In July 2016, United States Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David Goldfein and then-Secretary Deborah Lee James revealed their plan to fix what they referred to as a “quiet crisis.” The Air Force, they wrote for Defense One, faced a shortage of 500 fighter pilots that would grow to 700 by the end of the year. In all, the USAF was short 1,500 aviators, including 1,300 fighter pilots.
Air Force Pilot Shortage Reaches 2,000
Key Takeaways:
- The U.S. Air Force is experiencing a worsening pilot shortage, which grew from 1,500 aviators in 2016 to 2,000 by late 2017, severely impacting readiness and potentially compromising its mission.
- Key causes for the shortage include a high operational tempo leading to pilot burnout, budget instability from sequestration causing reduced flying hours, and commercial airlines offering more lucrative career opportunities.
- Air Force leadership is calling on Congress to end sequestration and provide a stable budget to expand pilot training and alleviate the crisis.
- An executive order was signed to allow the recall of up to 1,000 retired pilots, but initial participation in the program has been extremely low.
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