I am not entering into the political argument; it is not my area of expertise. Besides writing novels and flying airplanes, my area of expertise is Operations. I was formally educated in it and have practical experience from both the Navy and civilian sectors.

I can see an operational train wreck coming from a mile away.

Let’s make the assumption that more people are going to be insured, a good thing to be sure. Now let’s look at the operational impact and the unforeseen consequences. Doctors for fiscal reasons are maxed out; they have their productivity as high as possible in some cases. Everyone in the political process agrees money can be saved, cut, etc. Who will that impact the most? The provider.

The numbers can be argued but the fact remains; more people are going to be insured. It is the reason we are doing Health Care Reform, all else is noise. Another fact; Americans are getting older and will require more, not less, healthcare.

Can savings be wrung out of the system? Certainly, but that will also impact the pay of the Doctors on the provider end. So Medical Doctors will have to work more for less; starting to sound familiar now? Is it starting to sound like the demise of the pilot profession?

Captain Sullenberger testified in congress that the best and brightest will no longer come to the profession. Is that where the medical profession is headed too? The pilot shortage is a chambered round; when the new FAA regulations on crew rest and Congressional mandates on minimum flight time requirements kick in this January (as scheduled), that round will fire.

I had a long talk with one of my doctors a few years ago (before the current discussion). We were comparing notes; our concerns for our given professions were strikingly similar. At the end of the conversation we both came to the same conclusion: Neither profession was worth the investment in capital, time and family separation they required.

In the future, the best and the brightest are headed to Wall Street; because win, lose or draw they get compensated handsomely.

Notice
To Students and Customers:

As you know, we are all in an economic crisis. Having been in the business of aviation for over 20 years, we have seen “hard times” when we had to lay off employees, cut wages, and reduce expenses. We have seen times with increased fuel costs, increasing insurance rates, and even an extended period following 9/11 when we were unable to train for nearly one month due to the closure of airspace. Despite those hard times, we always found a way to survive and pull through. But, we are in unparalleled times.

The owner of Langa Air, Inc. has gone to great lengths to survive this unprecedented crisis. He has sacrificed his income, financial health and retirement to infuse Langa Air, Inc. with cash to sustain operations. Some employees even agreed to a wage reduction recently to ensure all of those who do business with Langa Air, Inc. would continue to do so. Despite these efforts, the economy, together with the inability to secure operating loans, Langa Air, Inc. has no alternatives remaining.
It is with profound sadness that we are closing the doors to Langa Air, Inc. and terminating business effective September 1, 2009. Unfortunately, there will be no remaining employees, including flight instructors, mechanics, and flight line personnel, to provide support for use of training aircraft. As a result, you will not be able to presently train with Langa Air.

Langa will make available the training records to any and all students within 30 days unless the Bankruptcy court directs otherwise. Please check the web site www.langaair.com periodically for updates.

Please keep in your thoughts and prayers the good employees of Langa Air, Inc. and their families.

A sad notice, not just for Langa Air but their students and fixed wing training in general. Out of curiosity I googled flight schools at KSUS (Spirit of St. Louis Airport). I then clicked on each schools link; none of them were active. Next, I went to the official KSUS webpage and looked up flight schools. Langa was the only fixed wing school, and now there are none.

I’ve written how the profession has been so diluted, so beaten down, that it simply is not worth the investment. Sully himself detailed that belief to the US Congress.

For me it is especially sad, aviation has been my profession, hobby and passion. I have tried to pass this passion along; as an Advanced Strike flight instructor in the Navy, a test pilot instructor and since retiring as a CFI/II (Certified Flight Instructor). My books have been dedicated to aviation and the Aviators; I’m third generation in the aviation world.

I am an optimist by nature and there was a silver lining to the dark cloud yesterday. My son David called excited about his first solo out of the landing pattern. So the fourth generation has picked up the pack and the aviation dream lives on. He is a student in Central Missouri State’s Professional Pilot Program and a member of the Missouri Air National Guard.

This is going to be the new “norm”; expensive University Programs, as the Private Part 141 schools wither and die due to a lack of students. I fear that it will also become a profession of the rich kids. A middle class family simply cannot afford it anymore, and the return on investment is not there to justify hundreds of thousands in loans. A pilot shortage is coming.