Airlines need the 747 NOW more than EVER.

[@cobyexplanes]

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[@Skarry]

How much do they pay you cuz... I'd consider matching just to stop this gross product.

[@ThoughtMachine1]

What? LOL! You are soooo off the mark. 95% of North American commercial pilots were trained in the military, which spends millions on training. With military downsizing the well went dry. How the hell could you miss that???

[@The-Cat]

Use my code DONTGIBAFUK to get a measily $6 off of your subjective claim of taste, processed product by clicking Not hating the way you earn a buck, just making fun of how comercially dry the comment was made. They probably don't pay you enough to put more effort into it and it shows 🤣😄

[@ChasetheG]

But Drew Gooden doesn’t like that cereal.

[@cobyexplanes]

@@ChasetheG who dat

[@edp2260]

The other reason that there is a shortage of airline pilots is that for decades the airlines depended on the military to provide a steady supply of fully trained high time pilots. That option has been shrinking for years. In the US the size of the military pilot pool has been down sizing for years. Military airfields have been closing, and the services have been retaining their pilots longer.

[@jnb756]

not to mention the amount of time you have to sign up for to even be considered for a pilot slot - Way Way back in 1985 you had to commit to 8 years minimum and even if you did you may not get accepted as the waiting list for spots was so long. I don't know if it's the same or worse now but that was the reason I never enlisted.

[@stotheh]

Tight arse airlines won't pony up to train people off the street to be pilots. There's your shortage. Grow a pair, and pay the few hundred thousand. It's a drop in the ocean of their operating budgets.

[@jonathanswift7388]

it used to take an entire fleet of bombers and tens of fighter escorts to take out a target. now it takes a drone or two A10s. The military doesn't need as many pilots. they just need a couple high skill guys. lets pilots coming out of the military because we have FAR less aircraft than we needed before

[@billsmith5109]

This is on the right track. There were more B-52’s, C-141B’s, C-5’s, KC-135’s out flying. One KC-10 can still only be at one place, but it has a lot more fuel. I wonder if people remember that starting with the October Crisis (Cuba & missiles) SAC kept 1/3 of the fleet in the air, with nukes loaded, for years on end. And that 1/3rd was of a much larger B-52 fleet. Before authorization to land was granted a different B-52 had to already be in the air. No replacement, refuel and stay up. So lots of KC-135 work. Of course the Air Force has staffing problems. So lo and behold a lot of their aircraft are being flown by reservists. My memory is that this used to be uncommon, and largely confined to the small Nightingale fleet. So instead of these ships training lots of new pilots, they’re side jobs for commercial airline pilots, often previous regular Air Force. Bigger aircraft, C-17’s vs C-141’s, KC-10’s & KC-46’s vs KC-135’s mean a smaller fleet is needed. So you no longer have a large pool experienced multi-engine regular Air pilots deciding at 8 years whether to stay in or not, or pilots at 20 years deciding they’re not on the general officer track, I’ll retire and go to United or Pan Am, and fly to retirement age. I’m not sure what you mean by short haul. There was a time in the early-mid ‘70’s when a combination of factors led to B-747’s regularly being used on transcontinental, east coast-west coast flights. There was just a shortage of aircraft compared to market. (Inflation helped, but for a couple decades it was a truism that no jet airliner had ever resold for less than its original purchase price.) Not enough smoky 707’s and 727’s, DC-10’s and L-1011’s were available. Early 737’s weren’t transcontinental aircraft. DC-9’s carried too few passengers. Second the 747 carried so much more freight under the floor, and with containerization, could load and unload it quickly, that there were periods of time that the airlines could make a profit just from the freight, before they sold a ticket for the main cabin. So it’s been done before, for different economic reasons.

[@JeffDM]

Decades of depressing wages, and other short term thinking are a lot of how the airlines got themselves into such a tight bind.

[@ricardokowalski1579]

plus regulatory pressure on airframe manufacturers prevented expansion, modernization and competition of flight schools

[@matsv201]

Isnt the real problem the way pilot education is finazed... in europe, more and more Airlines contract People in flight school. Paying for the expensives for a typically 5 year contract with reduced pay.

[@ricardokowalski1579]

@@matsv201 Yeah... indebted servitude with pilot's wings. Would love to see the personal chashflow of these programs,.

[@matsv201]

@@ricardokowalski1579 i guess the program isnt that bad. Most People stay with them after the first 5 years. Its really no worse than any other education. Even if you theoreticallt get your collage payed in europe. That is not quite the whole trouth. Expenses for a european collage student is so high it might eat up the benefit from not having to pay a fee. And pay is horriblt lacking, even for good educations like engineering. I would say for the momey pilots in europe are probobly better of than the avrage collage student.

[@ricardokowalski1579]

@@matsv201 at least we can agree that "isn't that bad" is not the most attractive option for young people? 😁

[@Dan.d649]

The 747 was an airplane that kept the world going, in high numbers. The freighter version has become a big hit. That's why you will see this airplane plying the skies many years to come until the very last one is retired. The most recent models that were built might've not seen drastic production, but are establishing their roles pretty well to this day. Though construction has ceased for the 747, it's legacy continues to impress any carrier out there. The higher costs of maintenance were a significant factor as to why this majestic airplane can't be retooled, and redesigned. The Boeing company took this program to greater heights when the longer -8 version was introduced. When this airplane will stop flying, it will so dearly be missed, and with that, it'll be like taking a huge chunk out of aviation history, and the airline industry all together.

[@Hecatonicosachoron54]

For real I love 747, it's one of the most beautiful and historical planes. I dream of being able to fly it someday

[@garyhughes2446]

It is an incredibly outstanding jet, and when you consider it went from planning to production in under 30 months, with minimal computer power compared to today's it is phenomenal. I believe it was about 6 years maybe a little longer, until the 8380 was flying, from when it was first planned. A380 did have it's production problems and in fairness a lot tougher logistics to overcome but it did seem to take forever. Very unfortunate about its high expensive operating cost.

