The number of active general aviation piston-powered aircraft has been declining for some years. So why are the number of pilot licenses being issued declining?

1. The pilot shortage and declining issuance of licenses
The number of active general aviation piston-powered aircraft has been declining
for some years. So why are the number of pilot licenses being issued declining?
According to an article written by Howard Bucy on the website Deciples of Flight, there are
210,000 fewer licensed pilots now than there were in 1980 in the United States. Which is a
surprise considering the fact that there is a pilot shortage. So what is causing this disparity?
Well, to answer that question, we have to look at what is causing the pilot shortage in the first
place. There are three main changes that helped supplement the pilot shortage. First, the FAA
raised the mandatory retirement age for pilots from 60 to 65, making pilots reach their retirement

2. ages sooner and in large numbers. Second, following a commuter jet crash in Buffalo, New York,
the FAA and Congress increased the number of hours required to pursue an Air Transport Pilot
rating from 250 hours to 1,500 hours, making it harder to achieve obtaining a license. Finally, the
FAA established new crew rest regulations, making it necessary for airlines to hire more people to
fly the same number of flights, meaning there are less pilots available to fly existing routes.
According to an article on the website Fortune by Marty Reynolds, one of the biggest backlashes
of this pilot shortage is that it is affecting regional air carriers. Reynolds cites this shortage the
cause of Horizon Air, Seaport Airlines and Republic airlines cancelation of hundreds of flights
and Chapter 11 bankruptcy. This means less regional flights available to customers who have
come to rely on these regional flights to get where they need to be. Regional carriers service 95%
of all U.S. airports and provide 65% of U.S. airports with scheduled service. They are responsible
for 50% of national departures, meaning any reduction in their service will result in harshly
affecting U.S. passengers.
Another thing impacting regional carriers is that the combination of strong major airline hiring
and the lack of pilots interested in regional carrier careers is causing the shortage at regional
carriers. The Regional Airline Association even announced that regional carriers only hired 50%
of the pilots they needed last year.
By looking at the reasons as to why there is a pilot shortage, we can better understand the reason
for the declining issuance of pilot licenses.