U.S. GOVERNMENT PUBLISHING OFFICE

31–558 WASHINGTON : 2019

TROUBLED SKIES: THE AVIATION WORKFORCE 

SHORTAGE’S IMPACT ON SMALL BUSINESSES 

HEARING 

BEFORE THE

SUBCOMMITTEE ON CONTRACTING AND 

WORKFORCE 

OF THE

COMMITTEE ON SMALL BUSINESS 

UNITED STATES 

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

ONE HUNDRED FIFTEENTH CONGRESS 

SECOND SESSION 

HEARING HELD 

SEPTEMBER 26, 2018 

Small Business Committee Document Number 115–090 

Available via the GPO Website: www.govinfo.gov 

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Congress.#13
(II) 

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON SMALL BUSINESS 

STEVE CHABOT, Ohio, Chairman 

STEVE KING, Iowa 

BLAINE LUETKEMEYER, Missouri 

DAVE BRAT, Virginia 

AUMUA AMATA COLEMAN RADEWAGEN, American Samoa 

STEVE KNIGHT, California 

TRENT KELLY, Mississippi 

ROD BLUM, Iowa 

JAMES COMER, Kentucky 

JENNIFFER GONZA ́ LEZ-COLO ́ N, Puerto Rico 

BRIAN FITZPATRICK, Pennsylvania 

ROGER MARSHALL, Kansas 

RALPH NORMAN, South Carolina 

JOHN CURTIS, Utah 

NYDIA VELA ́ ZQUEZ, New York, Ranking Member 

DWIGHT EVANS, Pennsylvania 

STEPHANIE MURPHY, Florida 

AL LAWSON, JR., Florida 

YVETTE CLARKE, New York 

JUDY CHU, California 

ALMA ADAMS, North Carolina 

ADRIANO ESPAILLAT, New York 

BRAD SCHNEIDER, Illinois 

VACANT 

KEVIN FITZPATRICK, Majority Staff Director 

JAN OLIVER, Majority Deputy Staff Director and Chief Counsel 

ADAM MINEHARDT, Staff Director 

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C O N T E N T S 

OPENING STATEMENTS 

Page 

Hon. Steve Knight ................................................................................................... 1 

Hon. Stephanie Murphy .......................................................................................... 2 

WITNESSES 

Mr. Brett Levanto, Vice President of Communications, Aeronautical Repair 

Station Association, Alexandria, VA ................................................................... 5 

Mr. Martin Lenss, Airport Director, The Eastern Iowa Airport, Cedar Rapids, 

IA ........................................................................................................................... 7

Ms. Sarah Oberman Bartush, Chief Marketing Officer & Director of Business 

Development, CI Jets, Camarillo, CA ................................................................. 8 

Mr. Kenneth Withcer, Ph.D., Dean, College of Aeronautics, Embry-Riddle 

Aeronautical University, Daytona Beach, FL, testifying on behalf of the 

Aerospace Industries Association ....................................................................... 10 

APPENDIX 

Prepared Statements: 

Mr. Brett Levanto, Vice President of Communications, Aeronautical Repair Station Association, Alexandria, VA ................................................... 20 

Mr. Martin Lenss, Airport Director, The Eastern Iowa Airport, Cedar 

Rapids, IA ...................................................................................................... 36 

Ms. Sarah Oberman Bartush, Chief Marketing Officer & Director of 

Business Development, CI Jets, Camarillo, CA ......................................... 40 

Mr. Kenneth Witcher, Ph.D., Dean, College of Aeronautics, Embry-Riddle 

Aeronautical University, Daytona Beach, FL, testifying on behalf of 

the Aerospace Industries Association .......................................................... 43 

Questions for the Record: 

None. 

Answers for the Record: 

None. 

Additional Material for the Record: 

AIA - Aerospace Industries Association .......................................................... 49 

Avocet Aviation ................................................................................................. 52 

Golden State Air Charter, LLC ....................................................................... 59 

Helicopter Association International .............................................................. 61 

NATA - National Air Transportation Association .......................................... 64 

NBAA - National Business Aviation Association ........................................... 67 

RAA - Regional Airline Association ................................................................ 70 

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TROUBLED SKIES: THE AVIATION WORKFORCE SHORTAGE’S IMPACT ON SMALL 

BUSINESS 

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2018 

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, 

COMMITTEE ON SMALL BUSINESS, 

SUBCOMMITTEE ON CONTRACTING AND WORKFORCE, 

Washington, DC. 

The Subcommittee met, pursuant to call, at 10:01 a.m., in Room 

2360, Rayburn House Office Building. Hon. Steve Knight [chairman of the Subcommittee] presiding. 

Present: Representatives King, Knight, Blum, Evans, Murphy, 

and Clarke. 

Chairman KNIGHT. Good morning. This hearing will come to 

order. Thank you all for coming. 

I would especially like to thank our witnesses for being here 

today. I know some of you came from long distances and it is very 

much appreciated. 

So today’s hearing will be a little interesting, but I think it is 

very important to have hearings like this. Aviation gets into your 

blood. There is no doubt about it. As a child, we are told that the 

sky is the limit. I personally believe the sky is not the limit, but 

the Wright Brothers pushed that limit in 1903, on my birthday, not 

the same year, when they flew over Kitty Hawk for the first time. 

These are the families steeped in aviation that have developed a 

passionate network of small businesses vital to continuing the existence of worldwide commerce and geopolitics as we know it. Fixed 

based operators, overhaul stations, maintenance operators, and 

other firms in aviation are dominated by what many would consider mom and pop operations. 

But as Baby Boomers are beginning to retire, the economy has 

begun to feel the strains of their departure. These highly experienced and highly skilled employees are leaving the industry at an 

exponentially faster rate than the new labor is being brought in. 

Studies and anecdotal evidence show that we are only just beginning to experience the first effects of this shortage. Reports currently project that by 2027, there will be a 9 percent fault between 

supply and demand for aviation mechanics and a need to hire hundreds of thousands of new pilots in the next 2 decades. With airlines growing and their need for pilots and mechanics ever increasing, small businesses are particularly vulnerable to losing their 

workforce at a faster rate than their competitors. 

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Case in point; this Committee invited the owner of a small charter company in my district to testify today. However, this small 

business owner had to cancel his trip at the last minute. He was 

unable to staff enough pilots today and had to fly customers him 

or risk taking financial loss. The Small Business Committee does 

not like financial loss so we were okay with that. This Committee 

has unfortunately lost the opportunity to hear his story as a direct 

result of this shortage. 

In sum, we know far too little about how these shortages are impacting the small businesses that support the aviation industry. 

Small businesses have concerns and additional complexities that 

need to be shared and explored. The point of this hearing is not 

only to hear the stories of those having boots on the ground, but 

to also inform those who are entering the workforce that aviation 

is a viable option for their future. Our economy needs pilots and 

mechanics, and our witnesses are here to tell their stories they are 

having about hiring people right here, like you, and right now. We 

look forward to your testimony. 

Remember, this testimony is to look at what is happening in the 

economy today, not just from small businesses, but what is going 

to happen in the future. We have talked about several things in 

Small Business and in SST and in other Committees about how 

aviation is going to change in the next 20 years. How we are going 

to be flying across this country at Mach 2, probably within 20 

years. I would hope it is sooner than that, but we have been flying 

at Mach .7 since 1961 across this country and you can see that we 

are now trying to push this envelope forward so that we can do 

these things. Aviation is going to be growing in the movement of 

goods, in the movement of people. We are seeing companies like 

Amazon—this is my personal PSA, it is off the script—but we are 

seeing companies like Amazon that are moving toward moving 

goods very quickly, overnight, in 2 hours in some circumstances in 

some cities. Goods movement and people movement is quickly 

growing and quickly going faster. That is one of the purposes of 

this Committee hearing is that we know this is not 1985 where we 

jump into an L-1011 and we go across country. Aviation is not just 

in our blood but it is everything that we do today as far as moving 

goods and people. 

So now I would like to yield to the Ranking Member, Ms. Murphy, for her comments. 

Ms. MURPHY. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. 

While the U.S. economy has improved over the past decade, 

small business owners across the Nation continue to face challenges finding skilled, qualified workers. By 2020, it is estimated 

that our economy will have approximately 55 million job vacancies, 

and about 40 percent of those jobs are expected to be new openings, 

while the remaining 60 percent will be jobs left vacant by workers 

from the Baby Boomer generation. And this is a staggering projection. 

And today, we are going to focus on the workforce challenges facing the aviation industry and its ability to recruit and retain qualified workers to occupy jobs across the aviation ecosystem. And I 

think that is a very important topic for us to take a look at on this 

Committee. 

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Over 90 percent of the businesses in the aviation industry are 

small businesses involved in airline transportation, air transport 

support, and aviation manufacturing. And these small firms provide the support and technical knowhow that is necessary to ensure safe plan travel, operations, and maintenance. 

The aviation workforce helps communities across the country access the global transportation network and generate economic activity. For example, in my district, the Orlando Sanford International Airport provides economic opportunities to local small 

businesses, it increases local tourism, and it provides additional 

transportation to the traveling public, which is particularly important in a destination like Orlando. 

As the demand for air travel continues to increase and aircraft 

engineering becomes more innovative, some in the aviation industry have expressed concerns about a growing labor shortage. 

And these concerns largely stem from a perceived decline in the 

number of people pursuing certifications in the aviation sector, 

combined with an anticipated increase in the rate of Baby Boomer 

retirements within the next decade. 

And there have also been concerns raised in the past that 

outsourcing has negatively impacted aviation mechanics, so I hope 

to learn from this hearing about ways to mitigate this problem. 

Additionally, I want to take a moment to make clear that I believe that weakening critical safety regulations would be misguided. When it comes to our pilot supply, it is important that we 

focus our efforts on getting more young people excited about the 

aviation profession and making financial aid for their training 

more accessible. 

From 2001 to 2009, we had six fatal crashes in regional airlines, 

and since the new safety rules were implemented, we have had 

zero. And so I think those results speak for themselves. 

While the impact of aviation workforce shortages on small business is largely underreported and more data needs to be compiled 

to provide us with a more holistic understanding of the issue, I 

think the potential effect will ripple across the aviation industry 

and have broader implications for the U.S. economy. And today’s 

testimony from our witnesses will help to inform us about the steps 

that can be taken to ensure our country’s vital aviation industrial 

base is strong and sustainable. 

So I thank the witnesses for being here and look forward to hearing how we can help support our aviation workforce and ensure 

America’s small businesses are empowered to move our economy 

forward. 

Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and I yield back the remainder of my 

time. 

Chairman KNIGHT. Thank you very much. 

And now we will introduce our witnesses. 

First, I would like to introduce Mr. Brett Levanto, Vice President 

of Operations for Obadal, Filler, MacLeod, and Klein, and Vice 

President of Communications for the Aeronautical Repair Station 

Association (ARSA). Mr. Levanto has been immersed in public engagement and service throughout his personal and professional life, 

actively volunteering in support of aviation, military, and veteran 

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rine Corps. At OFM&K, Mr. Levanto’s primary focus is on workforce development, airman certification, and training matters. 

We welcome you today. 

Now, I would like to yield to Mr. Blum for Mr. Lenss introduction. 

Mr. BLUM. Thank you, Chairman Knight. 

I am proud to introduce our second witness, Mr. Martin Lenss. 

Mr. Lenss is the Director of the Eastern Iowa Airport in Cedar 

Rapids, located within my district. He has 25 years of airport experience, including having held similar positions at regional airports 

in Minnesota and Wisconsin—and we will not hold that against 

you, Marty. Mr. Lenss has created, organized, and led a regional 

economic development forum on the pilot shortage, focusing on impacts to Iowa’s communities, and led one of the first multistate airport forums on the pilot shortage issue. 

Thank you for sharing your time with us today, Marty, and we 

look forward to your testimony. 

And I yield back, Mr. Chairman. 

Chairman KNIGHT. Thank you very much. 

Our third witness, Ms. Sarah Oberman Bartush. Ms. Bartush is 

the Chief Marketing Officer and Director of Business Development 

for CI Jets, the executive jet charter division of Channel Islands 

Aviation located in Camarillo, California. Ms. Bartush started her 

career managing the flight school at Channel Islands Aviation 

founded by her parents in 1976. Since then, she has obtained nearly every certificate or approval for a flight school in the State of 

California, and created the Youth Aviation Academy in 2012, to inspire youth to pursue careers in aviation. Ms. Bartush is currently 

involved in pilot recruitment, aircraft management, charter sales, 

and marketing, while also supervising operation of Channel Islands 

Aviation Flight School. 

We welcome you here today. 

Now, I would like to yield to the Ranking Member for our fourth 

witness. 

Ms. MURPHY. It is my pleasure to introduce Dr. Ken Witcher, 

the Dean of the College of Aeronautics at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach, right up the street from my 

district. Dr. Witcher’s aviation experience includes 20 years of service in the United States Air Force, during which he was superintendent of an operational test and evaluation squadron and field 

training detachment chief for multiple aircrafts and supporting systems. Dr. Witcher previously served as chair of the Nevada Aerospace and Defense Sector Council, reporting directly to the Governor’s Workforce Investment Board. He received a Masters of 

Aeronautical Science from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University 

and a Doctorate in Philosophy in Business Administration with a 

focus in Aviation Science and Public Administration from North 

Central University. He is testifying on behalf of the Aerospace Industry Association today. 

Welcome, Dr. Witcher, and thank you for your service. 

Chairman KNIGHT. Okay. Okay. So a couple housekeeping. 

Upon hearing that this Subcommittee would be meeting on this 

issue today, professional aviation organizations reached out to my 

office and this committee asking to submit letters for the record. 

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Organizations such as Helicopter Association International, National Business Aviation Association, the Regional Airlines Association, and the National Air Transportation Association felt as 

though their small business members were uniquely impacted and 

had specific concerns that needed to be part of the proceedings 

today. At this time, I would like to submit copies of their letters 

for the record. 

If Committee members have an opening statement prepared, I 

ask that they be submitted for the record. 

I would like to take a moment to explain what those lights are 

in front of you and what they are going to be doing. You will each 

have 5 minutes to testify today. As the yellow light comes on you 

have a minute. And then as Chairman Chabot always says, when 

you have the red light comes on that means start wrapping it up. 

So we will be very flexible today and we would like to hear your 

testimony. So just kind of take that with a grain of salt. 

Okay. Let’s move on. And we are going to start witnesses. Mr. 

Levanto, you can start, and you have 5 minutes. 

STATEMENTS OF BRETT LEVANTO, VICE PRESIDENT OF COMMUNICATIONS, AERONAUTICAL REPAIR STATION ASSOCIATION; MARTIN LENSS, AIRPORT DIRECTOR, THE EASTERN 

IOWA AIRPORT; SARAH OBERMAN BARTUSH, CHIEF MARKETING OFFICER & DIRECTOR OF BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT, CI JETS; KENNETH WITCHER, PH.D., DEAN, COLLEGE 

OF AERONAUTICS, EMBRY-RIDDLE AERONAUTICAL UNIVERSITY 

STATEMENT OF BRETT LEVANTO 

Mr. LEVANTO. Thank you very much, Chairman Knight, Ranking Member Murphy. I will be loyal to my 5 minutes because I am 

dangerous if given leeway when it comes to time limits. 

Thank you for having this discussion and involving the Aeronautical Repair Station Association, an organization that represents businesses from across the aviation industry performing 

work and operating international and U.S. civil aircraft around the 

world, and also performing work on government contracts and military equipment. In addition to the core independent repair stations, 

these are organizations bearing certification from the U.S. FAA or 

other international aviation authorities. ARSA also represents and 

works with manufacturers, parts producers, airlines and other operators, in addition to service providers and industry stakeholders 

to maintain and perform work across the entire aviation system. 

These companies form an international and interconnected industry that in the United States employs nearly 300,000 Americans 

and produces $47 billion in annual economic activity. The Subcommittee is well represented. The seven states on this body employ nearly 80,000 men and women who generate $12 billion annually in economic activity. That means that those seven states represent more than a quarter of employment in the economy of aviation maintenance and parts production services. 

For these businesses, recruitment and retaining of skilled, technical individuals to perform work on aircraft has become the industry’s most pressing, strategic challenge. It involves itself in every 

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discussion and has become a part of doing business. Now, the industry structure might be interesting to most of the general public 

who view aviation as the bastion of big businesses and large organizations from whom they buy tickets and with whom they ship 

goods. 

But the reality is that small businesses are the rule. ARSA’s data 

indicates that the average repair station employs just 46 people, 

and that number is inflated by the few large players in the market 

such that the typical repair station is actually much smaller. They 

operate in small teams, using high-tech capabilities to perform a 

specialized set of tasks and passing both savings and increased 

quality onto their customers in civil industry and the government, 

and on to the flying public and the entire American community. 

The aviation market is a hopeful one. ARSA’s members plan to 

capitalize on expanding growth and hopeful future workforce projections by adding to their own workforces. However, they have reported for years now nearly unanimous difficulty in finding and retaining technically skilled workers. That work does require a high 

level of skill, not just from certificated personnel, but from different 

kinds of technicians with varying levels of experience and responsibility and specialized technical abilities in order to perform work 

on civil aircraft and articles. Continuing the capabilities of this 

workforce requires robust employer-managed training programs, 

not just to onboard personnel, which can take years in terms of creating a useful and profitable technician in the workplace, but also 

to maintain continuing skills and technical capabilities to keep up 

with advancing technologies and meet customer demands to keep 

aircraft airworthy. 

