Career Pilot Job Outlook Set to Soar

Aircraft manufacturer Boeing predicts that as the aviation industry grows and baby boomers retire, 465,000 new pilots will be needed worldwide to fill the already growing need for pilots through 2031.

“During the past 10 years, the pilot profession has faced some of its greatest challenges. Recent gains, however, are ushering in profound career opportunities – never before seen in the industry,” said UC Clermont College’s Chief Aviation Instructor Eric Radtke and President of Sporty’s Academy. “The future has never been brighter.”

“What many people don’t realize is that you don’t have to be superhuman or a math and science whiz to be at the controls of an airliner. You don’t even have to travel far to receive the required training,” said Radtke. UC Clermont College is the only college in Cincinnati that offers a Professional Pilot program that combines academic study with actual pilot training. All of the training is done in partnership with Sporty’s Academy at the Clermont County/Sporty’s Airport, just minutes outside the UC Clermont campus drive.
 
Pilot training for primary, instrument and commercial flying is complemented with two years of college general studies to provide students with the certifications and unique skill set to compete as professional pilots.
 
Students earn an associate degree in Aviation Technology with several baccalaureate pathway options. These options include a partnership with the University of Cincinnati’s Carl H. Linder College of Business where students may combine an aviation degree with a bachelor’s degree in business administration — a standard increasingly demanded by aviation’s top employers.
  
UC’s Aviation Technology program has recently been enhanced with the addition of career track programs with PSA Airlines and CommutAir. These agreements provide qualified UC Aviation Technology graduates with guaranteed pilot interviews when they reach the minimum experience levels.
 
PSA Airlines is a wholly-owned subsidiary of US Airways, currently employing more than 500 pilots. CommutAir, which operates as United Express, has its operations and maintenance centered in Cleveland and provides passenger transportation to 25 cities in the Midwest and Northeast.
 
“Of course our graduates benefit from having a leg up when it comes to interviews,” says Radtke, “but these two airlines also benefit from having a steady stream of local, qualified candidates.”
 
Another new initiative for the UC Aviation Technology program is participating in the Procter & Gamble Global Flight Operation’s Student Development Program where students take part in an intensive one-week business aviation seminar on site to understand the intricacies of a large corporate flight department.
 
“Some graduates opt for a corporate career, flying for companies ranging from the Fortune 500 right down to smaller entrepreneurial businesses,” says Radtke. “Procter & Gamble is a locally based, world class organization making it possible for students to experience corporate flight operations firsthand to help guide them in their career choice.”
 
For more information on UC Clermont’s Aviation Technology program contact Eric Radtke at eric.radtke@uc.edu visit www.ucclermont.edu or watch the aviation video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J7xW-ahUOqE&feature=youtu.be