Titan Aviation’s Post

AINsight: The Real Costs of Not Retaining Your Pilots A flight department replacing a G650 pilot could cost up to $700,000 during their first year By SHERYL BARDEN • AIN Contributor July 19, 2024 Imagine you’re the leader of a Part 91 flight department. Your team is lean, with just enough staff to meet the demands of your operation. Unexpectedly, a senior captain hands in their resignation. They’re burnt out and an enticing offer from another operator was the final push they needed to leave. They left for higher pay, better-defined time off, and a better work environment. When a tenured employee leaves for these reasons, it’s a clear sign of underlying issues. You can assume other staff might also be looking to leave. Now, as a leader, your focus needs to be on keeping your team happy and preventing further losses. Losing a key player has a domino effect, impacting not only your remaining pilots but also your recruiting potential, because tarnished reputations are hard to rebuild. This scenario underscores a critical issue: retention is costly, but much less so than the cost of turnover. Retention is the top workforce issue for aviation leaders, according to my recent poll as well as this 2023 NBAA survey. The cost of replacing highly trained employees, like a veteran pilot, is staggering. But the financial burden is just one part of the problem. The sudden departure of a key team member can leave your organization vulnerable at critical times, catching you off guard. The cost of turnover goes beyond just the financial aspect. It affects the morale and productivity of your remaining team. Replacing a highly skilled corporate pilot is not only expensive but also time-consuming, especially during a talent shortage when compensation is skyrocketing. These hiring costs can escalate quickly, making it clear why retention should be a top priority. The High Cost of Pilot Turnover Aviation employees, including pilots, leave for various reasons: higher wages, better schedules, proximity to family, failed leadership, and negative workforce culture. The motivation to leave due to poor leadership and misaligned cultures is even more prevalent than leaving for money. Coupled with natural attrition from retirements, this creates a precarious situation. That’s why it’s critical to build a business case to educate HR and compensation professionals about the costs involved in retaining versus replacing pilots. The cost to recruit, replace, relocate, and retrain headcount in aviation is substantially higher than in other industries. https://lnkd.in/dmRDGSW4 #avgeek #Part91 #bizjet #bizav #heliquip

Very interesting post to read and to think about it.

It could be applicable to airline world (mainly regional) as well.. but basically..”employees have no value, financial results have”.. but the point of no return is getting closer and closer

Pay is important, but when it comes to landing and retaining qualified business aviation professionals, experts point out that culture is imperative. It’s a topic directly tied to the industry’s future. The workforce landscape in the coming years will be challenging, according to statistics. A 2023 report by CAE projects 32,000 new #bizav pilots will be needed over the next decade to meet growth and replace retiring aviators. The report also predicts some 74,000 new business aircraft maintenance technicians will be required in the same period.

THE REAL COSTS OF NOT RETAINING YOUR PILOTS A flight department replacing a G650 pilot could cost up to $700,000 during their first year. Imagine you’re the leader of a Part 91 flight department. Your team is lean, with just enough staff to meet the demands of your operation. Unexpectedly, a senior captain hands in their resignation. They’re burnt out and an enticing offer from another operator was the final push they needed to leave. They left for higher pay, better-defined time off, and a better work environment.

During the panel, a comparison was made between the regional and mainline space, particularly regarding maintenance, workforce training, and technology. Training is crucial for expanding the workforce, catching up with the latest trends, and having enough staff in the space. During a panel discussion, mentorship in the regional space was highlighted as a way to influence the workspace positively. The regional space provides a flow-through for labor. The aviation industry realizes this on both the pilot and technician sides. Whether it is pay or opportunities to advance in one's career, job seekers often look for a job with a regional airline, and many times, MROs and larger airlines turn to regional airlines to find talent. However, this becomes a double-edged sword, as regionals want to mentor new talent to become useful as soon as possible, but if they become good enough, they are setting them up for better opportunities elsewhere. The regional space understands this. https://lnkd.in/gycTkssF Dragon Aviation Capital (Singapore) Pte. Ltd. #Aviation #Airlines #Aerospace #Singapore #DragonAviationCapital   

Improvements to Flight Department ops is highly dependent on the team members you have. Andre Fodor shares insights on recruiting, incentivizing and enabling those who are instrumental to your operation... https://ow.ly/6sCQ50SVIcG

