The U.S. Air Force wants to increase its experienced pilot retention through an increase in the Aviator Bonus from a maximum of $35,000 per year to $50,000 per year for 2023.
Such a bonus would help narrow the more than $50,000 per year gap the federal government estimates between the annual $93,000 in Air Force pilot pay and the $145,000 annual average earned by civilian pilots.
Air Force Vice Chief of Staff Gen. David Allvin told the House Armed Services Committee’s readiness panel in April that the service was “1,900 pilots short of the 21,000 required to meet global requirements” in fiscal 2022.
The Air Force said that eligible active duty aviators, including drone pilots, who wish to apply for the fiscal 2023 bonus, must do so by Sept. 15. Aviators with active duty commitments ending in fiscal 2023 and aviators whose active duty service ended before fiscal 2023 may apply.
The fiscal 2023 bonus program “builds upon the previous years’ offers to decisively shape and retain experienced rated officers to meet Air Force retention, training and mission-readiness requirements to maintain lethality of the force,” the service said on June 5. “Specific communities of pilots, RPA [remotely piloted aircraft] pilots, air battle managers and combat systems officers are eligible for monetary incentives in exchange for active duty service commitments.”
The Air Force requests nearly $251 million for the Aviation Bonus program in fiscal 2024, an increase from the almost $238 million appropriated last year.
In accordance with the fiscal 2023 National Defense Authorization Act, the Air Force is starting a Rated Officer Retention Demonstration program allowing active duty manned pilots with 1-3 years of active duty left to sign a contract for the $50,000 bonus one to two fiscal years before the commitment ends, the service said.
This year will be one of “transition,” as the Air Force will confine the possible $50,000 bonus to the demonstration program next year, the service said.
Reducing manning requirements in some instances is another possible way the Air Force may cope with pilot shortages.
Last October, Air Mobility Command (AMC) said that it had flight tested a Boeing [BA] KC-46A Pegasus tanker without a co-pilot to verify the aircraft is able to fly with a limited aircrew in ad hoc high-need combat missions against China or Russia (Defense Daily, Oct. 31, 2022).
“At the direction of AMC commander, Gen. Mike Minihan, the 22nd Air Refueling Wing accomplished a KC-46A Pegasus mission without a copilot Oct. 25 to validate procedures for operating with a limited aircrew for certain potential high-end combat scenarios,” AMC said at the time.
“This employment concept allows the KC-46 to complete its primary mission with a reduced crew complement when needed to rapidly launch aircraft with threats inbound or extend long-range operations in the air with offset crews,” the command said. “The mission was part of AMC’s broader exploration of tactics, techniques and procedures that address the unique stresses that would come with a high-end, peer-competitor fight.”
The KC-46A normally has a pilot, co-pilot, and a boom operator, as well as other personnel for longer flights and aeromedical evacuation missions.