[@coldwarkid6611]

I took a flight on Christmas Day 2006 from KC to Denver. It's usually a 737 hope . When I got to the gate I thought I was in the wrong place because there was a 747 sitting there. I was so excited. We loaded up and there wasn't an empty seat on the plane. It was a pretty neat experience.

[@sologhostxx8010]

Yeah no more 747s coming into den

[@mikethompson3534]

Yes now days it will only be the 737-Coffin

[@jimmiller5600]

Please note -- most airlines require or "strongly suggest" a four year degree on top of the $100k flight training cost.

[@babyj4154]

True, KLM for example gives you the chance to go through selection twice. If you don’t get through it the first time they require you to first have your degree before trying a second time

[@jessiegeorg8438]

For now. As the shortage continues and only gets worse, that "requirement" is going to drop away pretty quickly

[@well-blazeredman6187]

A rather strange requirement. BA doesn't seem to push degrees at all - but specifies good enough educational attainment, at secondary school, so that the applicant COULD get into university.

[@JeffDM]

So the real flight training cost is more than $200k for those airlines. It would only make sense if they’re trying to winnow down from an excess of candidates.

[@itheseacow7590]

Yep, wanted to be a pilot but the flight training is $150kaud, whereas working as an engineer I can get an internship before I finish my degree, and start earning more money than I would if I started again as a Pilot

[@JeffInDFW]

Customers love the 747. I literally go out of my way to get to fly The Queen via Lufthansa to Germany. I will do the same for any carrier that reintroduces 747 to domestic routes in the United States. Come on.....who gets excited about flying on an A320? Bring back the 747 to help the pilot shortage.

[@davidshepherd265]

This. As an Australian car enthusiast, to me the 747 is the Holden Commodore or Ford Falcon of the skies. Big, comfortable, luxurious (if you spend the money), powerful, turns an ordinary trip into an event, and is one of the last of its kind. The 737 or A320 is like a Corolla. Yeah, its nice, reliable, safe, and relatively comfortable (if a bit squishy), and it does the job, but meh.

[@orestes1984]

@@davidshepherd265 Qantas did this several years ago with the 747-300 in Australia to fix a short term demand crisis, it never really worked that well on the Sydney - Perth route. The comfort of the dash 300 was good, but the capacity was outlandish vs demand. The only place this works is on the second hop from DFW or LAX where Qantas can earn a few more dollars with a short haul hop from their international terminal for domestic customers between Melbourne, and Brisbane. As a domestic route, 400 PAX often leads to empty planes. In international routes however, it may be a different case as Lufthansa is proving with its relatively new and still economical dash eights. In fact the A330 proved to be a better fit for domestic long haul at the time in Australia Lufthansa, however, may have just proven to be the smartest carrier in the market, without knowing it, for choosing the dash eight over the A380. Their current dash eight fit out is an elite product and the numbers are about right to fill a plane in today's market while offering enough cabin space to either offer a bar, and fewer passengers up top, or to have the top section filled out with first class seats. Boeing could retool their dash eight freighter plants for intercontinentals rather quickly if this market continued as it is.

[@enkii82]

till you fly A380...

[@bmc9504]

The world is progressing and being inspired is no longer necessary for most things, it made sense in the 50s when their was requirements for new pilots, aircraft deseigns etc. Imagination needs taking away, aviation is done with and computers will do it better. Need a plane? A long one, a short one or a long wide one? 2 engines or 2 engines? Sad.

[@jurfvixzlol]

Same I love the 747

[@davidshepherd265]

I've been saying this since COVID hit and airlines started sending their 747s to the boneyard, that once borders opened back up there'd be a massive pent up demand for overseas travel, and that they would regret doing away with the 747. Not to mention that in between avgeeks, people who have fond memories of the 747 for whatever reason, people who still haven't had their shot at flying on one, and indeed, people who have a slight fear of flying when it comes to smaller planes, there are reasons as to why putting the 747 back into service would give any airline an edge over the competition. That being said though, infrastructure at domestic terminals is often not optimally configured for widebodies. In November 2019 I flew from Sydney up to Brisbane for a night on a Qantas 747, for no other reason than that they were running some domestic 747 flights to reposition the planes for the Antarctica flights, and I wanted one last shot at flying on a 747. The Qantas terminal at Sydney Domestic has exactly one gate that can fit a widebody, and I remember the line to board the plane snaked through most of the terminal.

[@PavlosPapageorgiou]

Maybe the idea of paying new pilots less than bus drivers wasn't a good one.

[@mefobills279]

Pilot median salary is about $200K per year. Good try. Flying a plane is not hard, you are paying for instinct. Autopilot does most of the work.

[@coltonkarges2656]

@@mefobills279 as a professional pilot… thank you! This comment made my day!

[@justfun287]

@@mefobills279 Hahahahahahahah

[@chudchadanstud]

​@@coltonkarges2656 Just let ChatGPT do the work bro. It's easy.

[@uwekonnigsstaddt524]

777 Pilot Juan, his KZbin channel “Blancolirio”, explained a while back during COVID, what the airlines were doing, including early retirement packages

[@cobyexplanes]

Great channel

[@bmc9504]

The world is progressing and being inspired is no longer necessary for most things, it made sense in the 50s when their was requirements for new pilots, aircraft deseigns etc. Imagination needs taking away, aviation is done with and computers will do it better. Need a plane? A long one, a short one or a long wide one? 2 engines or 2 engines? Now be a basic obedient human being!

[@LNERMallard]

Yikes... early retirement packages... bet they regret doing that now.

[@LNERMallard]

@@bmc9504 Shop somewhere else, lady.

[@ancientorchids]

Wow...great video!

[@mememachine5244]

I have a Master in Engineering in the UK, I can either go BA fast track to be a heavy long haul pilot with their program and be overed worked, under paid in a job that can be ripped away due to reason out of my control. Or work as an engineer in a secure job with better benifits, better pay and for double the salary.