The greatest challenge facing this workforce was touched on by 

Ranking Member Murphy in her opening remarks, and that is that 

technician skills are attractive across every high-tech industry, all 

of which are suffering to find personnel to fill vacancies. That 

means that small aviation businesses, which is four out of five of 

the 4,000 firms in the United States, must compete for talent 

against the automotive, heavy equipment, and even amusement 

park industry for personnel who find their skills to be attractive. 

Considering the high demands and personal responsibility placed 

on aviation workers, this is a tough pull for small businesses who 

have tight margins and heavy regulatory burdens of their own. 

The impact is strong. ARSA’s analysis indicates that right now 

the open technical positions at U.S. repair stations are already 

costing the industry $2 billion a year and forcing businesses to increase time to complete their work, delay accepting new orders, 

delay facility expansions, and even rejecting new work opportunities. 

The stark reality of this is as you mentioned, Chairman Knight, 

projections do not even indicate that we are already in a point of 

a workforce shortage. Our own data indicates that the year 2022 

is our year of reckoning because that is when supply of available 

technicians will officially fall short of demand from industry and 

will continue growing worse thereafter. Considering that the numbers do not even show that we are in a shortage yet and we are 

already suffering so greatly at the challenge of finding technical 

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talent, I think it is clear that the industry is facing a gathering 

storm. 

ARSA and its members look forward to working with you to continue to foster industry and government collaboration, stimulate investment in technical training, develop and nurture technical skills 

and a cultural appreciation for hands-on work, and establish robust 

aviation career pathways for certificated mechanics and noncertificated technicians in order to help remind the world that it cannot 

fly without us. 

Thanks very much. 

Chairman KNIGHT. Thank you very much. 

And Mr. Lenss, you now have 5 minutes. 

STATEMENT OF MARTIN LENSS 

Mr. LENSS. Good morning. And thank you, Chairman Knight 

and Ranking Member Murphy, and members of the Subcommittee. 

And special thank you for Congressman Blum for the kind introduction. 

It is a privilege to testify about the most pressing threat facing 

aviation today. Often lost in this discussion about the shortage of 

pilots and aviation mechanics is the impact this problem has on 

local economies. Thank you for including an airport in a small community perspective in this discussion today. 

Now, airports do not train, we do not hire, and we do not employ 

pilots or technicians, but we certainly depend on them. Pilots in the 

entire aerospace industry enable our communities to be connected, 

and connectivity to the national transportation system is essential 

to ensure both our local communities and small businesses remain 

vibrant. 

The Iowa City/Cedar Rapids region is known as ICR Iowa. It includes seven counties and is home to half a million people. ICRI 

was also home to several key economic drivers. To name a few: 

Rockwell Collins, Transamerica, World Class Healthcare, ACT. 

Maybe many of you took the ACT exam to get into college. Procter 

& Gamble, Cargill, Quaker Oats, CRST International, and of 

course, our beloved Hawkeyes at the University of Iowa. CID is 

very proud to connect these entities to the world. 

As important though are the many small businesses which make 

these major employers successful. These are suppliers, vendors, 

contractors, customers, and others, all depend on CID’s air service 

directly or indirectly. The shortage of pilots is threatening this 

service, and therefore, these jobs. The pilot shortage is very real 

and it is here now. The U.S. is not producing nearly enough pilots 

to meet industry’s needs. Less than half the need is met each year. 

Passenger traffic is increasing, yet our departures nationally are 

decreasing. Despite a strong economy, service continues to shrink 

and CID is just a microcosm of this. The Eastern Iowa Airport, we 

are on pace for a record year in passengers this year. Our unemployment rate is now under 3 percent, but our departures are down 

7 percent. Clearly something more is going on when your economy 

is this robust and airlines are reducing service. 

Frequent, reliable air service is critical for local business. It 

keeps us connected to the global business system. At CID, we can 

only withstand so many cuts before our employers are negatively 

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impacted. According to a survey conducted by Iowa DOT, the top 

three issues affecting business decisions to expand or relocate your 

communities are workforce, taxes, and air service. To build on the 

air service a little bit more, Peoria, Illinois, recently lost a key economic driver when nearly after a century Caterpillar moved its corporate headquarters from Peoria to Chicago for better transportation. In 2011, Chiquita left Cincinnati for Charlotte. In 2013, Archer Daniels Midland announced it was leaving Decatur for Chicago. Each major employer’s departure has a ripple effect through 

the small business and philanthropic communities. 

Small communities see this trend. The service disruptions dominate our news. There is no silver bullet. Increased collaboration is 

very much needed across industry, government, and communities 

is absolutely imperative. 

Some things for us to further talk about, and Ranking Member 

Murphy spoke of lowing the financial profession barriers to the profession. We believe that to be key. Increasing the number of pathways to accrue the necessary training and experience, modernizing 

the pilot training. All of this can be done and improve safety within 

the existing regulatory framework. Virtually every state has an airport that will face the loss of service in the coming years. Already, 

3 dozen communities have lost air service. Another 2 dozen have 

lost 75 percent. Unless we mitigate this crisis, the damage to our 

Nation’s communities, our industry and small businesses will be 

devastating. 

Thank you again for including my perspective, and I look forward 

to answering any questions you may have. Thank you. 

Chairman KNIGHT. Thank you very much. 

Ms. Bartush, you are now recognized for 5 minutes. 

STATEMENT OF SARAH OBERMAN BARTUSH 

Ms. BARTUSH. Okay. Good morning, Chairman Knight, Ranking Member Murphy, and other esteemed members of Congress 

here today. It is a pleasure for me to be here. 

My name is Sarah Oberman Bartush, and I am from Camarillo, 

California. I have grown up in the aviation industry as my parents, 

Mark and Janie Oberman founded our business, Channel Islands 

Aviation, in 1976. 

Our business is unique in the fact that we operate an executive 

charter operation under our DBA CI Jets. We have a busy flight 

school where we train pilots professionally, and we also have a 

maintenance operation to maintain our fleet. The workforce shortages are deeply impacting our business. 

First off, our flight school does not have enough flight instructors. We currently have 115 active students with only 10 flight instructors on staff. In the past 3 years, we have lost 19 flight instructors to either corporate or regional airlines. Right now, we 

desperately need to hire, yet we are not getting any resumes in the 

door. We have a waitlist right now for flight students, 13 people 

long, so we desperately need to hire. I need to have at least three 

more full-time instructors on staff right now. If we are unable to 

find flight instructors in the future, we will not be able to sustain 

our flight training business. 

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Another problem facing our flight school is that becoming a flight 

instructor is not a necessary step in a commercial pilot’s career 

anymore. Historically, commercial graduates would go and flight 

instruct for a couple years before they move on to say a corporate 

position or a regional airline. However, right now, our graduates 

with as little as 200 hours of flight time are taking jobs flying as 

copilot in jets for charter operators. Just last week I got an email 

from a fellow operator on our field that operates a large fleet of 

business jets and he said that he had six position openings and 

they were looking to hire our new commercial graduates. So our 

graduates are looking at either flying the right seat of a jet or they 

are looking at flying for us in a small, single engine Cessna. And 

obviously, they are going to go fly something that is bigger and 

faster. So we are losing those opportunities just right in our flight 

school right there. 

The next issue that we are facing in our maintenance department is that we have been unable to hire and retain aircraft mechanics. We have been continuously hiring mechanics for the past 

2 years, and due to the fact that we have such a workforce shortage with mechanics, our flight school has experienced many delays 

and flight cancelations due to the fact that we cannot get aircraft 

out of the shop. We have been operating sometimes with as little 

as only two mechanics on the floor, and we operate a fleet of 12 

aircraft in our flight school, while also doing outside maintenance. 

Over in CI Jets, our executive jet charter division, we operate 

four jet aircraft and employ seven pilots. Traditionally, when a 

pilot chooses to go corporate or fly private aircraft, they maintain 

that course, or they might go for the airlines. And traditionally, 

they will actually retire in that position. However, right now we 

are seeing our corporate pilots take the plunge and go fly for the 

airlines because the packages and the sign-on bonuses and all the 

benefits for the airlines is so compelling that they are making a career change. 

In the past year, we have had two of our highest paid and most 

senior pilots give resignation to go fly for the major airlines. Both 

were making about $200,000 a year flying a $20 million airplane 

all over the world to exotic destinations, so that has been a big 

challenge for us in losing pilots to the airlines. When we do lose 

a pilot, it is a financial burden to us because the training event to 

bring on a new pilot costs anywhere from $10,000 to $60,000, and 

so with the turnover and the continuous cost of training, it is really, really hard for us to sustain being in this business. 

It is really important right now to get the word out that it is a 

really good time to become a pilot. I mean, there are so many job 

opportunities out there and companies like mine could definitely 

benefit from that. But without enough flight instructors to train incoming pilots, it is going to be impossible to produce them. And 

without corporate pilots, many businesses that rely on corporate 

aviation as a means of conducting business and going to different 

locations, they are not going to have that option. 

So I really appreciate this topic being brought forth today, and 

I look forward to taking all of your questions. It is a pleasure being 

here. Thank you. 

Chairman KNIGHT. Thank you very much. 

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Dr. Witcher, you have 5 minutes. We look forward to your testimony. 

STATEMENT OF KEN WITCHER 

Mr. WITCHER. Thank you, Chairman Knight and Ranking 

Member Murphy, and members of the Committee. Thank you so 

much for allowing me to come here today to talk about this topic 

that is certainly very important to us. Aviation is in my blood as 

well, Mr. Knight, and this is an important topic to us at the university as well. I have had the chance for the last 5 years to lead the 

College of Aeronautics at the Embry-Riddle worldwide campus, and 

it is an exciting time to be in aviation. 

Embry-Riddle as a whole has been in this business for about 90 

years educating this workforce that we have out there. We offer degrees. We also offer professional education to companies out there 

as well that we are able to support as we move forward. 

The big picture, and I think you guys have captured this in your 

testimonies you had this morning and the testimonies from our 

previous Committee or panelists up here, is if you look at the research, going back as far as in the early 1980s, there was clear research that connected an economic impact to the air service of the 

community. So there is a connection here to the small businesses 

and to economic growth without a doubt. 

So what is happening with the industry today? And if you look 

at it from a global perspective, as the large manufacturers produce 

a forecast each year, they are saying in the next 20 years or so we 

are going to need about 790,000 pilots globally. Here in the United 

States that would be about almost 200,000 pilots, and about 

754,000 maintainers globally just to match the growth that is happening in the industry that was mentioned previously. That is a lot 

of folks, and these are skilled labor forces, so this is not just—there 

are really no nonskilled labor forces here in the area. 

So as we talk about this as a whole, let’s come back to the pilot 

shortage in particular. And by the way, you mentioned a report 

that you got from the National Business Aviation Association. I 

think that one is an important one to pay attention to as well. The 

folks that they represent, about 97 percent of their companies are 

small to medium businesses. As you are hearing up here today, 

that is a big impact out there, not just to the Boeings of the world 

and the Deltas of the world, but also to the small businesses that 

we have out there that we support. 

So the pilot shortage in particular, Sarah was just saying there 

is usually two tracts to become a pilot. One is through the military, 

of course. They produce about 1,000 pilots a year. They are growing 

as many of you might have heard just in the last week or two, that 

Secretary Wilson, Heather Wilson had mentioned that they were 

trying to grow I think 73 squadrons is what she was saying. So 

they are going to put a burden on that training pipeline into this 

that is usually typically supported this commercial world. And then 

there are the flight schools. And many of those flight schools are 

small businesses, but then there are flight schools that are larger. 

What you are hearing from Sarah in particular is what our flight 

schools are experiencing. So as the large organizations, the Deltas, 

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11 

Uniteds of this world are out there and they need resources, they 

need pilots, they have resources to attract that talent. 

If you look at pilot pay in the majors, over the last few years it 

has increased. I think that is a pretty good indicator of them trying 

to bring in good talent. Now, where do they take their pilots from? 

Well, they are taking their pilots from these corporate aviation organizations and from the regionals. And when we take pilots from 

the regionals, what are we doing? Well, we are reducing service. 

That was mentioned here by one of the other panelists. And it 

keeps going down until you get to this problem that Sarah very 

clearly identified, which is that CFI problem. And without the instructors, how do we educate and train the students and the pilots 

of the future? So that is where that problem really does kind of become a significant issue for all of us that are wanting to support 

the aviation industry. 

And that has two impacts on small business. Like I was mentioning, reduced services out there and then the things that Sarah 

identified, the ability to support these small flight training schools 

and those type of organizations that rely on this talent and this 

workforce. 

So the technician piece of this house is very similar. It has been 

identified by our first witness down there as well. If you look at 

just the United States, we are saying about 154,000 or so. Some 

of the reports out there indicate that we will need that kind of talent. The interesting thing here though is that with the pilot problem, the pilot issue challenge that we are facing, there are a lot of 

people that want to be pilots. We heard that. And there are aircraft 

out there to do that. What we are missing is that CFI part of this. 

In the technician piece of the house it is a little different. We 

have got capacity in those schools and we have got to figure out 

a way to get that talent in there and through that capacity the 

technician problem could be as big to small businesses as we heard 

earlier with some of the MROs as the pilot shortage is. 

So just to kind of summarize this thing, there are challenges out 

there without a doubt. There are a lot of people out there, including 

up here on the Hill, that are working very hard to solve those challenges. And one of those things that we have been able to get very 

excited about recently is this opportunity to look at our career skill 

bridges that happen out there. It is where we take and we are separating military folks and we are bringing them in with certain 

types of training and getting them into these areas. In particular, 

these areas where they are wanting this 3 to 5 years’ experience 

in these skill sets. 

So a lot of opportunity out there. Some answers to some of these 

challenges, and I look forward to your questions. Thank you. 

Chairman KNIGHT. Very good. We will go through the Committee up here and ask a few questions. We try to keep our questions to 5 minutes, too, and if we can, we come back for another 

round. 

But I have got a question kind of for the panel. We see that if 

there is a pilot shortage and there is an instructor shortage, which 

I firmly agree that there is, but the technician shortage of maintaining the aircraft, of making sure that we are putting safe aircraft in the air, where are we looking to get them? So if I go to 

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Embry-Riddle and I get pilots out of there or I get them somewhere 

else across the country, where are I getting my maintainers? 

Maybe Mr. Levanto, you can help me with that. I am betting some 

come from the military, so I am going to take that one kind of off 

the board. But where are the rest coming? 

Mr. LEVANTO. Sure. Well, answering that question requires 

very briefly understanding the different types of individuals that 

perform work in maintenance facilities. So certificated mechanics, 

A&P, airframe and power plant mechanics attract the most attention and are the gold standards. They bear individual certifications 

from the FAA to perform work on civil aircraft and they have a variety of privileges and responsibilities that go along with that. 

There are also individuals holding repairman certificates who have 

not necessarily gone through the same pathway to get to their certification, but they have a specialized skill that makes them particularly valuable and effective in performing work on a civil aircraft. And they get their certificate under their employer’s endorsement. And it is tied to that employer and tied to the specific work 

that they perform in order to be a part of the civil aviation landscape. Those certificated individuals are supported by 

noncertficated technicians who have knowledge and skills, and in 

fact, are required to have knowledge and skills and access to necessary data to perform work and they do so in coordination with 

their certificated coworkers who provide supervision support and 

sign off on work for return to service. So understanding all the 

pieces of that pie show that there is actually a variety of pathways 

through which individuals can get into a maintenance environment. 

Chairman KNIGHT. So we are looking at maybe four or five 

steps of people that work on aircraft for their certain skill level, 

their certain certification, and their certain education that they 

have in that arena? 

Mr. LEVANTO. Yes, sir. 

Chairman KNIGHT. Are we finding that the—I do not want to 

say the lower step, but the step that is not certified, that is, as you 

say, the repairman that goes in there, is working on a specific aircraft and a specific place, like maybe Ms. Bartush’s business, is 

there a huge shortage there or is that kind of an on-the-job training of we are trying to grab people and they are working for us and 

we are putting them into this position? 

Mr. LEVANTO. Actually, in many ways that is a resource we can 

take further advantage of. Aviation businesses tend to focus on certificated personnel, and there is some sense behind that. But those 

are the individuals that are getting those gold standard skills that 

are then getting poached out of their 147 programs or they are experienced to go work in other industries. The groups that we have 

worked with, the organizations that have had a lot of success are 

those who have developed robust internal training to turn noncertificated personnel who are eager to learn, have the character necessary to show up to work every day and perform exemplary, and 

growing them through the experience requirements of part 65 into 

individuals eligible to get their personal certification. And a great 

example of that from Alaska, Warbelow’s Air actually has a helper 

program built into their training program which they are required 

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to have under their own certification, and they have been growing 

technicians over the course of 3 to 5 years into individuals who are 

ready to take their tests and take their own A&P certification. 

Chairman KNIGHT. Okay. So let me expand this out a little bit. 

In my district, we build a lot of airplanes. We have a lot of aviation in my district. We are doing some innovative things over the 

next 20, 30, 50 years, and we needed some folks. So we built a program though our junior college. It is called the AFAB Center, and 

it is for basically basic fabrication of airplanes. Need to be able to 

show up, need to be able to pass a urine test because it is a DOD 

job, and need to be able to have a basic understanding of schematics. And we have a very robust group there that is being hired 

now by many of the companies at about a 97 percent clip. So if you 

make it through this program, you are probably going to be hired, 

and it is going to be a good job and good benefits and all of that. 

