Montgomery County plays a role in addressing nationwide pilot shortage

The mandatory retirement age for pilots is 65.

• Over 30% of aviation technicians will be at or near retirement age within the next five years.
• Over 25% of the commercial pilot workforce will reach mandatory retirement age within the next decade.

According to the United States Government Accountability Office, aviation industry stakeholders have started to take steps to address the workforce shortage by increasing pay for pilots and mechanics, creating flight schools, and awarding grants to attract more students to aviation careers.

In 2022, United Airlines launched its own training program, Aviate Academy, for aspiring pilots. In 2023, the former CEO of American Airlines created a new nonprofit, Breaking Down Barriers, to help underserved communities enter the aviation industry.

Zooming in

Local authorities in Montgomery County also took measures in the past few years to help address the pilot shortage.

In November, a new aviation training hub opened in Conroe. According to previous Community Impact coverage, Chennault Airfield became Conroe's new airport and flight school with a grand opening Nov. 16.

According to officials at the event, the new aviation facility is planned to be the hub for aviation training in the North Houston metro area. Chennault Aviation Academy consists of a 3,100-foot by 70-foot runway with one hangar. There are currently 90-100 students enrolled in classes, which began Nov. 15.

Alongside the Chennault Aviation Academy, the Lone Star College System also provides a pilot training program in Montgomery County.

According to a news release Dec. 6, the Professional Pilot Program, located at LSC-Conroe Center, trains students to earn the Federal Aviation Administration pilot certificates and ratings required by the aviation industry.

• The program started in 2019 with the first cohort starting their flight training in spring 2020.
• Since the program started, 32 students have graduated from the program and now serve as flight instructors, corporate pilots or regional airline pilots.
• Graduates are employed with airlines that include Ameriflight, Commute Air, Envoy, Mesa Airlines, Republic Airways, SkyWest and Southwest Airlines.

Ashley Christian-Kapalske, a graduate of LSC-Montgomery, earned her private pilot and instrument licenses at age 17 and became a LSC-Montgomery Professional Pilot Program flight instructor at 19. She graduated from LSC-Montgomery with an associate of arts degree and earned a Bachelor of Science in aviation management from Texas A&M University-Central Texas.

Christian-Kapalske is now a first officer with SkyWest Airlines, and outside of mandatory retirement, she said other factors also contribute to the pilot shortages, including low salary, expensive program costs, lack of knowledge on training opportunities and the challenging certification and educational requirements.

“In the past, pilots were not treated well in terms of their salaries, travel rules and accommodations, which discouraged the younger generation from becoming pilots, hence the desperate need for more pilots, especially at regional airlines,” she said in a release. “Today, the industry has come a long way in recognizing and compensating the hard work that pilots provide to the travel community.”