🚀 Unlocking Ultimate Safety in Aviation: The Human Performance Revolution! ✈️ 🛫 When people ask me "what do I do?" I say - "I'm building a revolution in the aviation industry to effect change in aviation through innovative perspectives, enhancing our wellbeing and driving sustainable performance." They typical say - "Tell me more!" For over 35+ years as a pilot, I've seen firsthand what truly impacts aviation safety. It doesn't lie in another Quick Reference Handbook (QRH) procedure or an added paragraph in the flight operational manual (FOM). Trust me! Now don't misunderstand me, these two items are critical in technical skills. The higher level of safety lives in non-technical skills - human performance. Two years ago, the Women in Aviation Advisory Board study identified #culture as a significant issue in #aviation. Culture needs to change from the top down and the bottom up to truly enhance safety through human performance. My friend and colleague @Kimberly Perkins, PhD, FRAes, has brought forward a strategic plan based on her doctoral research. She explored the cultural impact on #safety, emphasizing the lack of #psychologicalsafety on the #flightdeck. For her doctoral thesis, 1,600 #airlinepilots received training to enhance psychological safety and improve #CrewResourceManagement (#CRM) and the #ThreatandErrorManagement (#TEM) model. After the training, the number of pilots rating psychological safety as "extremely important" for safety increased by 260%. Now, Kimberly is calling for a Human Performance & Pilot Development (HPPD) Working Group — #airlinepilots, #humanfactors specialists, #unions, and #training personnel — to embed a safety-centric solution to address the negative culture in the #aviationindustry. This Working Group aims to provide solid tools enabling pilots and other #aviationsafety professionals to achieve the behavioral markers that will result in improved safety. It's time for a culture shift. Let's prioritize human performance for the safety of all. 💪✈️ https://lnkd.in/guftXjz6 #aviation #safety #humanperformance #culturechange #WAI #psychologicalsafety #KimberlyPerkins #IreneMiller #KevinChilton #AnnaByers

Embracing New Talent in Aviation: A Call for Fresh Opportunities: The aviation industry is on the brink of a new era, one filled with enthusiasm, innovation, and fresh talent. As new pilots step into the cockpit, their excitement and eagerness to contribute are palpable. However, the journey for these fresh aviators can be challenging, as many aviation companies often prioritize hiring experienced pilots with thousands of flight hours. Why Give New Pilots a Chance? While experience is undeniably valuable, it’s essential to recognize the immense potential and skill that new pilots bring to the table. Recent studies have shown that approximately 80% of aviation accidents are attributed to human factors, often involving experienced pilots with extensive flight hours. This statistic underscores a crucial point: experience alone does not guarantee safety. The Case for Fresh Talent New pilots are trained under the latest safety protocols and advanced training methodologies. They bring a fresh perspective, unencumbered by outdated practices and more receptive to innovative safety procedures. Their rigorous training programs emphasize the importance of safety, situational awareness, and adherence to protocols, making them well-equipped to handle the challenges of modern aviation. Balancing Experience with Potential A balanced approach to pilot recruitment can yield the best results. By combining the wisdom and experience of seasoned pilots with the fresh perspectives and skills of new aviators, aviation companies can foster a more dynamic and resilient workforce. This blend can enhance safety, efficiency, and innovation within the industry. A Vision for the Future Imagine an aviation industry where talent and potential are valued alongside experience. An industry where new pilots are given opportunities to prove their capabilities, bringing their enthusiasm and cutting-edge training to enhance overall safety and performance. By embracing this vision, we can pave the way for a safer, more innovative, and inclusive aviation sector.

Are corporate aviation flight departments really considering the total cost of turnover and looking at the Long Range Outlook for staffing? Is looking at a 5-10 year plan and the impact of turnover and training to the company part of the overall process? Or are P91/135 operations just merely a stopping point for someone building hours and heading to the airlines or a place for retired airline captains? While there are plenty of conversations about the shortage of qualified candidates and the new plane delivery delays by Airbus and Boeing causing some up and downs in the pilot hiring cycle, is anyone realistically looking at changing the organization's hiring and retention culture toward lifetime tenured employees? Internet and social media and ample job boards have enabled employees to more easily jump from one job to another, but how many companies are really looking at how to get the right people on the right bus in the right seat and keep them on the bus for their entire career? It doesn't seem like hiring for the short-term and continuing hamster wheel type hiring operations will help companies thrive and survive the ups and downs. https://lnkd.in/ePn2CqKx