[@chase.b2967]

Most pilots are flying cause they love aviation. You could make double the salary and get better benefits but most pilots (including me) fly because it’s our passion

[@EuropaUX]

What's about BA Fast track? Can you please give more information about that?

[@mhdibm7515]

I am an engineer as well but as @chase.b said it's about passion especially in aviation

[@jamesdellaneve9005]

I got my ground school when I was in Junior high. This was in the 1970’s. I couldn’t afford to get my license. I only got to play hockey because my dad worked for a company that sold it to employees for 80% off. Then in High School I wanted to fly and knew a few pilots doing the hauling for no money and ridiculous hours, which are unsafe. Recently, I flew to work everyday in a little 4 seater. I didn’t get the passion back, but enjoyed being at the wheel and reducing my commute from 2 hours to 20 minutes here in SoCal.

[@kennyjacobs867]

@@chase.b2967 I agree flying is a passion, But reality has a way of poking it head in. When your wife get pregnant you got to get serious and make money.

[@infernalchaos1066]

Unless piloting is gonna pay the same as being a doctor, then they probably shouldn't charge as much as medical school. This single factor hurts the industry more than any other. Air Force vets are their biggest pool because they've already had the training. For free. Quite a few trucking companies offer training to new hires. Maybe the airline industry needs to start doing that. They have most of the simulators so it would be easy. Maybe have the student sign a non competitive clause or something. It's do-able.

[@teamgmotorsports]

Save the 747, the OG King of air travel!!!

[@theanonymousaviationlover2677]

It’s not a bad idea, however there’s also a shortage of flight attendants. Bigger planes require bigger crews and I read that each flight attendant is needed per 50 passengers so a 747 would need at least 8 of them. Hence, airlines are still going to have problems staffing flights anyways.

[@WPM_in_ATL]

The learning curve for a flight attendant is a lot shorter than the learning curve for the 747/A380 flight deck. Those jumbos were piloted by the most experienced, highest seniority pilots, weren't they?

[@mmm0404]

Pilot shortage is the problem , because of the high cost associated with getting a licence not everyone can be one. Being a flight attendant on the other hand is relatively Easier and far cheaper so there could never be a flight attendant shortage ever.

[@jeffgravel5220]

There is no flight attendant shortfall.

[@TheGecko213]

Any High School graduate can become a flight attendant with 3-12 months of training

[@米空軍パイロット]

Don't pass off lies as facts

[@benholtvoigt8135]

I think a more realistic strategy would be instead of 737 to 747 would be regional to narrow body. Instead of 4 flights a day out of 'ville on a CRJ, there would be 2 a day on a 737.

[@Name-ot3xw]

IIRC under current union agreements, regional carriers are limited by both passenger capacity and weight. the CRJ is essentially built to the maximum of both of these specs. If they were to fly a larger jet the crew gets paid the Major's rate.

[@F22raptor46]

Student pilot here, I'm here to tell you go for it! You won't regret it! I'm real close to my first solo which I do next week, then I do cross countries and night flights which are awesome!

[@rubes3927]

How was that first solo? 😉

[@F22raptor46]

@rubes scary but awesome fun!!

[@nitinaravindraj6753]

The 747 must be brought back!

[@64BitGameDev]

YES

[@subtodicerat8305]

YES

[@joeandreisacdalan7563]

YES

[@BlueAirways]

Agree

[@melodiousking4598]

Indeed

[@kichigaisensei]

The 777 and 787 are both miraculous planes. But, I do miss the old 747. It really was a wonderful plane.

[@iamlucap]

Not only is the cost of training expensive BUT, in the USA, the FAA’s extremely strict laws prohibit people of getting FAA Medicals to then become pilots; This has happened to me. Also at Riddle, one of the top aviation colleges, flight costs alone for the first two years is at least 100k a semester but luckily you are paid in hours during your junior and senior year. Also the 1500 hour requirement is limiting to alot of general pilots from finish training just because its so much money to get to that point

[@pctrashtalk2069]

This prediction may seem unlikely but with self driving cars who knows. "Robots in the workplace will be a very popular idea because they will eliminate labor costs. Pilots will be the first to go because pilots are incredibly expensive and their jobs are largely automated already. Let’s say that, in 2015, one airline decides to completely automate the cockpit and eliminate its pilots. Since pilots are expensive, that airline will have a real price advantage over its competitors. That airline will also have far more scheduling flexibility because it will not have to worry about crew availability. After that first airline makes the leap to the robotic cockpit, every airline will do the same thing. Competitive pressure will leave the other airlines with no choice. Southwest Airlines has shown us just how sensitive the airline industry is to lower prices. The complete elimination of pilots from the airline industry will take just a few years. The 66,000 pilots in the Air Line Pilots Association will be out of work. These pilots are people who have spent thousands and thousands of hours training in their chosen profession. They have high salaries as well - up to $250,000 per year is not uncommon for a senior pilot flying commercial aircraft." marshallbrain.com/robots-in-2015

[@thetowndrunk988]

1500 hours takes FOREVER for a GA pilot, short of actually training for the ATP. It’s insanity

[@thetowndrunk988]

@@pctrashtalk2069 I may be completely wrong, but I’d say after the 737 Max crashes, and these recent motorcycle deaths due to Tesla autopilots, fully automated transportation is a lot farther away than people think. Prime example- the one thing that could have very easily already have been automated- railroads- still haven’t even had the first hint of doing so.

[@pctrashtalk2069]

@@thetowndrunk988 I was thinking, they already have unmanned drone aircraft in the Navy that can land on a aircraft carrier. I can't think of a more difficult challenge.

[@chaos770]

@@pctrashtalk2069 but the unmanned done is being piloted by someone on the ship

[@robinmorgenstern9927]

In Asia the A330 and to a lesser extend also the 777 are widely used on short routes through out the continent. There even is a shorthaul variant of the A330, the A330-300R. With reduced MTOW and less fuel capacity and there for less range (5500km). Airbus says the A330-300R equipped with 350-400 seats has about the same per seat cost as the A321(ceo).