I think, because of the economy and just kind of follow me here, 

we need to look at some of these kind of connections to our junior 

colleges. We all have junior colleges. We all have tech schools. We 

all have universities in our districts or in our state that are very 

willing to open up certified programs. We all know about the 4-year 

degrees, but we also know that we need people in jobs to put the 

square peg in the square hole quicker sometimes. And that means 

getting the certification that you need, getting the training that 

you need, and getting into the job. So I think that that is part of 

our goal in Congress is making sure that we are getting the workforce in to work. And that is obviously a goal here at the Small 

Business. We want the opportunities to be filled by folks that can 

take advantage. 

So I will come back to me, but I would like to go to the Ranking 

Member, Ms. Murphy. 

Ms. MURPHY. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. 

Just as Mr. Chairman said, I am very interested in seeing that 

we get folks into jobs, but particularly veterans. And so I have a 

particular interest in the Department of Defense Skill Bridge program that you mentioned. Specifically, we just were able to pass 

into law some changes to the Transition Assistance program to enable greater emphasis on educating service members as they transition into civilian life about career opportunities, career and technical training, education options, as well as entrepreneurship potential. So hopefully, that will be an opportunity to highlight a program like the Skill Bridge program. 

But I was wondering, you know, is it for all types of aviation 

skills, not just pilots? Also, what kind of throughput are you currently seeing? And then finally, the witnesses have talked a lot 

about certification. How do we translate military experience into civilian certification in a way that is portable? 

Mr. WITCHER. Yeah. Thanks, Ms. Murphy. That is a great 

question. And you are right. The Skill Bridge program is part of 

the transitioning service member program. It is approved. It is very 

exciting. And what we are looking for, as Mr. Knight mentioned, 

we need skill sets. We need the square peg in the square hole here. 

We do not necessarily need a 4-year degree, although that is a valuable product in this business. But we need to get the skillsets out 

there. So we have these folks that spent 3 to 5 to 7 to 20 years 

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in some cases serving in the military, working on these high performance aircraft. Why could we not take them out and fill some 

of this need that we have out there. And in particular, a lot of the 

smaller businesses that are out there that are in the MO world, 

they are looking with somebody with 3 to 5 years’ experience because, as we mentioned, that cost to train somebody internally. So 

somebody that comes with experience would be a big benefit. These 

are those folks. And to Mr. Knight’s comments there, they can pass 

a drug test typically, and they know how to show up for work 

showing out of the service. So these are the folks that would meet 

that bill. 

Now, there is no direct correlation, unfortunately, from their experiences in the service to the certificate from the FAA, but that 

is not a game killer there. There are still some opportunities there. 

The part 65 that was mentioned earlier is a way that we can take 

that skillset if they have enough to pass, to meet the experience 

criteria, we can provide the education part of this and very clearly 

close that gap. 

But even more important than that, what we are hearing from 

the industries that we are talking to now about starting this career 

skills gap program with the A&P mechanics is that they do not 

necessarily need the A&P certificate. They are looking for the capability, the skillset that is coming out of there. So we can quickly 

cross that gap with some of these processes, some of these programs, such as this transition program that you mentioned. So, 

and in some cases, they are not even needing folks that have experience on aircraft. They want somebody that is mechanically inclined. Some of these large manufacturers—and I apologize. I am 

under an NDA. I need my job. So I cannot tell you exactly who we 

were talking to there right now. I would love to later. But these 

companies, large companies, are seriously looking for any type. 

They are getting kind of desperate to look for bus drivers in some 

cases. Not anything wrong with bus drivers. But they are looking 

for a skillset that has a capability out there. So anybody coming 

out of a MOS or an AFIC that has a mechanical inclination, they 

believe with us, our help and their training programs, we can make 

them a productive member to meet this gap that you so clearly 

identified. 

Ms. MURPHY. That is great. Thank you so much for that thorough answer. 

Mr. Levanto, I had a question on a separate issue. You know, I 

understand that there have been concerns about a growing share 

of aircraft maintenance being offshored to repair facilities located 

overseas. Does competition from the overseas repair facilities affect 

your industry’s ability to retain employees and attract new employees to the maintenance workforce? 

Mr. LEVANTO. Thank you for that question. It is important to 

remember that maintenance is taking place all over the world, and 

in fact, it is a requirement that facilities bearing FAA certification 

are available to perform work on U.S. flagged aircraft wherever 

they go. In many cases, the facilities that are performing work 

overseas are actually connected to our own by U.S. companies. So 

in a way we have been able to educate a lot over the past decade 

or so about the fact that so-called outsourcing or offshoring actually 

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ties into the very capable network of American businesses that are 

performing work on aircraft. And the fact of the matter is that 

those organizations that are performing work overseas, just like 

here in the United States, are meeting equivalent standards of 

safety that are overseen by the FAA often in partnership with its 

bilateral partners or other civil aviation authorities. That means 

that the individuals required to work there need to have the same 

kinds of technical knowledge and skill that we need here. And 

training and program resources that help grow that technician pool 

wherever they are located, whether they are coming from the military or civilian service or education, is going to be good for all those 

organizations, particularly by creating flows of personnel that can 

support needs for our aircraft, our U.S. flight aircraft wherever 

they go. 

Ms. MURPHY. Thank you. 

I yield back. 

Chairman KNIGHT. Thank you. 

Now I would like to recognize Ms. Clarke from the great State 

of New York. 

Ms. CLARKE. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. And I 

thank our Ranking Member. 

Dr. Witcher, I would like to just ask you a couple of questions 

because I am I guess a bit concerned about how we view sort of 

the pipeline to getting the 21st century workforce in aviation that 

we need and sort of build the momentum for growth in terms of 

aviation occupations being viable into the next century. I happen 

to come from New York City where we actually have an aviation 

high school. And I was wondering whether you are seeing similar 

types of high schools around the Nation that can provide that pipeline that we are looking for. And I also wanted to add that I would 

like to hear a bit more about how we make it accessible to minority 

and disadvantaged populations that have historically had a difficult time bridging the gap from education to employment. How 

can we better engage and prepare these communities to be pilots 

or aviation mechanics? 

Mr. WITCHER. I thank you so much for that question. And it 

is a great question. The good news is right now the aviation industry is an exciting industry. I mean, we have got the coolest toys for 

sure. We have rockets that are coming back. First stages are coming back here. We have the UAS industry, the drone industry that 

has got a completely different demographic that usually we do not 

have a real valuable conversation in aviation. Now we are able to 

break into that demographic and have a better conversation about 

the future of aviation. So it is exciting. But you are right. We have 

got to start early. There is a lot of competition for the talent that 

we need in this aviation industry out there to go into other industries, like the tech industry, of course, which certainly needs the 

talent as well. But we have got to fight for that and ensure that 

these young folks in the high school programs, and there are many 

high school programs around the country, and my understanding 

is they are very successful. Understand that there are great opportunities coming in. 

An interesting thing is in the pilot area, what we see today, and 

this is different than just a few years ago, because of what we are 

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talking about up here and the opportunity for jobs, not only will 

we have young high school graduates come to us and say we want 

to be a pilot and let’s go, but also their parents come to us. And 

before, it was hard to convince their parents that we had a future. 

There were not a lot of jobs. The pay was not quite as good as it 

is today. It had a little slump. But today that is completely different. A lot of excitement out there. Our challenge is how do we 

get this excitement into a typically nonaviation demographic? 

Things like this new technology, unmanned systems, when I take 

that to school, I love to have that conversation because they look 

at that opportunity in aviation and it is not just, you know, the pilots that they have seen, the stereotypical pilot that they have seen 

or stereotypical maintainer. Anybody can get excited about this 

technology. There are no stereotypes around it. We are leveraging 

tools like that to get into that level of the education system to try 

to get folks excited about how it is coming forward. 

We have work to do. We have got to be able to, especially as an 

aviation aerospace educator, to get into some of these communities 

that we historically have not gotten into. Things like online education or given this opportunity, to in there at a cost, that is that 

opens up this opportunity of aviation education to a completely different market, and we are excited about that. Great question. 

Thank you. 

Ms. CLARKE. Absolutely. Because I think it is something that 

can be, you know, can be prompted in urban, as well as rural communities where young folks are looking for opportunities, but they 

are not accessible. I just think about unfortunately these young 

people who have been breaching security and jumping in and actually piloting aircraft. And they have learned some of their skill online. And unfortunately, it was criminal what they did, but it indicates to me that there are ways that we can do distance learning. 

There are ways that we can promote to nontraditional communities 

to be able to get that workforce of the 21st century. So I look forward to more of a conversation in this space because I think it is 

really important that we not throw our hands up and we not believe that we are limited in terms of where we can access the talent 

to be able to reinvigorate the industry. 

I yield back, Mr. Chairman. 

Chairman KNIGHT. Thank you very much. 

I think this is a good part of the conversation, too. You know, we 

all go to schools and we all talk to young people and see what their 

dreams are these days. And the UAS kind of explosion over the last 

10 years has really invigorated a lot of young people. We have a 

robotics team in my district that started about 12 years ago. I was 

there when it started and it was 100 percent boys. Today, it is 47 

percent girls. So you can see that there is kind of a shift in maybe 

looking at a career that maybe 12 years ago the girls did not think 

that they could do that or they were not looking at that. 

One of the things that Ms. Murphy brought up was military education. And I think that we have talked about this until we are 

blue in the face of how do we get people in the military that do 

something very well in the military that works in the civilian 

world, and how do we transfer them from the military life of not 

wearing camo to wearing jeans and getting paid? So we would love 

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to hear great ideas on that. We have tried to do that. I am sure 

that at the state level everybody has tried to do that. I know that 

Florida is very involved. California is involved. And New York. And 

all of the states have tried to do it at a little bit of a level, but I 

think the Federal Government has really got to be involved. That 

if you got somebody in there and they are working on helicopters 

and they want to transfer out when they ETS from the military, 

why would we not want them to work on helicopters? That is exactly what we want them to do. So those are always ideas that we 

are trying to kind of filter down and work on, but literally, the 

military has got to give us some pathway, too. They really do. So 

that is not a cut on anybody. It is just maybe a little bit more 

homework for us. 

And then the last thing I would like to bring up because I think 

it is going to cross is aviation in this country, it is the absolute 

safest thing I do to get to work. I was telling my wife, my 3-hour 

drive to LAX is by far the most dangerous thing I do all day. And 

I only live 60 miles from LAX, so you can see what the traffic is 

in Southern California. Once I am on the airplane, I am safe. I am 

good to go. It is the safest mode of travel. We are very proud of 

what happens in America, and I think that Ms. Murphy said something in her opening statement, we do not want anything to affect 

the safety of travel, either at the GA locations or at something like 

LAX. We know that when we get in an airplane, we are in a very, 

very safest mode of travel and we are going to get to our destination. And that is a testimony to not only what you folks do, what 

the airlines do, and what the mechanics to keep the airplanes in 

the air do. 

And then the last thing is cool toys. Boy, we have really got a 

hit on that. I just firmly believe that. The kids that are going into 

computers and things like that today, and I know that there is 

high pay in a lot of these areas, but literally, these are the cool 

toys. These are the coolest things you can possibly do is fly an airplane. Teach somebody to fly an airplane. It really is, not just because I grew up around it, but it just is. And how we motivate 

those kids to say this is an opportunity, and how do we get to kids 

that are in the inner city to do that and how do we break through 

the gender gap is difficult, too. But we have got to do that. And 

I think that we are starting to. And I think the UAS explosion, the 

drone explosion is starting to get people involved. You can go out 

and buy a cheap, cruddy drone for 60 bucks and fly it and see, you 

know, kind of characteristics of flight and things like that. And it 

gets them involved. And that is a good thing. That is a good thing. 

So, okay, Ms. Murphy, how are we? 

Ms. MURPHY. We are good. 

Chairman KNIGHT. Okay. All right. Does anyone want to react 

to my statements or—that is very good. Thank you, Vivian. I was 

just kind of rambling, but I figured that everybody was nodding 

their head and I was going down the right road. 

Go ahead, Mr. Levanto. 

Mr. LEVANTO. If I may just briefly second you point, and particularly in getting individuals out of the military where we can 

take advantage of these noncertificated pathways where they have 

valuable specialized skills that may not meet the full criteria for 

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an A&P certificate, but we have so many ways to get them into our 

workforce. And the way this Committee can help with that, not just 

for the military but for all personnel looking to get employment in 

small aviation businesses, is by helping to stimulate resources, 

begin conversations, create connections and collaboration. And I do 

want to share that you can actually help us with that outside of 

your Committee work today if you support the FAA bill. It actually 

has a program that is supported by just about every organization 

that is in this room to pilot an AMT grant program that would facilitate local community engagement and collaboration to help with 

veteran transitions and getting personnel in all different types of 

backgrounds into technician careers. And I would like to implore 

you to support us in that effort. 

Chairman KNIGHT. I think veteran transition is something that 

everyone agrees that that is a big part of how we make sure that 

our veterans are getting into work cuts down on the problems that 

we see from veterans. We are losing 21 veterans a day to suicide. 

All of those issues are the bigger problem here. But the solution 

is getting them into a job as fast as possible and getting them into 

transitioning into civilian life. 

So I agree with that. And I think that, you know, when I was 

in the military, I was a track systems mechanic. That does not 

really transition over to a helicopter mechanic or an airplane mechanic, but it is a mechanical skill that I acquired in the military 

that probably, because I had some skills, you could transition into 

that or you could put into a training program. Boy, we talk about 

this and talk about this, and I think there are little incremental 

changes. But we have really got to have bigger changes. I know the 

TAPS program and things like that are good programs and they 

start to move our young people from ETS into work, but boy, we 

have really got to have a good connection to that. And so, we will 

look into that a lot closer. 

Okay. I think we are set unless anyone else has anything to say. 

We are a free-flowing Committee in here. We do whatever the heck 

we want till the Chairman comes in and says do not do that. 

Mr. LENSS. Mr. Chairman, I was just going to add on the cool 

toys something to be aware of is our regional airline industry, as 

well as even the major carriers now, are doing a significant outreach to middle schools, high schools, and bringing in some cases 

simulators out to the schools so the kids get that love of aviation 

bug instilled early. And so there is some active work being done 

within the industry, but again, I think that is a program we can 

take even further with continued industry collaboration with government and communities. 

I would also point out that the need to reduce the cost of training, particularly flight training in getting at some of the nontraditional communities is critically important, and the need for more 

government assistance in the form of low-interest loans, loan forgiveness programs, those sorts of things are desperately needed as 

well to reach more kids. 

Chairman KNIGHT. Yeah, it is a good point. I can tell you when 

I was working on my private pilot’s license at 16 years old, I was 

funding it by mowing lawns. You could not do that today. So it is 

a great point. And it is a difficult point, too. 

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Ms. BARTUSH. Mr. Chairman, I wanted to add that we are a 

VA approved school, and about 30 percent of our flight training 

business is for veterans. But the funding that they receive is not 

enough. They are not funded for the private pilot certificate. They 

have to complete that on their own, so that is a barrier to entry 

of $15,000 to $20,000. And then from other the program setup only 

gives them $10,000 per academic year towards their flight training. 

And they are looking at anywhere from $75,000 to $100,000 in investment of their training. So we need to figure out a way to get 

them more funding because they have earned that funding. 

Chairman KNIGHT. I absolutely agree. 

Okay. Well, I think it is evident from the testimony we have 

heard today that small businesses are suffering from this labor 

shortage and bear a disproportionate burden of losses. Without 

highly skilled and qualified employees, small businesses operating 

flight schools, maintenance and repair shops, and a host of other 

essential services critical to the aviation sector will disappear. 

Without these small firms, there can be no aviation industry. Without a healthy aviation industry, the U.S. economy suffers. 

I look forward to continuing this dialogue with our witnesses, 

learning all that we can do to combat this shortage. And thank you 

for your testimony today. 

I ask unanimous consent that members have 5 legislative days 

to submit statements and supporting materials for the record. 

Without objection, so ordered. 

This hearing is now adjourned. 

[Whereupon, at 11:01 a.m., the Subcommittee was adjourned.] 

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A P P E N D I X 

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" Fll? !!!EiFI 

1\emnauti(a! Repair Station Assodation 

121 North Henry Street 

Alexandria, VA 22314-2903 

T: 703 739 9543 F: 703 739 9488 

arsa@arsa.org www.arsa.org 

Campaigning for America's Aviation Workforce 

Testimony of Brett Levanto 

Vice President of Communications 

Aeronautical Repair Station Association 

United States House of Representatives Small Business Committee 

Subcommittee on Contracting and Workforce 

September 26, 2018 

Chairman Knight, Ranking Member Murphy and members of the subcommittee, 

thank you for inviting me to testify this morning. The Aeronautical Repair Station 

Association's (ARSA) members appreciate the subcommittee's willingness to examine 

the challenge of finding and retaining skilled technical workers in support of America's 

aviation system; they are encouraged that Congress is looking for ways to help and 

eager to get involved. The workforce difficulties of this small business-dominated 

industry have broader consequences for the U.S. economy, not to mention the safety of 

our nation's airspace. 

