Earlier this year I collected data from a survey of the global helicopter community as part of a study into non-technical skills in helicopter operations. The phenomenal response to this survey from over five hundred participants produced a rich dataset which includes a contemporary demographic snapshot of the helicopter industry worldwide.
After just a cursory glance at the demographic data, one factor jumps out of the numbers more than any other, and that was evidence of an ageing aircrew population.
Here follows a snapshot of that survey data from which we can draw a few basic, but important, insights on the current age demographic in the helicopter industry.
Table 1 shows the survey results for data on aircrew age distribution. The sample was made up of 584 participants of an online questionnaire from different operations around the world, and was split into groups based upon operational type. Participants were not only pilots, but technical and other types of operating crew-members thus representing a full demographic picture of all aircrew types across a range of helicopter operations internationally.
Table 1
Results: percentage of helicopter aircrew by age bracket and operational type.
CAT & Other: In CAT operations including other non-emergency related flying (corporate, flight training, aerial tasks etc.) 69% of crews are over 40 years old, and 35% are over 50.
HEMS: In HEMS 72% of crews are over 40 and 31% over 50 years of age.
SAR: In SAR 76% of crews are over 40, and 32% over 50 years of age.
FIREFIGHTING: In firefighting operations 68% are over 40 and 39% over 50 years of age.
POLICE: In police aviation 90% of crews are over 40, and 50% over 50 years of age.
The results show a largely consistent demographic across the different types of rotary wing civil aviation operations where nearly three quarters of aircrew are over the age of 40, and a third are over 50. This distribution is clearly illustrated in the pie chart below (figure 1).
Figure 1
Age brackets of helicopter aircrew based on a (2023) survey of 584 participants worldwide.
If we assume a full career to be forty years and bounded by the age bracket 20-60 years old, nearly three quarters of the current aircrew population are over half way through their working life, and over a third have less than ten years left.
Over-sixties
Only 4% of the total sample were over 60. In the case of the pilots this may be partly driven by regulatory limitations on Pilots in Command above that age. For rear crew it is reasonable to postulate, given the physical demands of some of their roles, that physical health and lifestyle choices are also a factor above the age of sixty.
Under-thirties
Less than 4% of participants were under the age of thirty, which suggests that either many start out on a civil career path after that age, or there are a currently a small pool of young pilots in the civil sector in the early stages of learning their trade.
The role of the military in flying training
Traditionally, the military pipeline in most countries has accounted for a significant proportion of early training for young helicopter aircrew. More than half of those surveyed reported a military training background, with 60% having begun their aviation career in the Armed Forces compared with 40% trained in civil aviation alone.
However, data collected from the military group shows only 5% of military aircrew participants were in the under-thirty age bracket. Although the 30-39 years bracket represented the largest group in the military, accounting for 35% of the total, even in the Armed Forces 60% of the total sample were above the age of forty, and 29% over fifty, suggesting that the military aircrew community might also be ageing.
Figure 2
Age brackets of military helicopter aircrew based on a sample of n=129.
How much can this survey sample be read across to the population of helicopter aircrew as a whole? The large sample size (n=584) and consistency in the results across the smaller operational groups suggests that the distribution should be highly representative of the population as a whole, although there are, of course, factors impacting survey participation which may have skewed the sample towards an a an older demographic – for example, voluntary participation of a survey principally disseminated via LinkedIn might exclude young trainees at the beginning of their careers who are less confident in sharing their opinions or less active on the LinkedIn platform.
An ageing population?
Debate over a flight crew shortage and ageing pilots is rife in the world of commercial fixed wing aviation where it is argued that the industry is facing a perfect storm of an ageing workforce, a mandatory retirement rule, fewer pilots exiting the military, and multiple barriers to entry at the other end; not least the cost of training.
Do the same factors hold true for the helicopter sector?
There is certainly plenty of anecdotal evidence at the moment of high demand for experienced helicopter crews, both front and rear seat. How much of this is a product of growing demand for helicopters and how much is due to a shrinking supply of crew is not clear and would require further research. It is likely to be both. When you consider the differences between rotary wing and fixed wing supply of aircrew to the market, it seems likely that the same forces that are currently forcing the world’s airlines to reconsider how they recruit and retain pilots are probably also coming into play, or are at least not far around the corner, for rotary-wing operators as well.
- In the helicopter industry a higher proportion of aircrew are still drawn from the military which is both shrinking in absolute size, and itself seeing an increase in the age of those leaving.
- A higher proportion of helicopters are flown single pilot meaning that pilots cannot be employed commercially beyond sixty years of age.
- Then there is the allure of the airlines’ higher salaries and better career prospects for rotary trained pilots as airlines try to square the circle of their own recruitment crisis.
- An ageing demographic throughout the industry means that the outflow of experienced pilots at the top of the age brackets is bound to accelerate in the coming decade.
- Compared to airline training opportunities and pipelines for civil pilots, the helicopter industry also faces multiple challenges which are likely to impact the potential inflow of new talent. Rotary wing training undoubtedly incurs higher costs which are a significant barrier to entry, even for experienced military pilots, who often have to shoulder the full cost of their civil licenses and training. Furthermore, many operators don’t have an established and well thought through route for developing young co-pilots, and growing their experience out of the left hand seat and into the right hand seat, particularly in roles which require hoisting competencies such as SAR. Many have long been dependent on pilot and rear-crew competencies developed in the military, including technical crew hoist operators and mission systems specialists who currently appear to be in extremely high demand. Even fewer operators offer a bespoke cadetship to develop aspiring crew members in-house from ab-initio, and those that do are not training in the numbers that will anywhere near match the growing outflow.
For the savvy and career-minded Rotorheads, these circumstances will offer opportunities. For the helicopter companies looking for suitably qualified and experienced personnel to fly their aircraft, the perfect storm currently being experienced by the airlines could yet reach even greater levels of perfection.
competentaviators.com 