[@timevans3562]

No mention of that version on the Airbus website..........

[@robinmorgenstern9927]

@@timevans3562It's a Version of the A330-300. Neither Airbus nore Boeing have all the versions of their aircraft on their Websites. Specifics like mtow and thrust ratings vary between aircraft.

[@noroy2]

I travel every week for work, all flights are full any given day, been saying for months now, bring your majesty the 747 back, those flights will be full and should be a great experience. Also remember when I was trying to be a pilot back the 90's, my Dad told me to see how much was flight school at that time, the cost was discouraging and went another direction.

[@traustipriv6688]

Hey, I'm a PPL holder, now studying ATPL. My recommendation for you would be to go on a test flight for a school, You can get the feeling of flying and, atleast for myself, after my test flight, there was no turning back!

[@cobyexplanes]

They let you take the controls during a test flight?

[@h2psr581x]

@@cobyexplanes Yes they do. Some flight schools even let you take off.

[@tyrekegordon2492]

@@cobyexplanes yeah the school I did my discovery flight let me do anything I wanted I took off and landed twice so I immediately quit my job and went full time flight school hands down the best decision of my life

[@andrewtaco]

​@@cobyexplanes Yes, they'll let you fully control the aircraft throughout the entire discovery flight from takeoff to landing with the instructor providing help when you need them. Idk about other schools but the one I go to will reimburse your whole discovery flight cost once you reach 15 hours total flight or when you have soloed.

[@DylanAmalfitano]

I'm 40 and this video makes me want to spend the next 20 as a pilot. As someone with a mortgage and two small kids it can never happen. Flying the 747 has always been the biggest dream of my life. It is truly a work of art. The day it last graces the skies of this world will truly be a day or mourning.

[@TrainerAQ]

@@ThePolaroid669 lol I stayed away from that! I don't need the drama on top of this.

[@jimmiller5600]

The local hub airport flight volume is down by over 20%. Yet total passenger load has increased by over 20%. Fewer, bigger airplanes means less airplane noise too.

[@emmanuelsavage4707]

I remember we were returning back to Minneapolis from Memphis on a Northwest flight. The jetway kept going up and down, so I thought maybe 757 or 767. Then they called the flight number 451, and then this 747-200 came up to the gate, and everyone was at awe!

[@paulsz6194]

About four years ago, Qantas started flying its B747-400’s on transcontinental flights between Sydney & Perth, due to their B737 pilots having reached weekly flight time capacities. This was only a temporary measure, as they were usually deployed on Flights to LAX,SFO , YVR, and LHR.

[@michaelmichniak7287]

This past February I was on a United B777 from Las Vegas to Chicago O'Hare. It was a real treat! The last time I was on a widebody on this route was when United was still flying DC-10's! Also, last week I was on a Delta B767-300 from Fort Lauderdale to Atlanta. Originally is was supposed to be a 757-200, but there must have needed the extra capacity because it was packed!! Again a real treat for such a short flight!

[@lucassheridon9809]

8:49 As someone who has done both part 61 & 141 training, definitely go to a part 61 school. That it my biggest recommendation.

[@YHDiamond]

Eyy this one was my idea! I'm glad you actually made it into a video! One thing I think you missed was that if they have less frequent flights, connection opportunities are lower because they can't do as many banks. Still a great video!

[@cobyexplanes]

It sure was! Appreciate the recommendation this one was super interesting to research ◡̈

[@FlightAirplane]

@@cobyexplanes Thanks. I love when creators use commented ideas!

[@burtlakebuddy]

Coby, I am 36 flying hours into my Private Pilots training and it is awesome. I ended up buying a cirrus sr20 to train in since my flight school has lots of instructors but not many planes and I fly whenever I want to. I highly recommend you take a "discovery flight" at your nearest flight school. It is cheap and you will know if this is something to pursue. good luck!

[@stephen_101]

There are a few A340s in storage which could be reactivated to add capacity.

[@nickel_las]

Many A340s have only marginally more capacity than A330s though, so it's using exactly the same plane but doubling fuel costs. Not worth it.

[@paulsz6194]

@@nickel_las Depends on how many Business class & premium economy seats they ( Lufthansa) could fill on a scheduled flight. If every seat could be filled, it could still be profitable. I believe Qatar was the last airline to completely retire their A340-500/600 series in 2019. Azerbaijan Airlines stilll flies one or two of them

[@jatterhog]

SAS shouldn’t have retired their 17 year old A340-300s. They could have flown for another 10 years, just like United’s 767s.

[@luiskp7173]

@@paulsz6194 I believe Plus Ultra from Spain still flies a340s to Latin America.

[@paulsz6194]

@@luiskp7173 Thanks! Didn’t know such an airline existed . I will check them out.

[@sx64man]

in the mid 80s I was fortunate to take a flight on one of the very few TWA 747 SP they had acquired from another carrier (it was a last minute gate substitution for another excellent aircraft L1011 that had a mechanical). I believe that is the best jaunt across the pond I ever had.

[@HarrisChoudhry]

I'm sure firing pilots who didnt want to make a certain medical decision despite being healthy and perfectly able to do their job had nothing to do with making the shortage even worse...

[@Saltee323]

Yea, a forced medical decision that had zero benefit and more side effects than you can shake a stick at.

[@davehue9517]

I've loved my flights to and from Europe and South America on the 747.. I hope airlines continue it's use

[@fishyswirlgaming5741]

i think that airbus should make a updated version of the a380

[@subtodicerat8305]

Like the airbus a380 sp A small a380 with only 2endgines

[@StefanWithTrains]

The A380 is actually the more Likely platform likely be updated and with an bigger version Winglets, an longer fuselage and thus an better plane would be more beneficial. And there is already demand for it so that is the difference

[@uwekonnigsstaddt524]

Too bad Airbus didn’t take the A380 into a cargo option, included converted freighters. It has 3 decks, upper, lower, and pax baggage. Lots of potential freight

[@StefanWithTrains]

@@uwekonnigsstaddt524 Lufthansa has found a way to get the A380 to work as an freighter. It is meant to be an Light goods freighter.