Recruiting and retaining the next generation of aviation professionals is the most 

pressing strategic challenge facing the aviation maintenance community. Indeed, 

technical skills development is a long-term threat to the health of every industry 

dependent on design, construction and maintenance capabilities. For aviation 

businesses -large and small- the development, production, operation and 

maintenance of the world's safest transportation system depends on a skilled, dedicated 

and knowledgeable workforce that is personally invested for the long term. 
21 

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Testimony of Brett Levanto 

On Behalf of the Aeronautical Repair Station Association 

Before the House Small Business Subcommittee on Contracting & Workforce 

September 26, 2018 

Page 2 of 14 

Industry Background 

ARSA members hold air agency, aircraft and individual certifications from U.S. 

and international aviation safety regulatory bodies. The core of the association's 

membership is independent repair stations, which hold approved maintenance 

organization certificates from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) 1 and other civil 

aviation authorities. The industry is inherently international: Many companies design, 

produce and perform maintenance on civil and military aviation articles for use in 

multiple countries. As you would expect, aviation businesses invest heavily in regulatory 

compliance and quality systems and must handle a constant stream of audits and 

oversight actions from regulators and customers in addition to their own internal control 

procedures. 

Certificated repair stations have the authority to perform work on - and 

subsequently approve for return to service- civil aircraft, engines, propellers and 

components. Civilian approvals are so thorough and respected that Department of 

Defense (DoD) agencies routinely require that a company hold a certificate from the civil 

aviation authority in order to work on military systems. 

Many facilities are specialized, utilizing small teams to efficiently perform a 

particular set of tasks. This specialization allows companies to get a better return on 

their investment in training, tools, facilities and other administrative requirements. Costeffective and reliable maintenance services benefit aviation customers, both civilian and 

1 Known as "part 145 certificates" because they are administered under Title 14 of the Code of Federal 

Regulations (CFR) part 145 in the United States and similarly numbered regulations from other civil 

aviation authorities. 
22 

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Testimony of Brett Levanto 

On Behalf of the Aeronautical Repair Station Association 

Before the House Small Business Subcommittee on Contracting & Workforce 

September 26, 2018 

Page 3 of 14 

military. These efficiencies translate into cost savings and economic power while 

ensuring public safety and security in the United States and abroad. 

Maintenance providers, manufacturers, air carriers, parts producers, educators 

and other service providers form a global, interconnected civil aviation industry 

employing more than 380,000 people and generating more than $77 billion in direct 

economic impact2 - and that does not consider the military aviation support system, 

which represents another major driver of U.S. and world financial health. The United 

States continues to hold a strong position in the civil aviation market: Nearly 279,000 

Americans go to work every day just in the maintenance industry and generate $47 

billion in annual economic activity a 

To explore the workforce challenges facing the civil aviation maintenance 

industry, it is important to understand its structure. The general public might reasonably 

consider the aviation world to be the bastion of big business; the average passenger's 

entire travel or shipping experience usually involves interface with large organizations. 

However, this is not an accurate representation of the business landscape for 

civil aviation maintenance, parts production and support services. Small businesses are 

the rule, rather than the exception. Of the 4,900 aviation maintenance firms worldwide, 

81 percent are small and medium sized companies. At home in the United states, 85 

2 Aeronautical Repair Station Association. "2018 Global Fleet & MRO Market Report." March 2018. 101. 

Executive summary and U.S. employment data available online via http://arsa.org/news-media/economicdata. 

3 /d. 107. 
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On Behalf of the Aeronautical Repair Station Association 

Before the House Small Business Subcommittee on Contracting & Workforce 

September 26, 2018 

Page 4 of 14 

percent of the roughly 4,000 companies are small or medium size- that's 3,400 

businesses employing 21 percent of the total maintenance workforce. 4 

A Hopeful Market 

There are civil aviation maintenance facilities in every state; the seven 

represented by subcommittee members- California, Florida, Iowa, Kentucky, New 

York, Pennsylvania and South Carolina- are among the leaders. Companies in those 

seven states employ nearly 80,000 men and women who create more than $12 billion in 

direct economic activity annually. 5 

Not only does it contribute substantially both to the U.S. and global economy, the 

aviation maintenance industry is poised for growth. Projections are that the total 

international market for civil aircraft maintenance and parts production will surpass $114 

billion by 2028.6 To reap the benefits of that expansion, employers must recruit, retain 

and develop their next generation of technical professionals. 

According to ARSA's own analysis, the average U.S. repair station employs 46 

people. Considering this average is inflated by the few large players in the market, the 

typical personnel roster of an aviation maintenance provider is even smaller. While 

small, these businesses are not unsophisticated- they employ highly-trained workers 

and utilize advanced technical tools and processes. Many of these high-tech companies 

compete on the global stage by servicing an international customer base. 

4 /d. 104. 5 See Appendix A for complete U.S. state-by-state data. 6 "2018 Global Fleet & MRO Market Assessment." Supra. 4. 
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Before the House Small Business Subcommittee on Contracting & Workforce 

September 26, 2018 

Page 5 of 14 

As of the date of this testimony, the FAA reported 4,020 part-145 certificate 

holders in the United States,? of which 1 ,497 (more than one-third) held an approval 

from EASA authorizing them to performed work on European-registered aircraft and 

components. 8 Any U.S. part 145 certificate holder can perform work for Canadian 

customers under the U.S.-Canada bilateral aviation safety agreement and many hold a 

number of certificates from other global aviation authorities. 

A Gathering Storm 

For the American industry, particularly for its many small and medium size 

enterprises, taking advantage of expected growth and providing services demanded by 

the larger economy depends entirely on the ability to develop the human capital needed 

to keep pace with emerging markets. 

Boeing's 2018 Technician Outlook projects that North American airlines will need 

189,000 new technicians to keep pace with fleet growth over the next 20 years. 9 

Expanded to encompass all work performed on civil aircraft- not just for scheduled 

passenger air service- the number is much, much larger. Additionally, considering the 

average FAA-certificated mechanic is 51 years old and 27 percent are older than 63, 10 

looming retirements of the aging technical population leaves an even bigger hole to fill. 

7 FAA Repair Station Directory. Available online via https:l/av-info.faa.gov. 8 EASA list of U.S. approval holders. Available online via https:llwww.easa.europa.euleasa-andyoulaircraft-productslcontinuing-airworthiness-organisationsfforeign-part-145-organisations-in-us. 

9 Boeing. "Pilot & Technician Outlook 2018-2037." Available online at 

https:lfwww.boeing.comlcommerciallmarketfpilot-technician-outlook12018-technician-outlook. 

10 Aviation Technician Education Council. "Pipeline Report." December 2017. Available online at 

http:flwww.atec-amt.orgluploadsl1/017 1511 07562561atec-pipelinereport-20171211.pdf. 
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Testimony of Brett Levanto 

On Behalf of the Aeronautical Repair Station Association 

Before the House Small Business Subcommittee on Contracting & Workforce 

September 26, 2018 

Page 6 of 14 

Work in aviation demands a high level of technical skill with a range of potential 

points of entry. The technicians demanded by maintenance facilities can be categorized 

according to the individual certification level required to perform the work: 

• Mechanics individually certificated under 14 CFR part 65, subpart Q. These 

individuals hold either airframe (A) or powerplant (P) ratings, or both (A&P), and are 

commonly referred to as "A&P mechanics." 

• Repairmen endorsed by their part ill, 135 or 145 certificate-holding employer for 

certification under part 65, subpart,!;,. 

• Non-certificated technicians performing work for or under the supervision of a 

certificate-holding person, including repair stations and air carriers. 

According to responses to an August 2017 survey administered by ARSA, the 

industry's current employment is almost evenly split between certificated mechanics and 

non-certificated technicians- together the two groups compose roughly 90 percent of 

employment- with the remaining portion invested in individuals holding repairman 

certificates under the endorsement of certificated employers.11 

How an individual business balances its use of each group will depend on a variety 

of factors including expectations of the civil aviation authority, contract requirements and 

employer preferences. Each group plays important roles in the civil aviation 

maintenance environment and -as I will describe later- should be utilized in a way that 

progressively stimulates technician career growth and maximizes workplace skills. 

11 Aeronautical Repair Station Association. "Quick Question Answered: Technician Workforce by 

Certification." Aug. 31, 2018. Available online at http://arsa.org/qq-aug2017. 
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On Behalf of the Aeronautical Repair Station Association 

Before the House Small Business Subcommittee on Contracting & Workforce 

September 26, 2018 

Page 7 of 14 

The general capabilities required to perform work in aviation can be transferred 

into any hands-on industry. ARSA's members and its colleagues at the Aviation 

Technician Education Council (ATEC)12 report employees and students regularly seek 

opportunities in other sectors including automotive, heavy equipment, non-aviation 

manufacturing and even amusement parks. The demands of aviation and the flexibility 

of other, less-regulated industries increase the challenge to aerospace businesses in 

retaining experienced workers and attracting new entrants. According to ATEC, only 60 

percent of students complete the oral, written and practical exams required to achieve 

FAA certification as a mechanic; 13 in many cases the remaining 40 percent find an 

easier transition into other employment. 

In addition to the skills demanded of potential applicants -either in the form of 

specialized technical capabilities or FAA-imposed certification requirements- repair 

stations must invest in training. ARSA survey respondents indicated the average noncertificated technician needs 14 months of development to grow into a profitable, 

independent employee and certificated mechanics need nine months. 14 While those 

figures were moderated by several reported quick-turnarounds for each type of 

technician, multiple respondents indicated a full two years (24 months, the longest 

period that could be entered via the survey mechanism) were needed to produce a 

useful technician regardless of their certification. In addition to the time required to 

12 ATEC represents aviation maintenance technician schools certificated by the FAA to educate potential 

part 65 mechanics. 13 "Pipeline Report." Supra. 14 Aeronautical Repair Station Association. "Quick Question Answered: Time to Onboard a New 

Technician." May 16, 2017. Available online at http://arsa.org/qq-april17. 
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On Behalf of the Aeronautical Repair Station Association 

Before the House Small Business Subcommittee on Contracting & Workforce 

September 26, 2018 

Page 8 of 14 

complete the initial onboarding and on-the-job education required to make a technician 

productive, repair stations must then administer comprehensive training programs in 

order to remain compliant with FAA air agency certificate requirements as well as keep 

their personnel current on needed skills and capabilities. 

Alarms regarding workforce development and personnel retention have been 

sounding for years, continually illustrating a stark duality between expanding markets 

and the challenge of finding qualified technical talent. Half of the respondents to ARSA's 

most-recent member survey reported increased profitability in the last two years and 

two-thirds expected revenues and markets to grow in the coming year. Employment 

demand was also strong: 98 percent expected to add to or maintain the current size of 

their workforce, which would require hiring for new positions, filling vacancies or both. 15 

However, eighty-two percent of respondents reported difficulty finding qualified 

technical workers (37 percent reported "a lot of difficulty"), with more than 1,000 

technician vacancies across the responding companies. Project that number across 

ARSA's membership and we end up with more than 2,500 unfilled technical positions. 

Based on annual revenue data, ARSA members will forego between $333.5 million and 

$642.5 million in revenue this year because of unfulfilled and more likely unfulfillable 

technical workforce positions. 16 

ARSA does not represent every civil aviation maintenance provider, so the actual 

revenue loss associated with unfilled technical workforce positions is significantly 

15 Aeronautical Repair Station Association. "ARSA Survey Shows Industry Poised for Growth, Facing 

Technician Shortage Headwind." Apri124, 2018. Available online at http://arsa.org/survey2018. 

16Jd. 
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Testimony of Brett Levanto 

On Behalf of the Aeronautical Repair Station Association 

Before the House Small Business Subcommittee on Contracting & Workforce 

September 26, 2018 

Page 9 of 14 

higher. In a 2017 analysis, the association projected that the civil aviation maintenance 

industry's vacancy rate costs U.S. businesses $1.95 billion in lost opportunity and 

foregone revenue each yearY 

In its 2018 survey, ARSA allowed its members to illustrate the practical effect of 

the workforce gap. Eighty percent reported the shortage increases time to complete 

work for customers, 28 percent have not added new capabilities, 20 percent have 

turned down work and 11 percent have decided against expanding facilities. 18 Those 

results underscore how personnel issues ripple through the industry and impact growth 

in communities around the globe. 

Given these challenges, workforce development has become the single most 

pressing issue facing the aerospace maintenance community. 19 This fact was 

personally illustrated for me during attendance at Aviation Week's April2018 MRO 

Americas. The event is a premier North American convention for the maintenance, 

manufacturing and parts production sectors of the civil and military aviation community. 

This year, workforce and technician training issues were raised even in places where 

they were not the defined subject or focal point. 

The best example came in a panel session on "Capacity and Pricing" moderated 

by Jim Clarke, vice president of planning and performance for ARSA-member HAECO 

Americas, and featuring a number of senior industry executives from around the world. 

17 Aeronautical Repair Station Association. "Skills Gap Could Cost Repair Stations $1.95 Billion in 

Revenue, Survey Finds." May 12, 2017. Available online at http://arsa.org/survey2017. 18 "ARSA Survey Shows ... " Supra. 

19 /d. 
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On Behalf of the Aeronautical Repair Station Association 

Before the House Small Business Subcommittee on Contracting & Workforce 

September 26, 2018 

Page 10 of 14 

The panelists focused almost entirely on people and how having the right personnelrather than market factors, physical infrastructure or business matters- was the key to 

successful capacity and workload management in the aviation maintenance world. 

Clarke summarized the points of his colleagues: "Capacity is not showing in your 

hangar footprint, but in the number of people that you have and their capabilities and 

skills." His point struck home and is true beyond the hangar to every component shop or 

technical facility. 

Despite the current crisis, the worst is yet to come. Some experts believe the 

aviation maintenance industry is not yet experiencing a true "shortage" of talent: The 

available supply of technicians will not officially be insufficient for demand until 2022; by 

2027 the number of available technicians will fall nine percent short of what is required 

by industry. 20 With employers already struggling to grow the aviation workforce and true 

deficits supposedly still four years away, the aviation community is facing a gathering 

storm. 

A Concerted, Connected Campaign 

At a Department of Transportation/FAA-administered workforce event this 

September, an agency presenter noted how previous efforts and investments in 

workforce development failed to solve larger structural issues. The industry had seen no 

consistent results because there were many independent efforts rather than a 

concerted, connected campaign to improve the entire aviation community's access to 

20 "2018 Global Fleet & MRO Market Assessment." Supra. 109. 
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On Behalf of the Aeronautical Repair Station Association 

Before the House Small Business Subcommittee on Contracting & Workforce 

September 26, 2018 

Page 11 of 14 

critically needed skilled professionals. Everyone inventing their own wheel, as he put it, 

couldn't produce a unified effect. 

The industry is rife with small, limited examples of successful programs- from 

high school curricula designed to attract young students, to STEAM-related events like 

robotics competitions and other showcases, to marketing outreach and "industry days" 

where aviation employers open doors to the general public. What can be done to bring 

these many different efforts everyone's independently-invented "wheel" - into a 

centrally-focused mission? 

ARSA has been working with a broad coalition of interests to address the 

problem. While not all of these efforts are within the jurisdiction of the Small Business 

Committee, it is worth a brief review of the general areas of need in order to understand 

the situation and form viable solutions. 

Internally, the maintenance industry needs to embrace its ability to attract 

talented individuals with various experience and skills and then establish pathways to 

technical, managerial and leadership roles. For too long, repair stations and other 

corporate certificate holders have focused heavily on individually-certificated personnel 

- those A&P mechanics I mentioned before - at the expense of growing deep benches 

of talent in other roles. We fail to fully utilize employer-endorsed repairman certificates 

and non-certificated technicians and thus never develop robust pathways for new 

entrants to become career professionals. 

To meet technical demands for developing, producing and maintaining both old 

and new aircraft, training institutions need curricula that are responsive to the general 
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On Behalf of the Aeronautical Repair Station Association 

Before the House Small Business Subcommittee on Contracting & Workforce 

September 26, 2018 

Page 12 of 14 

needs of the industry as well as the specific community-centered demands of a local 

aerospace market. 

Mechanic education and certification is still in the dark ages; the aforementioned 

aviation maintenance technician schools have been laboring under the exact same 

curriculum standards mandated by the FAA for more than 50 years. Students are 

subjected to strict 1 ,900-hour requirements based upon wood, dope and fabric 

techniques required to maintain a basic general aviation aircraft- or the Wright Flyer. In 

order to offer education on an advanced fuel-control system or modern electrical 

components, an FAA-certificated technical school must seek exemptions from current 

regulations or require students and teachers to invest time beyond the approved 

curriculum. 

By transitioning to competency-based standards rather than remaining 

stubbornly committed to antiquated seat-time requirements, the education industry will 

be able to instill basic knowledge of aviation systems and tailor specific skills to the 

demands of modern, high-technology aircraft, while still being able to target older 

aircraft designs and systems if required. 

In addition to improving academic institution certification requirements, ARSA is 

pursuing transparency and open access to FAA training and improvement of public 

information resources related to aviation technical careers and opportunities. The 

association and its industry allies provided improvements to the government's 

management of employment data related to aviation maintenance and service 
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On Behalf of the Aeronautical Repair Station Association 

Before the House Small Business Subcommittee on Contracting & Workforce 

September 26, 2018 

Page 13 of 14 

technicians- as the Bureau of Labor Statistics identifies this class of professionalsand federal projections of the "outlook" for prospective entrants into the labor market. 

