Training Capacity of the Fixed Wing FAA Part 141 Flight Schools within the United States

Abstract

Discussions have been held in classrooms, industry forums and in the media about the looming pilot shortage.  Discussion to date has primarily focused on causal factors, and forecasting industry need for pilots; there is little research on where those pilots are going to come from.  A study was conducted to quantify the pilot training capacity in the United States, focusing on FAA Part 141 certified flight schools associated with University degree programs.  This information will be used to help the FAA and industry members make informed decisions and plan for the future.  In total, 33 schools participated in a survey, ranging in size from 1700 students to 11. Lack of CFI’s was the most common limiting factor, followed by lack of aircraft.  14 of the 33 schools were at or above 100 percent capacity. Several other metrics were surveyed, including costs, total pilot output, training duration, and CFI attrition, in order to build a broad picture of the state of pilot training within the United States.