[@StefanWithTrains]

@Steven Echelberger it has already been tried in 2017 with the A380 Plus but yes every new variant needs qualification and tests

[@Johnthedagger]

The greatest plane ever and I use to only fly on them on longer routes until they phased them out. Landed in Narita from San Francisco in a heavy rain with not much wind and unless I hadn't been listening to the ATC chatter on United channel 8, you would not have known the plane had landed it was so soft. 747 was a beautiful travel partner

[@hughmartin1891]

can you please make a video on turboprops in the aviation market and how they fit in, love the content by the way

[@jamesrobinson6382]

I am taking my college student granddaughter to Germany for Christmas. I booked our flight on a Lufthansa B-747. Now it has been changed to an A-330. Still a nice plane but I wanted her to experience the 747.

[@julosx]

This is unfair. I think I'd cancel the flight re-book another one (I actually did this year).

[@aventador8794]

Flying on a 777 between Denver and Chicago here soon. Could definitely see demand for more wide bodies between large city - large city or hub - hub.

[@rxotmfrxotmf8208]

I've flown on quite a few types of planes from Boeing, Airbus, Bombardier, Saab, etc (and even a Tupolev in the 1980s). Nothing beats the 747 flying experience, save perhaps the A380. And here's a tip if you're lucky enough to snag a seat on a A380: take the last window seat on the upper deck. Lots of elbow room due to the curvature of the ceiling, far away from the engine noise, and lots of privacy.

[@vickyburton2434]

The A380, in my opinion, is not as price effective (or beautiful) like the Queen. 747’s can take off, land and be used in many more airports than the A380. 747’s can be manufactured with lighter materials and more efficient engines which would create a plane with better fuel usage. I so envy you for being able to fly these beautiful planes!💗

[@davidcole333]

Hey Coby, I have my private pilot's license. I started on it in 1987, then left to join the military before I had a chance to finish. In 2006 I went back and finished up and passed my check ride. There's a couple of considerations when deciding if you want to do this. First is finances...not only do you need enough to get the training, but you need enough to keep flying once you have your license. If you can't afford to keep flying, then you wasted your money on the training. Second is that you need to have a mission in mind. Know what your "why" is and understand what it is exactly you want to do with your license once you have it. If there is no clear mission, what will happen is you will get the license then lose interest in flying rather quickly because cruising around at 5500 feet and 100 mph in a rented Cessna 172 at $200 an hour gets old really quick. That being said, I strongly encourage you to go after it. It's very rewarding.

[@cobyexplanes]

Thanks for the feedback! Yes getting the finances together is gonna be challenge #1, maintaining the finances could be even trickier. But where there's a will there's a way

[@davidcole333]

@@cobyexplanes When you start flight training, it would be very enjoyable to follow your progress and see you overcome the challenges!

[@pkarandi]

@David Cole, you make an excellent point. About 15 years ago, I decided to get serious about flying, but the costs of CONTINUING the hobby (just as you said) were brutal, no matter what method (renting, buying into a share, etc). This led me to powered paragliding (PPG). I owned my own aircraft, didn't have to pay for storage, and maintenance and gas are minimal. The moment you come to terms with the fact that usually private pilot flying is a hobby, and not a form of transportation, you will realize there are many more economical ways to get fun air time. PPG is the equivalent to wanting to race Porsches, and deciding to get a dirt bike. Not the same, but equally fun (possibly more fun)!

[@jurfvixzlol]

Coby your so right I love like insanely love the 747 and I do think they need it back.

[@jbenthere627]

My first flight on a 747 was in June 1973. I was 14 years old. Chicago to Miami and that was my only flight on a 747. I would love to fly on a 747 again. One thought is that if a 737 or A320 flight was canceled, everyone knows and has experienced the negative implications. However, if a 747 flight is canceled, now you have 400 pax stuck at the gate or overloading the airlines' web page trying to re-book another flight, or waiting in a long line to have a gate agent apologize for not being able to reschedule or re-book their flight. All this instead of 200. Do the airlines that use 747s have enough to swap out in a pinch, when one is down due to mechanical issues or doing routine maintenance? Do they have enough FAs that are trained to work 747 flights? Are there enough trained mechanics to service the 747s? Do they have 2 A320s or 737s to bring in as substitutes to handle 400 pax for the canceled flight?

[@ncc74656m]

I remember the old 747 SRs that Northwest used to use in domestic flights. Wouldn't mind seeing them come back from time to time.

[@AstroGoalHorns]

I was so surprised to see American Airlines flying a 777 from Miami to New York when I was doing a layover there (in Miami) recently but I think this video just explaned ;) why that is happening

[@r0cketplumber]

At 6:35 I recognize that airfield- Mojave Air and Spaceport. I worked there for almost twenty years, building, testing, and even flying on rocket power. Good times.

[@drewhour]

Lower the 1500 requirement rule. That's holding me back right now, I'm almost done.

[@EvaOwen]

The 1500 hour requirement was made after a serious commuter airplane accident in the USA.

[@cobyexplanes]

This is true but studies have also shown it doesn't improve aircraft safety, since most pilots chasing 1500 hours aren't training on jets but instead small planes that don't share much commonality

[@drewhour]

@@cobyexplanes exactly. The 1500 just makes it harder to break bad habits that have been developed. I'll have to re learn at the airlines.

[@davidwright7193]

@@EvaOwen It was a strange response to an accident that involved 2 pilots who both had well over 1500 hours and where the critical factors were pilot fatigue, over rostering and low pay. The same license in Europe only needs around 300 hours but a significant number of those must be on multi-engined, multi-pilot aircraft. The thing that shocks me is that those 1500 hours do not require time in a cockpit similar to those of passenger aircraft and that someone with every bad habit the USAF can teach could go into a passenger service cockpit never having had a Co-pilot sit next to them.