For its part, Congress has opened its eyes and is beginning to offer help. ARSA 

has been working for more than a year through the FAA reauthorization process to 

address the technician shortage. While not every association-proposed policy survived 

the countless rounds of negotiations it took to produce the current bill, when you vote to 

reauthorize the FAA you will be helping the government take significant but measured 

steps to invest in the aviation workforce. 

In addition to a Government Accountability Office study of the technician 

workforce, which will provide more insight into what's happening in the market, ARSA 

led a coalition of more than 35 national and state aviation organizations, labor groups 

and companies to create a new grant program that would support efforts to train 

maintenance professionals, help veterans transition to civilian careers and recruit new 

technicians. These initiatives and others are together under the bill's workforce title 

(Title VI), which demonstrates the clear understanding of Congress that we have a 

shared responsibility to grow the next generation of aviation professionals. When you 

vote for the bill on the House floor, you will be doing just that. 

What's important about the grant program21 is not necessarily the financial 

resources it will allocate, but the collaboration it will incentivize. In order to be eligible, 

aviation schools and businesses would have to partner and collaborate with unions and 

21 Before inclusion in the FAA reauthorization process, bills "To establish an aviation maintenance 

workforce development pilot program" were introduced in the House and Senate. See H.R. 5701 and~ 

2506. 
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Testimony of Brett Levanto 

On Behalf of the Aeronautical Repair Station Association 

Before the House Small Business Subcommittee on Contracting & Workforce 

September 26, 2018 

Page 14 of 14 

governmental entities to request and receive grants. This industry-sector partnership 

has become the standard for skills education and technical development programs; the 

state and local-level specialization produced by such collaboration was a fundamental 

reform of the "Strengthening Career and Technic! Education for the 21st Century Act" 

(H.R. 2353), which was signed into law in July 2018 after a years-long effort to 

reauthorize federal investment in career technical education programs. 22 

On behalf of the small businesses behind the civil and military aerospace 

industry, this committee is in a unique place to help by leveraging collaboration and 

partnership. Small aviation businesses have limited size and reach, tight margins and 

heavy regulatory burdens; they need assistance developing relationships and resources 

in order to obtain and maintain a technical workforce capable of harnessing sustained 

economic growth. By providing points of connection through the Small Business 

Administration between technical education institutions, supportive industry groups and 

other stakeholders, Congress can provide venues for growth, lessons learned and 

career development between and among repair stations and other aviation businesses. 

Thank you for addressing this important issue and allowing ARSA to present the 

aviation maintenance industry's perspective. We look forward to working with you and 

your colleagues in a bipartisan manner to pursue solutions that will help U.S. companies 

capitalize on the significant opportunities in this growing global economy. 

22 Aeronautical Repair Station Association. "Congress Caps Years-Long Effort on Skills Education." July 

31, 2018. Available online at http://arsa.org/technical-workforce-development. 
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Appendix A 

Page 1 of 2 

The US civil aviation maintenance industry employs nearly 279,000 workers and generates $47 billion in economic 

activity, The MRO segment accounts for 76 percent of these employees with more than 212,000 workers, Companies 

that are certificated by the FAA under part 145 are the largest employers with just under 185,000 employees, The 

remaining 27,000 MRO workers are employed by air carriers involved in civil aviation, Parts manufacturing and 

distribution, accounts for the remaining 24 percent of employment with close to 67,000 employees, Despite 

employing three-quarters of workers, MRO accounts for 52 percent of the economic activity or $242 billion while the 

24 percent working in parts manufacturing and distribution generate 48 percent or $22] billion, 

Source: BLS, FAA, 

Parts Mig, and 

Distribution 

Maintenance 

Repair Station 

Parts Mig, and 

Distribution 

At the state level, Oliver Wyman estimates that California, Texas, Washington, Florida and Georgia represent just over 

a combined 41 percent of the total US civil aviation maintenance employment with close to 115,000 employees; the 

top ten states represent 63 percent of total US employment 

NUM'BER OF EMPLOYEES 

35000 

30,000 

25,000 

15,000 

10,000 

5,000 

0 
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Appendix A 

Page 2 of2 
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Testimony of Martin Lenss 

Airport Director, Eastern Iowa Airport 

Committee on Small Business 

Subcommittee on Contracting and Workforce 

U.S. House of Representatives 

September 26, 2018 

Good morning, Chairman Knight, Ranking Member Murphy, and members of the 

subcommittee: thank you for inviting me today and for giving me the opportunity to testify on 

workforce shortages facing the aviation industry. It is an honor for me to be here to discuss 

an important issue affecting small communities and small businesses around the country. 

I also want to thank you for adding an airport perspective to this hearing. While airports do 

not typically train, hire, or employ aircraft mechanics or pilots, we certainly depend on them. 

Each of these aviation professionals, and, frankly, the entire airline team, enable 

communities to be well connected to the world economy. Connectivity to the national air 

transportation system is essential to ensure local communities and small businesses remain 

vibrant. 

Today, I will focus my remarks on pilot supply and will break it into 3 points: 

1. The pilot shortage is very real, it is today, and growing rapidly; 

2. Communities and the regional airline industry are the most at-risk; and 

3. There are solutions. 

First, the very real pilot shortage. Many airports have enjoyed growth in passenger volumes 

and current forecasts predict continued growth. But these numbers and forecasts obscure a 

seriously negative trend. Studies show passenger traffic is up 13 percent from 2005 to 

2017. At the same time, however, there were nearly 1.6 million fewer flights. As a result, 

the passenger load factor has increased to nearly 85 percent. 

The Eastern Iowa Airport is a perfect example of these conflicting trend lines. Our 

passenger numbers are up 5 percent. But, departures are down 7.5 percent and our local 

unemployment rate is below 4 percent. The aviation industry is inextricably tied to the 

health of the economy. Our national economy is very strong yet total departures are 

down .... something more is clearly in play. 

Despite the growing passenger levels we have been experiencing in Cedar Rapids/Iowa 

City, many other small communities around the country have been less fortunate. Between 

July 2013 and July 2018, 37 airports in the continental U.S. lost all commercial air service. 

In addition, 26 communities lost 75 percent of their air service. 
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By 2021, the national system is forecast to be short 5,000 pilots. Without the pilots, 500 

aircraft will sit idle. By 2026, the projected pilot workforce shortage is expected to swell to 

15,000 pilots. Those projections would result in the grounding of approximately 1,500 fewer 

aircraft, that are flying passengers today .

1 

These, and numerous other data points, tell us we have a real and growing pilot supply 

issue that threatens to leave more communities with fewer commercial airline options. 

The most at-risk in facing this challenge are the regional airlines and the communities 

across the U.S. they serve. 

There is little debate that the regional airlines are the primary source of new hire pilots for 

mainline carriers. Regionals provide the only source of air service to 63 percent of U.S. 

airports and they operate 41 percent of scheduled passenger departures. Much of this 

service occurs at our nation's small communities, placing small market air service most at 

risk. 

As a result of fewer pilots and the transition to larger aircraft, communities like Cedar 

Rapids/Iowa City are experiencing a decline in total number of departures. On the surface, 

that sounds great. After all, everyone enjoys flying on a larger aircraft. However, if your 

small market cannot fill those larger planes your service will disappear. To emphasize this 

point, the average seating capacity within the regional airline industry is up 21 percent over 

the last 10 years. 2 In some respects, this is a perfect storm impacting communities across 

the nation. 

Taking a closer look at those communities most at risk, I will use Iowa as a proxy. Today, 79-

percent 3 of Iowa's air service is provided by regional airlines. Regionals, as noted previously, 

are the primary source of new pilots for mainline carriers. This means the vast majority of 

airlines serving Iowa will .face the most acute shortage of pilots. In the coming years, the 

situation is poised to get much worse. According to the Regional Airline Association, by 2020 

major airline hiring will equal the entire current regional airline pilot workforce. 

More risk comes when a local community loses so much service the airport no longer 

enplanes 10,0004 passengers per year. When airports dip below that threshold, they lose 

their Federal Aviation Administration entitlement funding. That's as much as $1 million 

annually4 leaving these small markets. Airports of all sizes depend on these federal 

investments to build critical infrastructure, enhance safety, and maintain a strong air 

transportation system. 

2 
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Still not concerned? 

According to Iowa's DOT, aviation in Iowa has an annual economic impact of $18.4 billion. 

Commercial airports account for $1.3 billion. In a survey of the state's largest employers the 

top 3 issues when considering a relocation or expansion are workforce, taxes, and air 

service.5 Without air service, a community's economic development efforts are fatally flawed. 

A community should not lose economic development opportunities simply because we no 

longer have a pilot to fly the route. 

Air service contraction in smaller markets is occurring and, at the same time there is an 

"uptick" in corporate headquarters moving out. As an example, in 2017 Caterpillar (CAT) 

announced that after nearly a century in Peoria, IL, it would be moving its headquarters to 

Chicago (170 miles away)6 to be closer to a more dependable transportation hub. Similar 

examples include, Chiquita leaving Cincinnati, OH for Charlotte; Archer Daniels Midland 

leaving Decatur, IL for Chicago; Albemarle Corp. leaving Baton Rouge, LA for Charlotte; 

Charter Communications leaves St. Louis, MO for New York City; and, Krystalleaving 

Chattanooga, TN for Atlanta. 

There are solutions 

There is no silver-bullet solution to get our nation out of this workforce crisis. We need 

continued and increased collaboration across industry stakeholders, government, and 

communities and the need is now. Potential ideas to discuss include: lowering the financial 

barriers to the profession, increasing the number of pathways to accrue the necessary 

hours and modernizing pilot training. 

Iowa is not alone. As a country, the consequences of the global pilot shortage are 

daunting. Virtually every state contains small and rural airports that face the reduction or 

complete loss of their commercial air service in the coming years. Losing commercial air 

service has a profound impact on local communities and small businesses that rely on 

access to our national air transportation system. Unless we find ways to mitigate this crisis, 

the damage to our nation's communities, our industry and small businesses will be 

devastating. 

Thank you 

3 
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Sources: 

1. Flightpath Economics, LLC 

2. Regional Airline Association (RAA), Industry Update Presentation, 43'd Annual Convention 

3. RAA, Iowa Air Service Trends, 2017 

4. 49 u.s.c. §47114 

5. https://iowadot.gov/aviation/aviation-in-iowa/aviations-impact-on-iowas-economy 

6. http://www.chicagobusiness.com/article/2017021 O/ISSUE01/170219981/why-peoriabased-caterpillar-stays-in-illinois 

4 
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Testimony by Sarah Jane Oberman Bartush, CMO 

Channellslands Aviation, lnc. 

Hearing Date September 26, 2018 

Chairman Knight, Ranking Member Murphy, and the other esteemed members of Congress here 

today. good morning. It is an honor to be here today. My name is Sarah Oberman Bartush and 

l'm from Camarillo, California. I'm second generation to my family's business, Channel Islands 

Aviation, which has been serving the general aviation industry since 1976. My parents Mark and 

Janie Oberman fmmded our business 42 years ago, and I, along with my brother Mike Oberman, 

were raised in aviation. 

Our family owned business is unique, Channel I'lands Aviation is a Part 141 Pilot School, Part 

141 Repair Station and under our DBA Cl Jets, a Part 135 charter operator. We have been 

deeply impacted by the ongoing workforce shortages. 

I first want to share how this epidemic is creating a hardship in our flight school. Right now, we 

have one hundred and fifteen active students with a training staff consisting of only seven full 

time and three part-time flight instructors. We barely have enough instructors on staff to 

accommodate our existing student base but the other problem is that we have 13 customers 

waiting to start their training because we don )t have enough instructors to meet their demand. 

We have lost 19 instructors to regional airlines in the past 3 years, 3 of which so far this year. 

Another issue we are facing as a result of the pilot shortage in our flight school is the fact that 

becoming a flight instructor is no longer a necessary step in a professional pilot's career. 

Commercial pilots fresh out of school with as little as 200 hours of flight time are stepping into 

jobs flying skydivers, performing aerial mapping and in many cases they're hired as co-pilots 

with charter operators. Just last week I received an email from a charter operator based at 

Camarillo airport, where we are ba.,cd, saying they have six pilot openings and that they'd like to 

265 Durley Avenue Suite 200, Camarillo, CA 93010 l Phone: 855~749-1333! Local: 805·322·8590 I Fax: 805~409·49681 Email: info@cljets.com 
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hire fresh graduates from our flight school! Pilots are always looking to fly something bigger and 

faster, so when given the option of flying as a co-pilot in a jet or teaching at their local flight 

school upon graduation, the decision is obvious- to fly the jet of course! 

The poaching of flight school flight instructors creates an obvious problem; eventually I may 

have no flight instructors to teach new pilots. If that happens Channel Islands Aviation, who has 

taught countless pilots to fly over 42 years, will have no choice but to close our flight school. 

Flight instructors aren't the only talent we're lacking in running a successful flight school. 

Recently we have been challenged in hiring and retaining aircraft mechanics in our Part 145 

Repair Station. This year there have been multiple instances where we've cancelled flight lessons 

as a result of not having the man power to work on our training fleet. This is a new problem for 

us and one that needs a solution. Not only have we been faced with challenge of maintaining our 

own fleet but we've been forced to tum away customers who have brought their aircraft to us for 

maintenance for years. In order for us to continue to be successful in creating pilots, we need 

more mechanics to service our planes, 

The situation with CI Jets is just as dire. We currently operate four jets and employ seven full 

time pilots. As a boutique charter operator, we are deeply impacted by the hiring vacuum of the 

major airlines due to the pilot shortage. In the past, professional pilots have either chosen to fly 

corporate or have chosen to go to the airlines and once a pilot has made that commitment, he or 

she historically sticks to that path their entire career. Nowadays, the compensation packages and 

retirement benefits offered by the airlines are luring corporate pilots into making a career change 

to fly for the airlines. 

In the past year, we have had two senior piloL•, each making $200,000 per year flying a twenty 

million dollar airplane to exotic destinations all over the world, give us letters of resignation 

because they planned to fly for the major airlines. Each time we've had to hire to replace them, 

we've received fewer and fewer resumes from less qualified candidates, all demanding higher 

pay than the last. The pilot shortage is forcing charter operators to pay record salaries yet we 

have not been able to charge more for our services. 
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Pilot turnover significantly impacts our business as the hiring process itself is time consuming, 

it's costly to train new pilots (anywhere from $10,000 to $60,000 per training event) and the 

opportunity cost of having an aircraft grounded due to not having crew is detrimental to our 

business. In the past year alone we've been forced to hire four pilots due to others leaving for the 

major airlines. 

There may never be a better time to become a commercial pilot and pursue a career in aviation. 

The forecasted demand for pilots is astounding. The pilot shortage has only just begun, and it is 

already creating great hardship on small businesses like mine. The airlines are huge companies 

and they have deep pockets. They are offering sign-on bonuses, lucrative salaries, and incredible 

benefits that my family's small business will never be able to compete with. If the industry nrrns 

all of its flight instructors into high paid pilots and flight schools across the nation will go out of 

business and there will be no one left to teach new pilots how to fly. If charter operators are 

unable to retain pilots, all of the businesses that rely on private jets as a means of transportation 

to conduct business will suffer and pilots will not be able to gain the experience and flight time 

that they need to safely work for the major carriers. Something must be done to bring light to this 

situation and to encourage the airlines to work with both the charter operators and flight schools 

rather than just constantly swooping up their talent. Thank you ag-ain for having me here today 

and bringing this issue the time that it disserves. 
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EMBRY--RIDDLE 

Campus 

600 S. Clyde Morris Blvd. 

Daytona Beach, FL 32114-3900 

COLLEGE OF AERONAUTICS 

Statement of Kenneth Witcher 

Dean, College of Aeronautics 

Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University 

before the 

House Committee on Small Business 

"Troubled Skies: The Aviation Workforce Shortage's Impact on Small Businesses." 

September 26, 2018 

Chairman Chabot, Ranking Member Velazquez, and members of the committee, thank you 

for the invitation to testify today examining how the aviation/aerospace workforce shortages impact 

small business. My name is Ken Witcher and I have the privilege of leading the College of 

Aeronautics for Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Worldwide Campus. I would also like to thank 

the Aerospace Industries Association (AlA) for their work in this area and assistance with 

coordinating this opportunity to speak on this critical topic for our industry. 

Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, the world's largest, fully accredited university 

specializing in aviation and aerospace, is a nonprofit, independent institution offering baccalaureate, 

master's and Ph.D. degree programs. Embry-Riddle educates students at residential campuses in 

Daytona Beach, Fla., and Prescott, Ariz., and through the Worldwide Campus with more than 150 

locations in the United States, Europe, Asia and South America. The university is a major research 

center, seeking solutions to real world problems in partnership with the aerospace industry, other 

universities and government agencies. 

The big picture 

Cities within the United States with the capacity to accommodate increased air traffic 

demand are in a stronger position for economic growth than those that cannot accommodate air 

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traffic demand. According to a Boeing report released earlier this year, air travel has proven to be a 

resilient market, and robust growth is expected to continue in the future. From the industry's 

beginnings in the 1940's, "the number of passengers traveling annually grew from about 100 million 

in 1960 to just over 1 billion in 1987. It took 18 years to double to 2 billion passengers, and only 7 

more years to grow to 3 billion." This growth is expected to continue with regions such as China, 

India, and Southeast Asia pushing this upward trajectory (Boeing, 2018). 

