Friends,

Last month I posted about an article by the Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies regarding the overwhelming pilot shortage in the Air Force, particularly with regard to fighter pilots.

The Mitchell Institute recently released a 56 page document explaining why the fighter pilot shortage exists, what consequence this shortage has on our ability as a force to leverage combat air power and lastly presents 5 recommendations to help resolve the issue.

1. The U.S. Air Force should grow its Active Component fighter forces to increase the quantity and rate at which it can absorb new pilots and maintain their combat readiness.

2. The U.S. Air Force should preserve and grow the number of its Reserve Component fighter squadrons and increase the number of fighters assigned to each squadron.

3. The U.S. Air Force should recapitalize and modernize its combat forces to improve the mission-capable rates of its fleet.

4. The U.S. Air Force should recapitalize and modernize its Active and Reserve Components concurrently.

5. The U.S. Air Force must ensure its advanced simulators are connected to the Joint Simulation Environment and are available to squadrons for daily training.

I believe the article does a good job at identifying the problem and the seriousness of the consequences of not addressing the issue. Unfortunately I think it falls short of identifying the root cause behind the pilot shortage. I think we (as the Air Force ) need to start asking the difficult questions if we want to help solve difficult problems.

Why do pilots leave the Active Duty component at all? Why doesn’t the Air Force AvB Program (Bonus) entice more pilots? If the solution is as easy as growing the number of Reserve Component fighter pilots, why does the Air Force consistently deny PALACE CHASE paperwork despite a 3-to-1 ADSC extension? If mission capable aircraft are the key to pilot absorption why does the Air Force prioritize divestiture of old aircraft with the highest mission capable rates such as the A-10 and/or F-16?

If you are a BogiDope member looking to get hired as a pilot in the Air Force I encourage you to read/listen/watch the articles attached below. Begin to develop an understanding of the macro landscape of the Air Force and the problems facing it. I think you will find that although flying 300 knots at 100 AGL is cool, fun and tactical; winning the war takes a lot more than golden hands, eagle eyes and a cool haircut. The Air Force doesn’t just need more fighter pilots, they need more fighter pilots who will solve some of the nation’s most difficult problems by challenging assumptions, themselves and each other.

I hope to address more of these topics on the BogiDope podcast as we continue to grow the podcast and redefine how BogiDope helps solve these very issues.

https://youtu.be/Yb_oQR107kM?si=xT34PKH5uJwMARsZ