[@JB-bs1se]

I love to see and hear the queen of the skies flying over my house again going to and from DTW.

[@markybear92840]

Its an interesting thought on a quick fix. You brought up the big 'red elephant' in that airports cannot handle all these larger airplanes. Not sure when it happened when the US Govt raised the minimum number of hours to qualify from 750 to 1500 (DOUBLED)....which really throttled the pipeline for new commercial pilots. If the government would get out of the way and possibly lower the number of hours back to 750...or even 900...could allow more pilots into the available pool....just saying.

[@gumbyshrimp2606]

250* to 1500

[@EvaOwen]

If I recall correctly the min. hours to qualify was raised after a serious commuter airplane accident.

[@davidcole333]

I don't feel like 1500 hours of giving flight instruction in a Cessna 172 is going to better prepare a potential new airline hire for the right seat of a regional jet any better than would a far lower number of hours would.

[@EvaOwen]

@@davidcole333 My assumption is that some of those hours are on a more complex airplane.

[@cobyexplanes]

Studies have actually shown so much time on a small prop like that actually makes it less safe since you get so used to the procedures of flying small planes

[@stvpls]

They are still in time to order it and saving the 747 production line too

[@DJL0455]

Pay pilots (more) and airline CEO's (much, much less!) what they're really worth. That will fix the pilot shortage.

[@bryanhoyos5543]

dont forget about mechanics. They are running low on the ppl that keep the planes in one piece and we still dont get paid enough

[@cxa340]

Pilots are the highest paid work group in an airline - there just aren’t enough pilots under the current regulations. If the feds really wanted to address the issue they would lower the minimum hours back to where they historically have been, and also allow foreign pilots the ability to obtain a work visa and come to the US under an H1-B scheme and work for US airlines. This would allow the market to stabilize and provide enough pilots, but the pilots union has directly fought against such measures.

[@christiangranum7387]

Getting a PPL-A is certainly a recommendation. I got mine when I was 18. I’m now 35 and not a commercial pilot, but the license is still an important and incredibly fun part of my life.

[@cobyexplanes]

How often do you fly these days?

[@christiangranum7387]

@@cobyexplanes 2-3 times a month or so. I don’t own my own plane, and renting a C-172 is getting a bit expensive these days. I’m thinking about becoming a member of my local airport’s pilot’s club, and that should make it a bit cheaper though.

[@erikig]

8:32 What cheeky livery that Nokscoot is sporting 🦆😆😆

[@magsteel9891]

I really liked flying on the second floor of the 747-400

[@doogleticker5183]

Just do it, man. You aren't getting any younger!! Best wishes, DT.

[@paladin0654]

2:00 "Pilots are getting older..." wow, didn't know! The problem with the shortage is lack of recruiting and training because until COVID the airlines were fat, dumb and happy: they didn't want to expend resources for the future. Recruiting and training should be an ongoing program. 747s are NOT the way to go. Two engine wide bodies would be a much better option: 767, 777, 787, A330.

[@julosx]

Twin engines aircraft can't do anything and everything. That's why there's still quad jets pretty much everywhere.

[@ntdscherer]

@@julosx There are zero quad jets operated by US airlines, and fewer and fewer by anyone.

[@trader891]

Amen to that. It's a joy passing through Frankfort Airport. Lufthansa 747-400's and 747-8s all over the place.

[@markbrown4442]

You'd be better off with A380's. If you're going Jumbos, they have a better fuel burn, more modern avionics and easier to train pilots

[@colino72]

But very few airports can handle them…

[@ArmyofSeaturtles]

still high maintenance and operating costs, most airports cant support them ,

[@cobyexplanes]

@@colino72 ^

[@jaybee9269]

But they’re uglllllly…

[@danielmeador1991]

The 747-8 is slightly more modern but is more efficient

[@fensterlips]

Please pursue your private ticket. It will be fulfilling personally, though boring at first - be ready for that - but it will be rewarding and maybe put you on track for what I’m pretty sure is your final goal. In addition it will add a lot to your KZbin content. It’s a worthy goal. Good luck we’re behind you.

[@Synergy7Studios]

Is it worth the time and money based on what the airlines pay and the schedule they have you work? I doubt it.

[@angelarch5352]

6:22 I agree-- and EVERY day now is pretty much a new "extenuating circumstance" lol :)

[@Freeborn88]

One of the problems you would face with bringing back these 747s would be the pilot training for them. You need to find simulators for the 747 so pilots can be trained on them. There are companies that like to have their own sims like United, Delta, and American; they own the sims outright. Once those jets left their fleets, so did the sims and the training equipment that is also associated with flight training. So, it might be a bit difficult to find them as sims are a specialty item and only really come around so often.

[@PacificDark]

Anyone else drooling over these beautiful 747s? That Air France livery is pure art.

[@Andygarrett357]

Why can't retired / under 65 pilots be brought back? And why can't an over 65 fly the right seat for a few years as long as they can pass the flight physical and proficiency training? This is another solvable problem if the FAA, pilot unions, and airlines focus on it instead of woke politics. Where's your pretty smiling face, Coby?

[@ArmyofSeaturtles]

seniority, recertification etc .... also a lot of pilots and mechs who retired or got laid off during covid either died or relocated, and just don't want to recertify, some even went and fly freight in fear of another mass lay off due to another pandemic, some even quit flying forever, i met a lot of jumbo pilots now flying boxes who used to fly for BA AF and QF

[@MPVC1]

Over 65's can fly, just not internationally.

[@EvaOwen]

@@MPVC1 Over 65s cannot fly scheduled commercial airlines in the USA but they can fly for charter companies.

[@MPVC1]

@@EvaOwen oh right. In AUS they can also fly 121 ops domestic. I thought it would be in the US too.