In the 2018 Pilot & Technician Outlook, Boeing projects "790,000 new civil aviation pilots 

and 754,000 new maintenance technicians will be needed to fly and maintain the world fleet over 

the next 20 years" (Boeing, 2018). This demand for the workforce will be a primary result of fleet 

growth, retirements, and attrition. According to Boeing (2018), "as several hundred thousand pilots 

and technicians reach retirement age over the next decade, educational outreach and career 

pathway programs will be essential to inspiring and recruiting the next generation of personnel. 

According to leaders within the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA), the business 

aviation community consists of companies of all sizes that rely on many different types of aircraftfrom single-pilot airplanes, to turbine aircraft flying internationally, to helicopters surveying rushhour traffic- and the fixed-base operations and many other services supporting flight operations at 

the nation's 5,000 public-use airports. The vast majority of businesses in this community- 97 

percent- are small- to mid-size businesses and other entities including nonprofit organizations. 

Without a source of pilots, maintenance technicians, flight attendants, schedulers/dispatchers and 

trained support personnel the economic engine of business aviation will be significantly impacted. 

This will impact all businesses in America small, medium, and large. Furthermore, the NBAA 

emphasizes this is not an exclusive problem to the United States but rather a global issue. 

Pilot shortage 

Over the next 20 years, the Asia Pacific region will lead the global demand for pilots, with a 

requirement for 261,000 new pilots. North America will require 206,000, Europe 146,000, the 

Middle East 64,000, Latin America 57,000, Africa 29,000 and Russia/ Central Asia 27,000 (Boeing, 

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2018). It is important to understand the pilot shortage is not constant across all levels of air service 

and training. Pilots come from two primary sources, the military and civilian flight schools. At this 

point, the military training is stable although strained to meet their needs. Many civilian schools are 

at capacity with the greatest limiting factor being Certified Flight Instructors (CFis). As the major 

airlines need additional pilots, they typically pull from the regional airlines who in turn pull from the 

CFI workforce. 

What does this mean to small business? 

The impact to small business is twofold. First, a shortage of pilots at the regional airlines 

level will most likely result in reduced service to smaller communities. Prior research results have 

concluded cities within the United States with the capacity to accommodate increased air traffic 

demand are in a stronger position for economic growth than those that cannot accommodate air 

traffic demand. Second, those small flight schools who are critical to filling the "pilot pipeline' may 

not have the Certified Flight Instructors (CFis) required to conduct training. It is not uncommon for 

these small flight schools to have aircraft and student demand, but not the instructors to provide the 

training. 

Technician shortage 

The state of today's aviation maintenance career field is rapidly changing. As new generation 

airplanes become more prominent in the global fleet, advances in airplane technology are driving an 

ever increasing need for technicians skilled in avionics, composites, and digital troubleshooting. 

According to Boeing (2018), the need for maintenance personnel is largest in the Asia Pacific region, 

which will require 257,000 new technicians. Airlines in North America will require 189,000, Europe 

132,000, the Middle East 66,000, latin America 55,000, Africa 28,000, and Russia I Central Asia 

27,000. 

In December 2017, the Aviation Technician Education Council (ATE C) published their annual 

[technician] Pipeline Report. Reported in this study were employees entering the aviation 

maintenance technician industry for the first time made up only 2% of the workforce annually, while 

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30% ofthat population is at or near retirement age. The study also concluded "in the U.S., FAAcertified Aviation Maintenance Technician Schools (AMTS) produce about 60% of new mechanics, 

with the military and on-the-job training accounting for the rest" (ATEC, 2017). As of mid-November 

2017, "the aggregate enrollment at all AMTS was about 17,800 students, while their capacity is 

nearly 34,300. AMTS respondents estimate that 20% of graduates pursue careers outside of 

aviation, and only 60% elect to take the FAA test for mechanic certification" (ATEC, 2017). 

The following data are from the 207 Pipeline Report: 

The average age of an FAA mechanic is 51, with 27% of the mechanic population age 64 and 

above. 

AMTS are expanding programs in response to specific industry needs; of respondents, 53% 

of AMTS responding to the survey reported having technical programs outside the Airframe 

and Powerplant (A&P) certificate. The fastest-growing non-A&P programs over the last two 

years were avionics and unmanned aircraft systems. 

Forty-one percent of all individuals with an FAA mechanic certificate are employed by repair 

stations (SO%), air carriers (45%), general aviation (4%) and AMTS (1%). 

Nearly 40% of all A&P students are enrolled at the 10 largest institutions. The AMTS 

community is therefore composed mostly of smaller institutions, with half of AMTS 

reporting fewer than 50 enrolled students (ATEC, 2017). 

What does this mean to small business? 

The aviation technician shortage could be just as disruptive as the pilot shortage for small 

business. Small repair shops, who need skilled labor, will find themselves unable to compete for the 

dwindling supply of experienced technicians due to increased wages offered by the larger 

Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO) organizations. These smaller shops typically do not have 

the resources/capability to provide the on-the-job training necessary for workers just entering the 

industry. Additionally, many small to medium size aerospace manufacturing company's employee 

aviation technicians. If these manufactures are unable to recruit a skilled workforce, it could have a 

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ripple effect impacting the large aircraft manufacturing companies globally. 

For your consideration 

There are many organizations working hard each day to address these challenges mentioned 

above. One innovative solution I would like to offer for your consideration is the Department of 

Defense (DoD) Career Skillbridge. The DoD Personnel, Workforce Reports & Publications estimates 

approximately 250,000 service members will be transitioning from active duty to the civilian sector 

annually. Many of these transitioning military members have years of experience maintaining 

aircraft. Particularly relevant to this discussion are those transitioning service members with 3-5 

years' experience needed by the small repair and service shops. The challenge for these transition 

service men and women lies in their ability to obtain an FAA Aircraft & Powerplant Certificate. 

The DoD Career SkiiiBridge Program (DoDI1322.29) promotes civilian job training for 

military service members who are transitioning out of the Service. With command approved, eligible 

service members are assigned to the training program as their official duty station. Training can take 

place 180 days prior to a service member's official separation date and must offer a high probability 

of employment. Training must be provided to the service member at little to no out-of-pocket cost. 

If "Permissive TOY" is approved: Service members from other military installations are authorized to 

attend training. It is my opinion that these types of programs offer a reasonable option to begin 

addressing the aviation technician shortage impact on small business. 

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Reference 

Boeing. (2018). Commercial Market Outlook. Retrieved 23 Sep 2018 from: 

https :/ /www. boeing. com/ resou rces/boe ingdotcom/ commercia 1/ market/ commercialmarket-outlook/assets/downloads/2018-cmo-09-11.pdf 

Aviation Technician Education Council (ATEC). (2017). The Pipeline Report. Retrieved 23 Sep 2018 

from: 

https:/ /www.atec-amt.org/2017-su rvey.html 

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AEROSPACE !NDUSTFHES 

ASSOCIATION 

September 26, 2018, 

The Honorable Steve Knight 

Chairman 

Subcommittee on Contracting and Workforce 

Committee on Small Business 

U.S. House of Representatives 

1023 Longworth House Office Building 

Washington, D.C. 20515 

Dear Chairman Knight and Ranking Member Murphy: 

The Honorable Stephanie Murphy 

Ranking Member 

Subcommittee on Contracting and Workforce 

Committee on Small Business 

U.S. House of Representatives 

1237 Longworth House Office Building 

Washington, D.c. 20515 

The Aerospace Industries Association (AlA) appreciates that the House Small Business Subcommittee on 

Contracting and workforce is focusing on workforce challenges facing the aerospace and defense 

industry. As the voice of the aerospace and defense industry, AlA represents companies ranging from 

the largest primes to the smallest suppliers across the civil aviation, space and defense sectors. We are 

grateful for the opportunity to submit comments for the record in the hearing, "Troubled Skies: The 

Aviation Workforce Shortage's Impact on Small Businesses." Attached to this letter is the executive 

summary of the annual Aviation Week Workforce Survey which AlA co-sponsors, highlighting some of 

the issues mentioned below. 

The time to build our Industry's future workforce Is now 

Commercial orders for aircraft remain strong; as the world's nations become more globalized and 

interconnected, emerging economies are increasing demand for air transport. Global defense spending 

also is growing, including long-term contracts both in domestic and foreign markets. And commercial 

space opportunities are growing by leaps and bounds. Since the launch ofthe global aviation industry in 

the early 20'h century, we've been a driving force for economic growth and new technologies. The time 

to protect and invest in our workforce is now, so we can compete in the world of tomorrow. 

Our Industry faces significant challenges- challenges that require a variety of approaches to solve 

Faced with growing demand for aerospace products and services, aerospace and other advanced 

manufacturers are eagerly seeking solutions to expand the pool of qualified workers. But the skills our 

workers need range from quantum physics to engine mechanics, so there's no one-size-fits-all solution 

to our workforce needs. Our industry is at a crossroads- we must maintain and develop a skilled 

workforce that can meet today's requirements, but also need to develop a skilled workforce for the 21" 

century to support the future demands that a strong aerospace industry will create. 

To meet current demands, several of our member companies suggest that they will need thousands of 

new technicians. Boeing alone estimates they'll need 118,000 new technicians in North America to keep 

pace. Other forecasts say that aviation maintenance technicians will outstrip supply by 2022.1 All of our 

member companies have reported difficulty in finding qualified technicians; more than half of the 

1 Oliver Wyman aviation maintenance and workforce study: https://www.oliverwyman.com/ourexpertise/insights/2017 /sep/oliver -wyman-tra nsport-and-logistlcs-2017/operations/aviation-growth-ls-outpaclnglabor-capacity.html 

Aerospace Industries Association of America, Inc. 

1000 Wilson Boulevard, S~1ite 1700 Ading1on, VA 22209-3928 {703/ 358-1000 www.ala~aerospace.org 
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responding companies still have unfilled positions. A recent Wall Street Journal article described the 

tight job market in the Midwest, maintaining that if every job seeker was hired, there would still be 

more than 180,000 open positions In that region.' If the technician shortage persists, it will undermine 

the efficiency of the U.S. aviation system and make It more difficult for U.S. companies to capitalize on 

opportunities in the global marketplace. 

2 

Congress has helped address this shorter-term issue through the FAA Reauthorization bill currently 

pending passage. We're specifically pleased by inclusion ofthe Aviation Workforce Bill (S. 2506 and HR 

5701), which would create grant pilot programs administrated by the FAA to incentivize local level 

collaborations to find solutions to the aviation maintenance workforce skills gap. This program would be 

authorized at $5 million for five years starting in 2019, and provide grants to support a wide variety of 

workforce development activities, including apprenticeships, scholarships, military transitions and 

outre·ach to underrepresented populations and economically challenged areas. AlA supports this effort 

and similar initiatives. 

For future demands, we need to envision a workforce that can seamlessly integrate itself with future 

technologies. This will require Investment in our workforce to expand opportunities for technical 

development, reskill the current workforce to adapt to rapid technological change and support 

opportunities and diversity. Encouraging women to enter STEM fields is essential for any industry 

interested in successful innovation. Women make up 49 percent of the world population, and account 

for 47 percent of the U.S. workforce, but only fill24 percent of U.S. STEM jobs.' The opportunities and 

challenges of the 21" century will outmatch any workforce that underutilizes half ofthe population. For 

these reasons, we applaud bills like H.R. 4254, which amends the National Science Foundation 

Authorization Act of 2002 to strengthen the aerospace workforce pipeline by promoting scholarships, 

internships and fellowship opportunities to women and underrepresented groups. 

In addition to STEM, we need to look at veteran resource pools 

An often-overlooked resource pool when discussing skills and workforce is our veterans' community. 

Veterans are proven leaders and some of our nation's finest citizens. Their experience in the military has 

cultivated a series of both soft and hard skills which are resources for our industry. Programs at FAA and 

DOD which transition veterans into new career opportunities by offering training and development 

programs are essential. Military personnel who hold occupational specialties as mechanics, pilots and 

technicians already have many of the skills and knowledge to transition immediately into the aviation 

workforce. Additionally, initiatives that encourage veterans to take advantage of the Gl Bill to enter the 

aerospace industry are often overlooked. STEM education discussions normally center on K-12 

education. But there's a case to be made for additional programs for veterans, since aerospace 

education is costly. 

Conclusion 

These points highlight the very real problems that our suppliers and smaller businesses have as they 

compete with prime contractors for workforce. They face the same challenges but often lack the 

resources that larger primes have to address them. The entire aerospace and defense supply chain 

ecosystem is very sensitive to issues with recruiting and retaining workforce- if suppliers and smaller 

2 https://www.wsj.com/articles/american-jobs-outnumber-the-jobless-1528212776 

3 1 EEE Spectrum http:/ /spectru m.ieee.org/at-work/education/is-a-career -in-stem-for -me 

Aerospace Industries Association of America, Inc. 

1000 Wilson Bou!evard, Suite-1700 Arlington, VA 22209·3928 {703} 358-1000 www.ala-aerospace.org 
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companies struggle with these challenges, it will have an impact on larger companies. There is an 

immediate ripple effect on our industry which spreads to the overall U.S. economy. 

3 

We are an industry of explorers, innovators and entrepreneurs. As we actively pursue solutions to our 

workforce challenges, we will discover new opportunities to continue exploring and innovating. We look 

forward to working with you and your fellow lawmakers to promote a strong aerospace and defense 

workforce. Thank you for this opportunity to submit this statement for the record. 

Sincerely, 

Frank Slazer 

Vice President, Space and Workforce 

Aerospace Industries Association 

Aerospace Industries Association of America, Inc. 

JOOOWHson Boulevard, Suite J.iUO Arlington, VA 22209-3928 f703) 358-1000 www,ala-aerospace.org 
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www.avocet.aero 

AVOCET AVIATION SERVICES - "APPRENTICESHIP AND WORKFORCE OF 

TOMORROW"- CONGRESSIONAL HEARING STATEMENT- SEPTEMBER 26,2018 

THIS STATEMENT HAS BEEN PREPARED AND IS BEING SUBMITTED BY AVOCET 

AVIATION SERVICES AT THE REQUEST OF U.S. CONGRESSWOMAN STEPHANIE MURPHY 

OF FLORIDA. AND ONE OF OUR ESTEEMED PARTNERS IN EDUCATION. EMBRY-RIDDLE 

AERONAUTICAL UNIVERSITY. 

AVOCET AVIATION SERVICES IS A CENTRAL FLORIDA-BASED AIRCRAFT 

MAINTENANCE SERVICES PROVIDER SPECIALIZING IN MAINTENANCE AND AIRCRAFT 

MODIFICATION SERVICES. WE HAVE ENJOYED NEARLY 30 YEARS IN THE INDUSTRY 

SERVING REGIONAL. NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL CARRIERS. 

AVOCET AVIATION SERVICES' MISSION IS TO PROVIDE EXCEPTIONAL AIRCRAFT 

MAINTENANCE SERVICES IN HIGH-DEMAND AND SPECIALIZED AREAS OF NEED TO OUR 

CUSTOMERS WITHIN THE COMMERCIAL AIRCRAFT INDUSTRY, SUCH AS ENGINE 

SERVICING. ENGINEERING MODIFICATIONS. CARGO MODIFICATIONS. AND 

SPECIALIZED AIRCRAFT MAINTENANCE. 

AS A TRUSTED PARTNER. IT IS OUR JOB TO DELIVER CONSISTENT. COST-EFFECTIVE 

AND EFFICIENT SERVICE AT A HIGH STANDARD OF QUALITY. 

IN ORDER TO DELIVER ON OUR SERVICE PROMISE, WE REQUIRE A QUALIFIED AND 

AVAILABLE LABOR POOL OF HIGHLY-TRAINED. SKILLED TECHNICIANS AND 

ENGINEERS. 

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2 

UNFORTUNATELY, THE PIPELINE OF SKILLED TECHNICIANS AND ENGINEERS HAS 

DIMINISHED CONSIDERABLY WHICH IS WHY WE FULLY SUPPORT THE PRESIDENT'S 

EXECUTIVE ORDER TO SUBSTANTIALLY INCREASE U.S. APPRENTICESHIPS AND THE 

GOVERNMENT'S BUDGET FOR APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAMS AS PART OF ITS 

"APPRENTICESHIP AND WORKFORCE OF TOMORROW" PROGRAM. 

IN THE CASE OF THE AVIATION INDUSTRY, THERE ARE VERY REAL AND VERY 

PRESSING BUSINESS AND OPERATIONAL CHALLENGES AT THE FOREFRONT DUE TO 

RISING SHORTAGES AND LABOR GAPS, WHICH A MORE AGGRESSIVE APPRENTICESHIP 

AND INTERNSHIP PROGRAM WOULD HELP TO ADDRESS: 

• THE PREVIOUS GENERATION OF TECHNICIANS, SCIENTISTS, AND ENGINEERS HAS 

BEEN STEADILY AGING OUT 

• PURSUIT OF TECHNICAL CAREERS HAVE BEEN ON THE DECLINE 

• CURRENT EDUCATION PROVIDERS FOCUS ON THE FUNDAMENTALS, GIVING 

STUDENTS LITTLE TO NO COMMERCIAL AIRCRAFT PRACTICAL KNOWLEDGE OR 

HANDS-ON EXPERIENCE TO FACE REAL-WORLD WORKFORCE DEMANDS 

MAINTENANCE REPAIR OPERATORS LIKE AVOCET REPRESENT A TRUE SOLUTION TO 

THE AVIATION INDUSTRY'S SKILLED LABOR GAP. WE ARE IN A PRIME POSITION TO 

GIVE STUDENTS, INTERNS AND APPRENTICES THE ABILITY TO TRAIN AND LEARN 

WITHIN A REAL-LIFE WORKING ENVIRONMENT THAT PROVIDES SKILL VERSATILITY, 

HANDS-ON LEARNING, MENTORS HIP BY HIGHLY EXPERIENCED PROFESSIONALS, AND 

A SOLID CAREER PATH OF ADVANCEMENT WITH MANAGEMENT POTENTIAL. 

