A few days ago I met a young man who had just been hired by my airline. He just turned 25 years old, which means he was born in 1994, the very same year I started flying. He’s pretty clearly sharp as a tack, strongly motivated and a hard worker, which accounts for how he got himself to a major airline at such a young age and also what my employer saw in him when they hired him without the traditional requirement of turbine pilot-in-command time. If he stays healthy to age 65, and my airline stays in business and airliners aren’t flying themselves by then, he’ll retire in the year 2059.
Mixing Old and Young Pilots Is Causing Issues on the Flight Deck
Key Takeaways:
- Major U.S. airlines are experiencing a significant generational shift, hiring thousands of younger, more diverse pilots (often millennials) with less traditional experience due to a wave of retirements.
- This influx introduces notable cultural and demographic contrasts between the new hires and older, predominantly ex-military captains regarding background, social norms, and political leanings.
- Despite superficial generational differences and stereotypes, the demanding nature of an airline career ensures that pilots across ages share fundamental professional ethics and temperaments, fostering cooperation.
- A key area of friction is the younger pilots' deep integration with mobile technology, which older colleagues often perceive as unprofessional and a distraction in the cockpit, leading to advice for new hires to limit phone use.
Key takeaways sponsored by Aviator Pro | Start Your Training ->
See a mistake? Contact us.