[@tomtucker8863]

I flew on the 747 a lot in the 70's. Loved it. It was a great plane, lots of room, quiet and safe. I was fortunate enough to work for a company that flew all its employees first class. The 747 really shined at that. Bringing it back would certainly be welcomed by me, even if I did have fly coach. Three was lots of room in coach. Very comfortable.

[@ntdscherer]

I feel like all planes had a lot more space 40 years ago though.

[@tomtucker8863]

@@ntdscherer They did. Now it's like your tied up in a cocoon. I glad I don't' do all that business travel anymore. Besides, the stewardesses now are not nearly as nice to look at now. Was tht sexist? Too bad.

[@ZedNinetySix_]

Just proves the 747 was perfect from the start. Trying to make anything "better" than the 747 was always a lost cause.

[@ReidForrest]

I started on the PPL journey about a year ago, at age 47. I toured a small local flight museum, and there was a school at the same municipal airport. After a couple of days I decided to take a discovery flight. I signed up a few days later. I'm just slightly pre-solo and I have spent a good bit of money, but even if I never got the PPL I wouldn't trade the experience for anything.

[@MarchingPilot]

The 747-8 is my favorite plane

[@Fly.Marshall]

Great videos as always Coby. As a commercial pilot I would ask yourself what do you want to achieve by doing a PPL? Is it weekend (or weekday) trips to fly small planes or is it more like a hobby that could develop into a commercial career? For me, I loved flying and I stumbled into being a commercial pilot and loved every day since. Unfortunately what I see these days with aspiring pilots is $$$ and the belief $400K USD is coming straight to them straight out of flight school. The road to great money is a long one and usually it comes at a cost of family, friends and the desire to live at home. I have been in aviation a long time and I can tell you the peaks and troughs of aviation are very real. We are on a building wave now but I assure you, that wave will crash and for people at the bottom of a seniority list, it isn't going to be pretty.

[@leothompson2777]

The issues with mass cancelations in the UK and Europe seem to be down to a lack of airport/ground staff, and not pilot shortages.

[@JLMSPORT707]

I miss the 747! I flew on 747s almost annually from the east coast to the Philippines and back

[@South.Florida.Aviation]

The issue is gate space most airports are incapable of servicing wide body aircraft

[@karenfisher1068]

Every ride on the 747 was phenomenal.

[@Lachiexyz]

I remember years ago when I went to Thailand, we flew into Bangkok on a 777, then switched onto a 747 for the short 1hr jump to Phuket. Seemed to work ok. Concentrate lots of flights onto one big plane much like the theory in this video. Seems like a sensible plan. Wonder if they can build 747s with composites to make them lighter?

[@xstugee]

The problem with replacing some 320 and 737 planes is that many very busy airports are not equipped to handle 747 and 380 aircraft at this time.

[@TrainerAQ]

That's exactly what I'm thinking. Even large airports have a limited availability on heavy gates. It's a great idea, but the airports in this country are not built for it and it would take years to establish such a world.

[@gh6r]

People will be kicking themselves in few weeks if they miss the opportunity to buy and invest in Crypto as it's retracing....BE WISE

[@AlaskaErik]

Getting a private license is a whole different game today. When I got mine, it cost me $22 an hour. I could have knocked that down to $21 an hour by learning in a C-150, but Alaska is taildragger country, so I learned in a Citabria 7GCBC. What did that $22 an hour include? The airplane (Citabria 7GCBC wet (meaning fuel included)) and the instructor pilot (CFI). $14 for the plane and $8 for the instructor.

[@dattaxpony920]

Any suggestion that involves the Queen of the Skies is already a winner in my book!

[@mikestone9129]

If you're gonna go for your private ticket I HIGHLY recommend you go to a full time school and not just go to your local airport. It will take you way to long doing just an hour or two a week. Go to a reputable flight school where you'll eat and sleep flying. You'll get your private very quickly. I know it's hard to leave your job for a month or so, but you will save a lot of money and learn more. If you want to go full out and get your multi engine, instrument and commercial than definitely go to a flight academy for about 3 months, you'll also have your instructor ticket so you can start earning and getting paid to build hours. Go for it.

[@jonfilipa2478]

I have a private pilots license and am working on building my own experimental airplane. From a training standpoint if you’re looking to save money you likely won’t be flying the latest 172 with a modern dual glass cockpit. Which is totally fine. If you’re looking to get your time and your ticket you don’t need that anyways. An iPad and Foreflight - or similar app - will get you a ton of info in the cockpit and will largely negate the need for certified glass panel avionics.

[@SkittlesMan555]

I remember you when you had 30k abs didn’t have any sponsors so congrats im happy you are getting them!

[@dennizkucuk835]

Private pilot and commercial student here. The biggest issue, (in Canada at least) when it comes to education is not the cost of training itself, but the lack of access to proper funding options. I don't come from a wealthy home, so funding is a major issue. I tried to get a loan, but due to my family's income I was denied most student funding. In the end, I was only approved 5k for a 100k course. It's complete garbage! The point is, the problem got this bad because of complacency. Major airlines were used to hiring military aviators because they already had the required hours. (No need to train them out of pocket) Only problem with that is that the airforce significantly increased its requirements for acceptance following the Vietnam war. That left aspiring pilots with 2 options. 1: have absolutely perfect scores in high school to get into the military flight academy. (Or go through with a 4-year uni degree just to apply for a pilot's position. You still need straight A's for this.) 2: cough up the money for civilian training. I don't think I need to explain why most high schoolers don't get straight A's lol All in all, there are two solutions. 1: Have airlines pay for training in full with the trade being a long-term contract. (Most pilots would want the contract anyways) 2: Lower the hour requirement and therefore lower the cost of hour building and training. Note that lowering the requirement is what airlines will probably want to do, as it means no money out of pocket for them, but it means that the pilots in question have less experience. There can also be a healthy middle ground, but as with all major carriers, it's all about money... Sad, considering that if they do decide to pay for pilot training in full, they'll make it back in a month or two, yet they still refuse. {Sidenote, even my provincial training institute said aviation was a dead end because of the cost-to-payback ratio. Of course, I ignored them, but I didn't know the reason. Turns out the Canadian government doesn't view aviation as a legit career. Not my words, the lead flight instructor... Shows how screwed up the system is.}

[@weebolddavy]

20 years ago, I used to live under the flightpath of an airport. I had an airband radio and a big interest in civil aviation buying all the mags. I then moved to a very rural area 2 hours from the nearest airport, my interest waned and I've not been near or on an aircraft since. Recently I've renewed my interest and was shocked to find that my beloved 747s are near extinction, with their size and versatility I thought they'd be about for my lifetime. Beautiful birds, I'll miss them.