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3 

WITH THE NEED FOR SKILLED LABOR BEING SO GREAT, AND THE SHORTAGE BEING SO 

PERVASIVE, WE ARE NOW SEEING AN ADDED SET OF CHALLENGES: 

• AGGRESSIVE ENCROACHMENT AND TALENT POACHING INDUSTRY-WIDE 

• CONTRACTS FOR AIRCRAFT MAINTENANCE AND SERVICING GOING TO SOUTH 

AMERICAN AND ELSEWHERE WHERE LABOR COSTS ARE LESS 

TO PROVIDE SOME CONTEXT ON THE GROWING DEMAND WITHIN THE INDUSTRY. 

RECENTLY, AVOCET WAS AWARDED AND BEGAN WORK ON THE INDUSTRY'S FIRST 

AIRBUS A321 PASSENGER-TO-FREIGHTER CONVERSION SOLUTION INVOLVING THE 

DEVELOPMENT OF THE FIRST CARGO DOOR PROTOTYPE. 

THIS IS SIGNFICANT, AS IT REPRESENTS THE CURRENT AND FUTURE NEEDS OF THE 

INDUSTRY RESULTING FROM THE RISE IN AGING FLEETS, WHICH HAS PROMPTED AN 

INCREASING DEMAND FOR CONVERSIONS AS THE MARKET SEEKS NEW WAYS TO 

PROTECT, PRESERVE AND EXTEND THE LIFE OF ITS CURRENT ASSETS IN EFFECTIVE 

AND PROFITABLE WAYS. 

WHILE WE ARE HONORED TO WORK ON THIS IMPORTANT INDUSTRY-LEADING 

PROGRAM AND UTILIZE THE FULL BREADTH OF OUR 30+ YEARS OF EXPERIENCE IN 

MAINTENANCE AND MODIFICATION SERVICES. 

IT IS CLEAR THAT AS THE CONVERSION MARKET ALONE CONTINUES TO GROW, THAT A 

HIGHLY -SKILLED PIPELINE OF TECHNICIANS AND ENGINEERS IS DESPERATELY 

NEEDED. 

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WITH THIS HISTORIC PROTOTYPE AND THE GOAL OF PRODUCING FUTURE HIGH 

QUALITY AND RELIABLE A321 FREIGHTERS, WELL-FUNDED INTERNSHIP AND 

APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAMS THAT HELP TO FUEL THE INCREASING TECHNICAL 

LABOR NEEDS OF THE INDUSTRY PROVIDE A VIABLE SOLUTION. 

AND THIS IS JUST ONE SEGMENT OF THE INDUSTRY. 

AVOCET IS DOING ITS PART THROUGH ITS "STAND UP FOR STEM" PROGRAM, WHICH IS 

AIMED AT PROMOTING CAREERS IN AVIATION MAINTENANCE AND IMPROVING 

WORKFORCE READINESS WITH THE GOAL TO ADDRESS AND IMPACT THE GROWING 

NEED FOR QUALIFIED LABOR IN THE AVIATION MAINTENANCE SECTOR. 

THESE ARE PRECISELY THE TYPES OF PROGRAMS THAT WE NEED MORE OF, AND 

WHERE WE CAN UTILIZE THE GOVERNMENT'S SUPPORT TO ATTRACT AND TRAIN 

MORE STUDENTS AT A FASTER RATE. 

AS PART OF ITS STAND UP FOR STEM PROGRAM, AVOCET HAS IMPLEMENTED THREE 

TRAIL-BLAZING PROGRAMS WORKING DIRECTLY WITH SCHOOLS AND THE 

EDUCATION COMMUNITY: 

• THE DEVELOPMENT OF A THREE-YEAR APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM IN 

PARTNERSHIP WITH THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF LABOR 

• AN 18-WEEK INTERNSHIP INITIATIVE WITH EMBRY-RIDDLE AERONAUTICAL 

UNIVERSITY 

• ACTIVE MEMBERSHIP ON THE SEMINOLE COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS AVIATION 

PROGRAM ADVISORY COMMITTEE 

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IN ADDITION, OUR GOALS INCLUDE EXPANDING OUR HANGAR FACILITIES WITH AN 

ON-SITE STEM-FOCUSED SCHOOL, WORKSHOP AND TRAINING AREA; DIRECT 

OUTREACH TO STUDENTS THROUGH HOSTED FIELD TRIPS; AND ONSITE AND OFFSITE 

CAREER DAYS. 

THE LABOR GAP IN THE MRO INDUSTRY IS A REALITY WHICH HAS IMPLICATIONS 

BEYOND THE IMMEDIATE INDUSTRY AND TO THE OVERALL GLOBAL ECONOMY. ANY 

GOVERNMENT ENTITY OR BUSINESS RELIANT ON AIR CARGO TRANSPORT IS 

IMPACTED, AS ARE THEIR CONSTITUENTS, CLIENTS AND CUSTOMERS. 

THEREFORE, WE ALL SHARE IN THE RESPONSIBILITY TO GROW THE NUMBER OF 

QUALIFIED, HIGHLY-SKILLED WORKERS IN THE FIELD BY SUPPORTING THIS 

EXECUTIVE ORDER, ALONG WITH BUSINESSES LIKE AVOCET THAT ARE CREATING 

INTERNSHIP AND APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAMS THAT PROVIDE TRUE HANDS-ON, 

PRACTICAL, IN-THE-FIELD TRAINING AND SKILLS DEVELOPMENT. 

IN TURN, WE ARE CREATING VALUABLE, HIGH-SKILL, LONG-TERM CAREER 

OPPORTUNITIES FOR AMERICANS, INCREASING OUR GLOBAL COMPETITIVENESS 

WITHIN THE AVIATION INDUSTRY, AND ELEVATING THE ROLE OF MECHANICS AND 

TECHNICIANS WHICH WILL HELP CONTINUE TO FUEL THE FUTURE PIPELINE. 

ACCORDING TO THE OLIVER WYMAN 2017 ASSESSMENT AND 10-YEAR FLEET 

FORECAST, GLOBAL AIRLINES WILL ADD SOME 10,133 PLANES TO CURRENT FLEETS BY 

2027 -A GROWTH OF 40 PERCENT TO 35,501. MEANWHILE, THE REPORT ALSO CITES A 

SHORTAGE OF AVIATION MECHANICS WITHIN THE NEXT DECADE, 

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WITH THE LABOR GAP REACHING A PEAK OF NINE PERCENT BY 2027. AN AGING-OUT 

OF THE CURRENT WORKFORCE AND A LACK OF NEW, QUALIFIED TECHNICIANS 

ENTERING AND STAYING IN THE FIELD ARE THE ROOT CAUSES OF THE SHORTAGE. 

AVOCET REMAINS COMMITTED TO WORKING WITH THE PUBLIC AND PRIVATE SECTOR 

TO CREATE A STRONG AND DYNAMIC PIPELINE OF TALENTED PROFESSIONALS THAT 

MEET THE INDUSTRY'S CURRENT AND FUTURE NEEDS. 

WE WELCOME AND STRONGLY ENCOURAGE THE PRESIDENT'S EXECUTIVE ORDER TO 

SUBSTANTIALLY INCREASE THE NUMBER OF U.S. APPRENTICESHIPS AND FUNDING BY 

THE GOVERNMENT OF APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAMS. 

THIS IS MUSIC TO THE EARS OF EMPLOYERS LIKE AVOCET WHO PLAY A STRONG ROLE 

BY CREATING APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAMS DESIGNED AROUND TRUE, REAL-LIFE 

NEEDS. WE ALSO ENCOURAGE SUPPORT FOR COMMUNITIES LIKE SANFORD, FL AND 

LAKELAND, FLORIDA, THAT SEE THE INDUSTRY NEED FOR SKILLED TALENT, AND 

HAVE TURNED IT INTO AN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITY TO CREATE 

EFFECTIVE TECHNICAL TRAINING PROGRAMS FOR BOTH ADULTS AND YOUNG PEOPLE 

THAT BRING TOGETHER THE STRENGTHS OF BOTH EDUCATION AND BUSINESS, 

PROVIDING BOTH THE CURRICULUM AND THE LAB, ESSENTIALLY, AND THUS SERVING 

AS AN EXCELLENT MODEL FOR OTHERS. 

WE ENTHUSIAST! CALLY SUPPORT MORE FUNDING, LESS RED TAPE, AND MORE 

FLEXIBLE, WORKABLE GUIDELINES, TOGETHER WITH WELL-ESTABLISHED 

STANDARDS THAT ALLOW OUR INDUSTRY TO THRIVE. 

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7 

THANK YOU FOR PROVIDING AVOCET AVIATION SERVICES THE OPPORTUNITY TO 

SUBMIT THIS STATEMENT AS PART OF YOUR HEARING TODAY ON THE 

"APPRENTICESHIP AND WORKFORCE OF TOMORROW" PROGRAM. 

WE APPRECIATE HAVING THE CHANCE TO EXPRESS OUR FIRST-HAND INSIGHTS AND 

CHALLENGES, AS WELL AS TO BEING A PART OF THE SOLUTION TO ADVANCE THE 

INDUSTRY AND THE AMERICAN WORKFORCE. 

-END-
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CHAR4-E~ ll( 

A Departure fram the Ordinary 

Golden State Air Charter, LLC. 

1550 Skyway Drive Suite 201 

Bakersfield, CA 93308 

TROUBLED SKIES 

Public Hearing· September 26, 2018 

2360 Rayburn House Office Building 

Washington, DC 20S15·0315 

September 21, 2018 

Chairman Knight, Ranking Member Murphy and the other esteemed members of Congress present at 

the Troubled Skies subcommittee hearing today, I want to thank you for addressing this significant issue 

as it applies to small business owners in the aviation community. The aviation community is historically a 

rapidly expanding and dynamic industry. This has usually brought benefits to small business owners and 

even the major airline operators. The changes have brought many challenges. The challenge that you 

are discussing today is timely and directly applies to me. 

To begin with, please accept my apologies for my absence in today's hearing. It is due to the issues that 

you are discussing today that I am unable to attend. I was looking forward to attending and being a 

witness; however, Golden State Air Charter currently has more airplanes than pilots, and more demand 

than we are able to support. For these reasons It was required that I cancel my appearance today so 

that I could stay and fill a pilot and director of operations role instead. 

1 am Jay Mercer, Owner and Director of Operations for Golden State Air Charter. I have been a pilot for 

twenty-eight years with over twelve thousand hours. I have been a flight instructor since 1993 and my 

resume includes flight time as an Airline Transport Pilot and Check Pilot (DPE) for the FAA. I have 

domestic and international experience as a First Officer, Captain and Airline Check Airman. I have been a 

small business owner in the aviation community since 2004. 

1 do not have enough qualified pilots to run my operation and I do not have enough qualified mechanics 

to maintain and keep up with the pace that scheduled and unscheduled maintenance would require if I 

met all customer demand. Golden State Air Charter, as well as many other aviation small business 

owners, Is turning down significant air charters and aircraft maintenance because of the global shortage 

of pilots and mechanics. 

My biggest concern is always safety. But, As the airline pilot demand grows, pilots are progressing to 

Major Airlines at a faster pace than any other time in history and this progression is leaving the previous 

entry level pilot positions void of qualified personnel. in the private sector, after flight school 

completion, the airline progression is accelerated because of significant demand for pilots and 

mechanics. Many regional airlines are offering sign on and retention bonuses that are higher now than 

full salaries were just in the last decade. This is making it difficult for small businesses like mine to 

compete. 

Small businesses are paying higher wages and better benefits for pilots who have much less experience. 

Pilot training is approximately $20,000 for initial flight training for one, already certificated, pilot to meet 

Bakersfield Meadows Field Airport Tel. 661-393·5300 

1740 Sunnyside Ct, Hangar E-1 fax 661-393·3700 

Bakersfield, CA 93308 www.goldenstateair.com 
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7 AIR~~RTER ll( 

A Departure from the Ordinary 

the air charter 135 requirements. In the past thirty months, we have spent in excess of $100,000 in 

required pilot training for pilots who were employed less than three to six months with Golden State Air 

Charter. Although their resume had enough flight time and experience, three of these were unable 

complete the flight check rides to fly our customers. Another pilot finished training and resigned before 

performing one revenue flight. He decided to finish training and move to a different domicile. This is 

devastating and unsustainable. 

Additionally, pilots who apply to my company are often much less experienced and demand higher 

salaries. But, this lack of experience brings up concerns, if I would not let a pilot fly my family; I will not 

let them fly yours. 

Qualified mechanics are also in demand. In April of this year, Golden State Aircraft Maintenance used a 

hiring agency and hired a newly released Air Force Mechanic. We paid a six-thousand-dollar "finder's 

fee" with no guarantees. Fifty-eight days later, this mechanic moved on to other employment. The 

calendar for Golden State Aircraft Maintenance is booked for the next ninety days. "Unfortunately, we 

are having difficulty keeping up with demand for scheduled maintenance. When unscheduled (broken or 

unplanned maintenance) comes up, this moves customers on the waiting list further down the calendar. 

The good news is, there are few maintenance alternatives, so most customers are not abandoning us, 

they are just frustrated we cannot get to their work in a timely manner. Once an airplane is in the shop, 

it is more difficult to get it out on time as well. 

If they were available in the market, Golden State Aircraft Maintenance would hire two to three more 

mechanics today. These shortages are not limited to impacting me. The inability to meet the demand for 

charter and maintenance customers is having a significant impact on all small business aviation owners 

that I associate with. They too are often turning down work, delaying maintenance, and searching for 

qualified potential employees. 

Sustainability is quickly becoming an issue. As many of you already know, liability is very high for an 

aviation business. With less experienced employees, liability cost are on the rise. Aviation small 

businesses are facing UNFRIENDLY SKIES on many fronts. Our Gross Revenue is decreasing, net revenue 

is decreasing, and the safety margin is closing. For the reasons explained above) I am looking to sell or 

close my company within the next few years. Several studies have already been published showing that 

we are only at the beginning of this workforce shortage. 

Solution? 

Unfortunately, I do not see an immediate resolution. Initial Aviation training cost is very high for student 

pilots and mechanics. Grants, incentives and new training programs are desperately needed. 

Bakersfield Meadows Field Airport Tel. 661-393-5300 

1740 Sunnyside Ct, Hangar E-1 Fax 661-393-3700 

Bakersfield, CA 93308 www.goldenstateair.com 
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House Subcommittee on Contracting and Workforce 

House Small Business Committee 

legislative Hearing on 

Troubled Skies: The Aviation Workforce Shortage's Impact on Small Businesses 

September 26, 2018 

Statement of Helicopter Association International 

Submitted by: 

Matthew S. Zuccaro 

President and CEO 

Chairman Knight, Ranking Member Murphy, and Members of the Subcommittee, Helicopter Association 

International (HAl) thanks the subcommittee for holding a hearing on the important issue of the aviation 

workforce shortage and its impact on small businesses. 

The U.S. civilian general aviation sector generates more than one million jobs and more than $200 billion 

for the nation's economy- and it is seeking pilots and mechanics. Today's flight and maintenance 

training programs prepare tomorrow's workforce to fly and maintain police and firefighting helicopters, 

air ambulances, charter and corporate aircraft, and airliners. It is vital to our nation's economy that we 

maintain the pipeline of new pilots and mechanics into the industry. 

For 70 years, HAl has been the trade association for civil helicopter aviation. HAl's 4,100 members 

professionally operate approximately 5,500 helicopters, flying an estimated 3 million flight hours a year. 

Our member companies and individuals span the industry, from manned and unmanned operators, to 

pilots, mechanics, manufacturers, and suppliers of goods and services. Over three-quarters of our 

operator members run small businesses. Resolving the issue of the aviation workforce shortages 

impacting small businesses is critical for the success of our industry. 

HAl recently released the results of a study forecasting the U.S. supply of rotorcraft pilots and mechanics 

over the next 18 years, confirming what many in our industry suspected. Unless there are some 

fundamental changes in policy, outreach, scholarships, and access to financing, the helicopter industry 
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faces large-scale deficits in the amount of available and qualified licensed and certificated pilots and 

mechanics. 

The study projects a shortage of 7,469 helicopter pilots in the United States between 2018 and 2036. For 

maintenance technicians, the numbers are even more concerning. Our industry is projected to be short 

40,613 certificated aviation mechanics in the United States between 2018 and 2036. 

The study results, commissioned by HAl's charitable arm, Helicopter Foundation International (HFI), and 

conducted by the University of North Dakota (UNO), also gathered information on how the workforce 

shortage is already changing operations. For example, more than 50 percent of surveyed operators said 

that the shortage of pilots and mechanics would definitely or probably interfere with their operation's 

ability to grow over the next five years. 

