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Many aviators are worried about the future of the industry.
"There are a lot of competitors for time among young adults today, and aviation just doesn't have that cache or magic it once had," said Jamail Larkins, FAA ambassador for aviation and space education and founder of Aviation Start.The road to becoming an aviator can be challenging.
"One thing we do have statistics on, especially for example pilots, is that 80% of all pilots who start flight training end up quitting," said Larkins. "If we don't do a better job at helping people get involved inside the industry and then helping them through the rough patches, we're going to have a problem."There are many resources available for aspiring aviators. Programs like the EAA Young Eagles program, for those who want to learn to fly, the FAA's Aviation Career Education Academy, for students interested in aviation and aerospace, the NBAA YoPro Resource Center for young professionals and AOPA's scholarship program.
Aviation Start also works to empower the next generation, giving students and young professionals access to more than $20 million in scholarship opportunities through its database, including GlobalAir.com's scholarship program. The Calvin L. Carrithers Aviation Scholarship awards four students $1,000 each to use towards their aviation career. The deadline to apply for the scholarship through GlobalAir.com is Aug. 15.
Larkins founded Aviation Start to remove barriers and make aviation careers more accessible to help grow the industry.
"We've got almost 50% of the pilots legally required to retire in the next 14 years. We have about 83% of all mechanics that are currently working in the aviation industry are expected to retire within a decade," he said. "If we don't start building a bigger pipeline to get people involved in aviation, we are going to have a major problem. So, hopefully, all these different aviation outreach programs will do the job of generating interest to get more people involved in aviation."For many aviators, their love for flying took off at a young age. For aerobatic pilot Anthony Oshinuga, it started when he was 2 years old.
"My dad took me to an airport because his friend was a pilot," told GlobalAir.com this year at AirVenture. "His friend said, ‘Hey, park your car at the approach end of the runway,' and my dad did. I was sitting on my dad's lap as airplanes flew over the cars to land. At that point, I thought, ‘This is insane. I want to be a part of this."
His passion for aviation grew from there. Oshinuga said he relied on the mentorship of the older generation to get him connected with the right people and help him achieve his goal of becoming an aviator."I started stumbling into great places like NBAA, Oshkosh AirVenture, Sun ‘n Fun- all these places where you can meet like-minded people and talk shop," he said.Oshinuga began competing as an aerobatic pilot in 2014 and also participates in air races. In 2015, he became the first African American to enter the Reno Air Race National Championships and secured second place."I fell in love with it because you're competing with other people, but more importantly, with yourself, you're trying to be better than you were yesterday, you're chasing perfection," he said.He hopes to inspire the next generation to enter the industry, and emphasized the importance of passing the torch."In my career, I've been told no many times, but I didn't stop and I'm here today loving life, flying airshows, flying competition aerobatics, I'm an air race pilot. I go to Oshkosh, Sun ‘n Fun. I'm flying all over the world doing what I love to do because I didn't stop," he said. "So, if this is what you want, don't stop, find the resources that are out there, the mentors, the one person to get you to where you want to be."
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