[@jw427]

The 747 is the best commercial airframe ever produced. I loved flying it on KLM Houston to Amsterdam.

[@julosx]

So long, the 747-400M…

[@alexanderordinary2110]

In asia, wide bodies are used all the time for short routes. I think its an airline called Cebu pacific has A330 300s with 450 seats in them!! moving on, its only recently that there has been a pilot shortage, it wasnt like that from about 1998 to 2017. In those days flying for regionals was considered to be "sweat shop labor". pilots living off food stamps and taking second jobs were common, hence many people dropped out, not surprisingly; a big reason for the pilot shortage today. I noticed NO ONE is talking about that. So let the airlines, flying public suffer a bit. Let them know there are other realities out there.

[@chrisshelswell3222]

The KZbin algorithm is all over the place. I’m getting some great content all of a sudden that’s 2 years old. You’ll get there it just might be a wait, but you’ve great and interesting content. If the money for your work starts rolling in a year you’ll be happy you stuck at it :) Definitely don’t let it get you down and give up!

[@cobyexplanes]

lol the algorithm can be a funny thing

[@Eldanyveneboy]

You were mostly correct, but that they will set you on a regional airline to get your 1500 hrs. No one is getting into any regional without meeting their ATP minimums (1500, 1250, 1000 hrs, depending). You as a new commercial pilot will have to get those hours somewhere else: Flight Instruction, Survey Pilot, Jumper Pilot, paying and flying yourself, etc)

[@the_artist_sylveon]

My childhood dream was to be a pilot, but with the rising costs of flight school and my near debilitating fear of small planes (aka the planes where you have to start out with), I just don’t think I’d be able to do it

[@lovedfriend2020]

I agree we need the 747 so people can just get to places they need to go.

[@managed9348]

If pilot training/school wasn’t so expensive it would be great😞

[@DartzIRL]

Japan airlines used to have their own unique version of the 747 with structural reinforcements for exactly these purposes. They put 500 people into the old 100-series 747.

[@williamhanna4823]

My wife and I were on a tour in Japan, and rode in one of those with only perhaps ten total passengers. Quite an unusual experience!

[@achong007]

If you can fill a wide body plane with passengers, for the short haul, put enough fuel just for the flight, you should still profit from it. Plus, if you happen to throw in cargo with luggage to fit the whole thing, you probably get away with it. As long as you can keep the flight full. I am pretty sure getting flight attendende is pretty easy over pilots.

[@vizzini2510]

From a passenger perspective, flying from DEN, I have always appreciated the opportunity to fly a wide body on a domestic route, but only because I fly F. If I were flying cattle class, I would generally get the same 17" on any plane, any airline. I don't really care how many other people are sharing in my discomfort, so I am indifferent regarding aircraft in cattle class. However, for the same price (usually), who wouldn't take a lie-flat seat to IAH, ORD, or EWR over a standard domestic F seat? There have always been some repositioning routes from DEN, where I could catch a wide body to another United hub. These opportunities were scarce, and often irregular or seasonal, but I always tried to seek them out, as my plans are usually flexible. During COVID, these opportunities were increased 10-fold, and also included other airlines. It was Candyland for those who actually pay attention to the aircraft. So often, when I fly a wide body domestically, most of the people in F are not even aware that they were booked in an international cabin, and you can see the surprise on their faces as they enter the plane. (I can only assume that their travel arrangements were made by a company travel agent?) Sadly, as things return to "normal," these opportunities have largely evaporated. I am not qualified to opine on the complex economics of flying wide bodies on domestic routes, but, as a passenger, I give a resounding "Hell yeah!" UA is currently running 10 non-stops per day from DEN-ORD or DEN-IAH, mostly on 737s, with a scattering of the VERY old 777-200s. While there may be some downside to running 5 larger planes on these routes, there must be some upside as well. It is my understanding that many Asian airlines use wide bodies on short routes. How do they make it work?

[@clover5172]

The Funny thing is, Qantas had actually done exactly that before, there was a demand crisis and they brought back some 747-300s for a short while, and while the problem wasn't nearly as terrible as the current problem, it still helped in the long run

[@motorTranz]

Get your PPL Coby. You will be glad you did!

[@nadernowzadi1]

ANA had some 777-300s to carry over 500 passengers for short haul domestic routes. So did JAL with 747s

[@gtaviation6924]

those old gals in victorville getting a glimmer of hope is just very nice to know

[@jaybee9269]

The face shields at 3:44 are epic, lol. Even worse than face diapers.

[@fabou3]

Back in the day, airlines used to recruit air force pilots, that's how 2 of my uncles became pilots for eastern and pan am. They should resume that practice

[@jjzhou01]

Getting my PPL was absolutely worth it. The journey may have obstacles, but the reward far outweighs any hardship. I was very addicted to the process, and now I'm thinking about get my CPL.

[@peterkiviat9969]

The real answer is quite simple. Higher air fares. In 1972. An Eastern airfare from New York to Miami was $99.00 each way and a cross town cab ride was $2.50. A hot dog was 60 cents. The cab ride now is 15 bucks, the hot dog is $2.75 and you still can get the plane ride for the same price (though the process is more convoluted).