these units require enough experienced pilots to supervise the development of the new pilots. As the proportion of experienced pilots in a unit drops, each one must fly more to provide essential supervision to an increasing number of new pilots. When the unit1s flying capacity remains fixed, new pilots must each fly less, extending the time needed to become experienced themselves. This report quantifies these experience problems and examines options that can alleviate them. The options include Total Force alternatives, such as associate programs in active units and aging active pilots in Guard and Reserve units.
