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WASHINGTON, (Sputnik) – US Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall said on Tuesday that they face a pilot shortage and are working to address the situation.
«We do have a shortage of pilots and we’ve been working to reduce that,» Kendall said during a congressional hearing.
Kendall noted that the greatest obstacle to higher pilot production is the pipeline, particularly the availability of training aircraft, which is very thin at present.
Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David Allvin added that they are trying to increase bonuses in order to help with pilot retention in the Air Force.
Allvin also said another effective option for pilot retention is allowing airmen to serve as commercial pilots while also serving in the Air Force Reserve.
