Exploratory Analysis on Urban Air Mobility and Pilot Shortage

As more pilots retire and urban air mobility (UAM) evolves, the supply of incoming pilots becomes critical to the sustainability of the air transportation system. Student pilots in many cases are unable to complete their training due to the steep training cost. The high costs to the operating are attributed and maintenance costs of the aircraft. To become an airline pilot, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) requires 1,500 flying hours. The costs of training a pilot with zero flying experience coming into the training are in the range of $90,000–$100,000. To address this issue, electric aircraft could be a potential option to decrease the costs for pilot training. When compared to a conventional aircraft of the same size and payload, electric aircraft has a 70% decrease in the operating and maintenance costs. The Sustainable Aviation Project (SAP), located in the San Joaquin Valley of California, is a pilot training program funded by Measure C, a grant that makes a strong case for embracing the future of electric aviation technology. This paper reviews electric aircraft and studies how they can be used to address the pilot shortage.