In The News

What happened? Is the pilot shortage over?
What a difference a year – and a global pandemic – can make. It wasn’t long ago that many business aircraft operators were scrambling to find qualified candidates in the face of an ongoing personnel shortage. However, among the many changes wrought by COVID-19 has been a near-complete reversal of the employment market, with dozens, if not hundreds, of applicants – many of them furloughed airline pilots – seeking to fill each open business aviation job. “Of 182 resumes on my desk right now, 60 are from airline pilots,” said the chief pilot for a Fortune 250 company based in the western U.S. “And of those 60 applicants, I’ve got 27 different airlines represented.” Jennifer Pickerel, vice president of industry recruiting and consulting firm Aviation Personnel International, has seen a similar rush of applicants looking for placement. “Prior to this crisis, we might have seen a retired airline pilot who wanted to register with our services maybe three or four times a year; now, I would say 30% of our applicants are airline pilots.” See full NBAA Business Aviation Insider articleKriya Shortt, senior vice-president of parts and programs at Textron Aviation and member of the FAA Women in Aviation advisory board, recently hosted a conversation with female industry leaders at the 2020 NBAA-VBACE. The discussion centred around the importance of supporting and retaining women in the workforce, and how companies can address the challenges women face.
Why we need more women in aviation
Shortt opened the panel with a look at how world events have impacted the working woman, referencing a survey released by McKinsey and Company, which offers “insight into just how significant the impact of COVID-19 has been on women. According to their research, one in four women in corporate America are contemplating downshifting their careers or leaving the workforce altogether,” said Shortt. For female mentors who have built their careers advocating for more women in aviation, this is cause for concern. “Across the broad spectrum, we are going to see a number of women pulled out of the workplace because of this situation,” added Grimmett. “[As well], not being able to walk that balance between being a mom, and providing for their family, and also being a professional.” Charlie Bravo Aviation’s Banglesdorf said she sees a similar pattern. Still, she is inspired by the “female innovator” trend seen in the business aviation community. “I’m really hopeful that as women leave the corporate workforce, they begin starting their own businesses, defining their own workspace and their own ability to manage their schedule,” she said. “We’ve been seeing a trend upward in female entrepreneurship for probably the last 10 or 12 years, and I think this is really going to spur that on.” While an unscheduled pause may be unavoidable, the panel unanimously agreed that this industry’s passion will persevere. “It’s a time for deep reflection,” said Dreiling. “[Women] may be leaving one area, but will show up in another area where they’re finding their passion.” Not all women want to be the pioneers or trailblazers — an honour that can also be seen as a burden. “I’ve long felt that it can’t just be women advocating for women,” said Shortt. “We need our male allies as well . . . to ease the burden.” While there’s a need for female pilots and engineers, there is also a need for female administrators and marketing specialists. It’s “an entire industry,” said Barden. In the past, a task’s importance had often outweighed the needs of the person completing it. The panel agreed that 2020 has taught us the importance of the “human factor” – creating workspaces and expectations that serve all. There’s a need for female administrators, marketing specialists, and HR professionals – not just pilots and engineers. It’s “an entire industry,” said Barden. “It’s easy to think of the obvious . . . the pilots and the mechanics and aerospace engineers who are all very valuable, but as we know, it’s an entire industry.” Mentors, both male and female, have a significant impact on the types of careers we choose. Going forward, to understand the shortage of women in aviation, success lies in the stories of those who have found their way. How can we build off of them? Learn from them, and utilize them to inspire? The solution is multifaceted. “If we could just find this silver bullet, we would have done it by now,” said Shortt. “But it is complex. It may take different practices and different language, and how we’ve done things before will not get us where we want to go. Sometimes it’s as simple as reframing the conversation. “How do we create this sense of belonging, inclusiveness? What language are we using? Is it inclusive to women? Is it not? We really have to take a critical look at the history of aviation. . . . We love our history, but it wasn’t that inclusive of women. Can we reframe some of those practices? . . . Reframe some of that language to get us where we want to go — not where we’ve been?” It’s about correcting the past with eyes steadily focused on the future, finding your voice and advocating for female co-workers. “Take yourself out of your comfort zone,” added Barden, “and if you have a mentor, you don’t just want to hear what you’re doing right. You want to hear what you need to do for the next step.” Read the "women in aviation" original article
Women in Business Aviation are Growing Careers
Sheryl Barden has seen many industry trends as president and CEO of Aviation Personnel International, but she feels the pandemic has made it more important than ever for women to stretch themselves “out of your comfort zone.” “Take this time to learn how to advocate for yourself. Get your own seat at the table,” encouraged Barden, who also noted the importance of having a mentor for support. View full article on NBAA's website
Onboarding airline pilots
Airline furloughs resulting from COVID-19 have led to a rise in the number of air carrier pilots now seeking new opportunities in business aviation. How should flight department managers prepare for onboarding airline pilots? “In addition to flying proficiency and quantitative experience, it’s also important to look at the applicant from a holistic approach,” noted NBAA Domestic Operations Committee Chairman Jason Herman. “What type of experience and skills do they have, both inside and potentially also outside of the cockpit?” In this episode of NBAA’s “Flight Plan,” host Rob Finfrock speaks with:- Lisa Archibald, CAM, Delta Air Lines first officer and a volunteer on Delta’s Master Executive Council
- Jason Herman, CAM, chair of NBAA’s Domestic Operations Committee
- Jennifer Pickerel, vice president at Aviation Personnel International



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Press Releases
Aviation Personnel International Launches Virtual Aviation Outplacement Program
SAN FRANCISCO – August 19, 2020 – Corporate flight department closures and layoffs are never easy. And navigating the post COVID-19 job market has never been more challenging. That’s why […]
Read more…Jennifer Pickerel Promoted to Vice President at Aviation Personnel International
SAN FRANCISCO – June 29, 2020 – Sheryl Barden, President and CEO of Aviation Personnel International, the longest-running business aviation recruitment firm, today announced the promotion of Jennifer Pickerel from […]
Read more…Aviation Personnel International Expands Team, Announces Promotions
SAN FRANCISCO, September 25, 2019 – Sheryl Barden, President and CEO of Aviation Personnel International (API), today announced the promotions of Jennifer Pickerel to Director, Client and Candidate Services, and […]
Read more…API’s CEO Sheryl Barden Appointed to NBAA Board of Directors
LAS VEGAS – October 11, 2017 – Today Sheryl Barden, President and CEO of Aviation Personnel International (apiaviation.com), was appointed to the Board of Directors of the National Business Aviation […]
Read more…Jenny Showalter Joins Aviation Personnel International as Manager, Candidate Services
SAN FRANCISCO – January 19, 2017 – Sheryl Barden, President and CEO of Aviation Personnel International (apiaviation.com), today announced the addition of Jenny Showalter as the company’s Manager, Candidate Services. […]
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