The 2018 Boeing Pilot & Technician Outlook also corroborates the UNO study with its forecast for a large 

demand of new personnel, projecting that between 2018-2037, there will be world demand for 790,000 

new pilots and 754,000 new technicians. 

Yet in the face of this shortage, data shows that the number of FAA private pilot certificates issued is 

significantly down. From 1980 to 2016, the FAA has issued 66% less certificates and the current average 

age of a pilot certificate holder is now 50 years old. Also alarming, from 1980 to 2016, the FAA has 

issued SO% less mechanics certificates. 

This shortage is an industry-wide problem, and fixing it will require efforts from many sectors, including 

government, industry, military, finance, insurance, and education. On September 26 and 27 HAl is 

bringing together stakeholders from across the industry and hosting a Workforce Roundtable to address 

the shortage problem and discuss solutions. HAl would be pleased to share the Roundtable discussion 

summary with the Committee. 

The career path inaccessibility is a vital component to the pipeline that needs industry attention. Safety 

is priority one for the industry, and pilots and mechanics entering the industry require quality training to 

adequately and safely operate. The financial barrier to obtain the required training can be too high for 

many, depleting the industry's available pilot and mechanical labor pool. Lessons learned from the 

regional airlines shows that despite compensation rising for first officers, overall recruiting success 

declined during the same period. Higher pay will not resolve the workforce shortage until sufficient 

pilots can afford and access the career path. 
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The industry is also not currently accessing the full diversity of America. Female pilots represent only 6% 

of the total pilot population and 2% of the mechanic population. Clearly the industry needs to do much 

more in attracting greater diversity. 

HAl along with our Foundation, is undertaking and moving forward on a number of important initiatives 

to address the workforce shortage. These projects include: 

Provide funding to high schools and postsecondary schools to implement courses that offer 

rotorcraft-specific training to students, who can then graduate with Aviation Maintenance 

Technician (AMT) qualified credit 

Increase educational partnerships between high schools and postsecondary schools 

Increase helicopter curricula in post-secondary education 

Boost helicopter/STEM awareness in children K-12 

• Make aviation education affordable and accessible 

• Create a database of donated, surplus, retired, or grounded helicopter equipment that can be 

given to schools and used to train AMTs 

Identify and match industry mentors with students to guide and motivate them to complete 

their studies 

Working with stakeholders and partners to increase size and quantity of scholarships 

• Developing partnerships between various operators to assist in defining the career pathway to 

take someone through the experience gap of 200 hours to 1000 hours 

Developing partnerships with Airframe and Powerp!ant (A&P) schools to establish pathways for 

their students into the helicopter industry 

HAl applauds today's dialogue and discussion and commends the Committee for their leadership on 

addressing this critical workforce issue for small business. We appreciate the leadership's willingness to 

listen to our unique perspective in the aviation industry. HAl is committed to working with the Small 

Business Committee and all of Congress to ensure our nation effectively and proactively crafts policy, 

outreach, scholarships, and access to financing that will benefit the country's aviation small businesses 

and their critical role in the nation's economy. 
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September 26, 2018 

The Honorable Steve Knight 

Chairman 

Subcommittee on Contracting and Workforce 

House Small Business Committee 

2361 Rayburn House Office Building 

Washington, DC 20515 

8'!8 Com"!ectJr;:ut Avenue, 'NW, 900 Washington, DC 20005 

Pl202)774·1535 \800)808·6282 

www.nma aero 

The Honorable Stephanie Murphy 

Ranking Member 

Subcommittee on Contracting and Workforce 

House Small Business Committee 

2069 Rayburn House Office Building 

Washington, DC 20515 

Dear Chairman Knight and Ranking Member Murphy: 

As the Small Business Committee's Subcommittee on Contracting and Workforce receives 

testimony from small businesses on the pilot and mechanic shortages in the aviation industry, 

the National Air Transportation Association (NATA) writes to express our support for today's 

hearing, "Troubled Skies: The Aviation Workforce Shortage's Impact on Small Businesses." 

Aviation businesses are continuously seeking to hire skilled pilots and mechanics, however the 

gap between supply and demand is increasing and small aviation businesses are finding fewer 

opportunities to support the activity needed to maintain business. A study produced by 

Pricewaterhouse Coopers notes that the general aviation industry produces nearly 1.2 million 

jobs.1 This shortage is putting a strain on the general aviation businesses that support them, 

most of whom are small businesses. 

NATA represents the interests of the general aviation business community before Congress and 

federal, state and local government agencies. Our nearly 2,300 member companies provide a 

broad range of aeronautical services to the aviation community. Smaller companies account for 

the majority of NATA's membership and most NATA members have fewer than 40 employees 

and are designated as small businesses by the U.S. Small Business Administration. 

Pilot Shortage 

The debate over a pilot shortage has gained traction in recent years, and the general aviation 

community continues to feel the effects of a shortage of qualified pilots to meet demand. Boeing 

predicts that over 637,000 new pilots will need to join the workforce in the next twenty years, 

and as drones and other unmanned aerial vehicles enter the market, as well as the increasing 

1 PricewaterhouseCoopers. (2015, February). Contribution of General Aviation to the U.S. Economy in 2013. 

Retrieved from http://nata.aero/data/files/gia/20 15-general-aviation-contribution-to-us-economy .pdf 
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rate of pilots who plan to retire over the next few years, the number of pilots needed to meet 

demand will continue to rise.' 

Decades ago, students who wanted to be pilots in an industry where there were few jobs 

available were willing to do whatever it took to be a pilot. Today, pilots-in-training who enter 

the workforce have more opportunities presented to them and can pick and choose the job that 

offers the best pay and long-term career path. Undoubtedly, most pilots are attracted to the life 

of an airline pilot, where the long-term economics and big business benefits appear more 

palatable. The general aviation community continues to find ways to attract pilots to the 

industry -from NAT A's Young Aviation Business Professionals events to support of industry 

programs and grant opportunities - to broaden the horizons of the next generation of aviation 

professionals who seek a small business-oriented lifestyle. 

Maintenance Shortage 

Currently, the aviation industry is experiencing a persistent aviation technical worker shortage 

that threatens to undermine the efficiency of aviation operations, manufacturing, and 

maintenance. A Boeing analysis suggests that 118,000 new aviation maintenance technicians 

will be needed in North America over the next two decades,' and the consulting firm Oliver 

Wyman forecasts that demand for aviation maintenance technicians will outstrip supply by 

2022.4 A mass retirement of maintenance technicians is looming, and without an adequate 

number of qualified replacements, airplanes will not be able to fly and small businesses around 

the country will lose money and opportunities. 

Becoming an aviation mechanic requires dedication, money, and time. As new airplanes enter 

the market, the need for skilled aviation mechanics who understand the new technologies will 

be more important than ever. Supporting those who wish to pursue a career in mechanics and 

showing younger generations that becoming a mechanic is more than someone who just fixes 

broken airplanes is important to bringing new talent into the industry. 

Finding a Solution 

The path to becoming a pilot or mechanic is time-consuming, expensive and requires financial 

and motivational support from outside sources to help those interested in pursuing these career 

paths move forward. In recent years, the general aviation community- from aviation 

businesses, manufacturers, general aviation pilots to business aviation- has come together to 

educate the next generation of professionals on the long-term economics and viability of 

choosing a job in the aviation industry outside of the major airlines. For example, NATA is 

2 Boeing. (20 17, July 24). Boeing Global Services Forecasts 1.2 Million Pilots and Technicians Needed by 2036. 

Retrieved from http://boeing.mediaroom.com/20 17-07 -24-Boeing-Global-Services-F orecasts-1-2-Million-Pilotsand-Technicians-Needed-by-2036 3 Boeing. (2018). Pilot and Technician Outlook 2018-2037. Retrieved from 

http://www.boeing.com/commercial/market/pilot-technician-outlook/ 

4 Prentice, Brian and Costanza, Derek Oliver Wyman. (2017). Aviation Growth is Outpacing Labor Capacity. 

Retrieved from https://www .o liverwyman.com/our-expertise/insights/20 17/sep/oliver-wyman-transport-andlogistics-20 17/operations/aviation-growth-is-outpacing-labor-capacity.html 

2 
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currently working with the Civil Air Patrol (CAP) to explore options to provide CAP Cadets 

education and experiences within the GA Industry. Possible programs include adapting 

existing NATA Safety 1" training for use within the CAP Cadet program and creating an 

educational track that would allow cadets to visit NATA member companies to explore career 

options within the many lines of business in GA. 

However, much more needs to be done, and fortunately Congress has taken notice of the 

widening gap within the industry. A bipartisan group of Representatives and Senators have 

introduced numerous pieces of legislation to address the shortages by updating outdated 

training programs and establishing pilot programs to support the next generation of aviation 

professionals. 

Again, we appreciate the work that went into this hearing that we believe will result in tangible 

benefits to bringing this important issue to light. We thank the Subcommittee for its 

consideration of our views and stand ready to provide more information that will bring a better 

understanding of how the pilot and aviation mechanic shortages affect small aviation 

businesses around the country. 

Sincerely, b, 

Pres;~~rpps 

National Air Transportation Association 
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eNBAA 

STATEMENT FOR THE RECORD 

SUBMITTED TO THE 

COMMITTEE ON SMALL BUSINESS SUBCOMMITTEE ON CONTRACTING AND WORKFORCE 

On 

Hearing: 

"Troubled Skies: The Aviation Workforce Shortage's Impact on Small Businesses" 

September 26, 2018 

National Business Aviation Association 

1200 G Street NW, Suite 1100 

Washington, DC 20005 

For further information contact: 

Scott O'Brien 

Senior Director, Government Affairs 

(202) 783-9451 

sobrien@nbaa.org 
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Chairman Knight, Ranking Member Murphy and members of the Subcommittee on Contracting and 

Workforce, thank you for holding this important hearing to address the critical workforce shortage 

facing our nation's aviation industry. On behalf of the National Business Aviation Association's (NBAA's) 

11,000-member companies, we are pleased to provide this statement for the record. 

NBAA's members, many of which are small businesses, rely on business aircraft to meet some portion of 

their transportation challenges. Small businesses operate the majority of business aircraft and use them 

to access communities that aren't served by the commercial airlines. While the airlines serve only 

around 500 airports, business aviation can reach 5,000. 

Through programs such as a national mentoring network to match industry experts with mentees 

pursuing industry careers, NBAA is partnering with our members to create aviation career pathways. At 

NBAA's Business Aviation Convention and Exhibition, more than 1,000 students attend a Careers in 

Business Aviation Day to introduce them to the industry. Finally, NBAA Charities offers nearly $100,000 

annually in cash scholarships to assist students with the financial burden of attending an aviation 

program. The association also provides significant monetary awards to those who already work in 

aviation and are pursing training programs to advance their careers. 

With the increasingly competitive labor market for aircraft pilots and maintenance technicians, small 

businesses involved in the aviation industry are facing significant challenges in recruiting and retaining 

employees. Boeing recently found that over the next 20 years, there will be a worldwide requirement 

for 790,000 new pilots, with 96,000 needed for business aviation.' 

As commercial airlines have experienced strong passenger growth and profitability, their demand for 

pilots has increased, along with the pay and benefits provided to pilots. Many small businesses simply 

cannot offer the pay and benefits of a major airline, which makes recruiting and retaining pilots even 

more challenging. The military is also facing a similar challenge, with the Navy and Air Force predicting 

significant pilot shortages by the 2020s. 

In a recent survey of NBAA members, most respondents indicated that they are experiencing difficulties 

in retaining pilots and that there are fewer replacement candidates available. More than 60% of 

operators surveyed experienced pilot turnover since 2015, with 43% of pilot departures from business 

aviation going to the commercial airlines. 

Recently, Senators lnhofe and Duckworth introduced the Securing and Revitalizing Aviation (SARA) Act 

of 2018, which would provide grants to support the education of the aviation workforce. The bill would 

encourage the development of aviation curricula at high schools to encourage young people to enter the 

industry with a focus on pilot careers. NBAA strongly supports passage of the SARA Act. 

Representatives Graves, Lipinski, Mullin and Lawrence also introduced H.R. 5701 which would provide 

grants to support programs that teach technical skills used in aviation maintenance. In addition, the 

legislation would help establish scholarships, apprenticeships and support outreach to promote careers 

in aviation. NBAA also strongly supports H.R. 5701. 

1 "Pilot & Technician Outlook 2018-2037," Boeing, https://www.boeing.com/commercial/market/pilot-technicianoutlook/ 

2 
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Provisions like those described above are also contained in H.R. 302, the recently introduced five-year 

FAA reauthorization bill. That legislation also includes various studies to identify existing aviation 

workforce development programs and quantify the workforce challenge, and programs to encourage 

women to consider aviation careers. NBAA supports swift passage of a long-term FAA reauthorization 

bill as introduced in H.R. 302. 

Once a student elects to pursue a career as a pilot, the significant cost of flight training can be a major 

impediment. According to the Government Accountability Office, flight training costs at major collegiate 

aviation programs can range from $51,000-$81,000 in addition to annual tuition.' With the maximum 

federal financial aid available to students well below the cost of flight training, this is a significant 

challenge. Not all students have the family financial resources or ability to take out private loans to 

cover flight training, which puts the career out of reach for many. 

In addition to collegiate aviation training programs, there are also flight schools and training programs, 

many of which are small businesses, that provide a career pathway for pilots. However, since these 

programs often do not fall under the federal financial aid guidelines, subsidized student loans are not 

available. This is an area where the Subcommittee might want to consider additional research or 

hearings to identify solutions to student financing challenges at the many flight schools that are small 

businesses. 

One of the innovative programs currently underway to attract new entrants to the pilot workforce is the 

Forces to Flyers program being led by the Department of Transportation. In addition to studying pilot 

workforce issues, the program provides flight training to veterans interested in aviation careers. Of 

interest to the Subcommittee, the program could provide an opportunity for small business flight 

schools to participate in training our veterans for pilot careers. Currently, four flight schools have been 

selected to participate in the three-year research initiative. 

With many of NBAA's members being small businesses, we look forward to working with the 

Subcommittee to address aviation workforce challenges. Just recently, thought leaders in our industry 

participated in a workforce summit that will help inform our dialogue with the Subcommittee going 

forward. Thank you again for holding this important hearing. 

2 "Collegiate Aviation Schools: Stakeholders' Views on Challenges for Initial Pilot Training Programs," United States 

Government Accountability Office, https:Uwww.gao.gov/assets/700/691748.pdf, (May 2018) 

3 
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Regional Airhne Assodntion 

September 25, 2018 

The Honorable Steve Knight 

Chairman 

House Small Business Committee 

Subcommittee on Contracting and Workforce 

U.S. House of Representatives 

Washington, DC 20515 

Dear Chairman Knight and Ranking Member Murphy, 

The Honorable Stephanie Murphy 

Ranking Member 

House Small Business Committee 

Subcommittee on Contracting and Workforce 

U.S. House of Representatives 

Washington, DC 20515 

The Regional Airline Association (RAA) would like to express strong support for the September 26'h 

hearing titled, "Troubled Skies: The Aviation Workforce Shortage's Impact on Small Businesses." The 

RAA serves as a unified voice of advocacy and support for North American regional airlines aimed at 

promoting a safe, reliable, and healthy regional airline industry. RAA member airlines employ 59,000 

individuals, operate 42 percent of the flights, and provide the only source of scheduled, passenger air 

service approximately two-thirds of the nation's airports. 

As the career entry point for most commercial airline pilots and the primary source of pilots for the 

major carriers, the shortage is a dire problem for our industry. Failure to act will threaten the economic 

well-being of countless communities across the United States especially those that receive service 

exclusively from regional airlines. Hundreds of U.S. communities have already experienced significant air 

service reductions, and some have lost air service entirely. These losses are occurring while demand for 

air travel is growing and despite a period of economic expansion in the United States, when 

communities would o'rdinarily experience higher frequencies and more service options. While service 

losses will affect every corner of the country, small and rural communities who are overwhelmingly 

serviced by regional airlines have been hardest hit and will remain the most vulnerable as the shortage 

worsens. According to a study by Inter VISTAS for the Regional Air Service Alliance, the smallest airports 

(non-hub and small hub airports in the 48 contiguous states) drive well over $121 billion in economic 

activity and support more than 1.1 million jobs. 

The shortage is being driven by a federally -mandated, retirement age of 65 years for Part 121 pilots and 

a growing demand for air travel. By 2026, about 27,000 pilots will reach the mandatory retirement age, 

and the University of North Dakota predicts a cumulative shortfall of pilots at major airlines alone will 

near 15,000 pilots.' To put that shortfall in perspective, regional airlines employ approximately 20,000 

pilots. Additionally, Boeing 2018 Pilot Outlook2 predicts that North America will need 206,000 pilots 

over the next 20 years, or slightly more than 10,000 new pilots each year on average, to keep pace with 

demand for air reservice and retirements. According to the FAA's airmen statistics', only 4,449 original 

airmen Airline Transport Certificates (ATP), or the certificate required to serve as a Part 121 airline pilot, 

1 5ee University of North Dakota Pilot Supply Forecast 2016 

'See Boeing 2018 Pilot Outlook, https:/ /www.boeing.com/commercial/market/pilot-technician-outlook/2018·pilot-outlook/ 3 See U.S. Civil Airmen Statistics, https://www.faa.gov/data_research/aviation_data_statistics/civil_ainnen_statistlcs/ 
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