Pioneering Female Commercial Airline Pilot, Captain Karen Kahn, Addresses Pilot Shortage With the Release of New Book: "Flight Guide for Success: Tips & Tactics for the Aspiring Airline Pilot"

SANTA BARBARA, CA -- (MARKET WIRE) -- 05/31/08 -- For most Americans, rising fuel costs have almost exclusively focused our attention on the airline industry only in terms of decreased service and higher prices. It's easy to forget how quickly the airplane progressed from an eccentric fantasy of aviation pioneers to the ubiquitous mode of public transportation it's become today. All of this growth, however, has fueled its own crises: a projected pilot shortage.

According to the International Air Transport Association (IATA), it's estimated the airline industry may need as many as 17,000 new pilots annually due to expected industry growth and attrition. The IATA states that increasing the retirement age to 65 will help the shortage, but it can't be the only solution.

For Captain Karen Kahn, one of the nation's first female commercial airline pilots and one of the few still working, this issue is one that affects her directly and one that she could help do something about. In efforts to actively address this concern, she wrote and published "Flight Guide for Success: Tips & Tactics for the Aspiring Airline Pilot" to help guide individuals entering the aviation field or considering flying planes as a career.

"Pursuing a career as a pilot, particularly a commercial pilot, is a painfully complex business," Kahn stated. "Having gone through the process myself, I knew I could assist others more easily navigate the process by writing this book."

Additionally, Kahn wanted to address the myths associated with starting a pilot career later in life. "The average age for hiring an airline pilot is 35," Ms. Kahn noted. "With age discrimination looming as a legal deterrent, airlines no longer list upper age limits for new hires, preferring to consider pilot qualifications on their own merits. Further, older pilots bring a maturity level to the job that instills confidence in passengers as well."

About the Book

Now in its third reprint, "Flight Guide for Success" answers the tough pilot career questions without sugar coating the answers. The 298-page manual is based on Kahn's 30 years experience as a commercial pilot. Having written numerous articles on the subject of flying careers and having career-counseled dozens of prospective pilots, Kahn addresses topics other books dare not raise, including:

What are the best routes to pro-pilot jobs?

Which qualifications count the most with employers?

How old is too old to become a professional pilot?

Are the days of cockpit discrimination over?

How should pilots handle blemishes on their backgrounds?

What are the joys and pitfalls of being a professional pilot?

From getting started and finding the first flying job, to marketing oneself and preparing for the interviews, this book lays it on the line. And although it focuses on preparing for a job at a major airline, Kahn's no-nonsense prose illustrate the underlying point that honesty and integrity, along with humility and transparency, matter not only in an airline career, but also in life.

"Flight Guide for Success" retails for $19.95 + 3.50 for shipping and handling and can be purchased online at: www.aviationcareercounseling.com or through Amazon.com.

ABOUT CAPTAIN KAREN KAHN

Kahn has been actively involved in the aviation industry for 40 years. Prior to starting her airline career in 1977, she instructed at the Sierra Academy in Northern California, and operated her own weekend ground school teaching Private, Commercial and Instrument courses.

As a professional speaker, Kahn has presented numerous career workshops and professional aviation events helping audiences of all ages reach their personal career goals. She also provides professional advice, personal resource management, and airline interview coaching through her firm Aviation Career Counseling (www.aviationcareercounseling.com).

She holds ratings through Airline Training Programs (ATP), including type ratings on the Boeing 757/767and McDonnell-Douglas MD-80. She was the first woman to be type-rated in a Lockheed JetStar. Her other ratings include CFII MEI, Flight Engineer, Turbojet, Seaplane, Helicopter, and the coveted Master CFI (MCFI) designation from the National Association of Flight Instructors.

For more information, to schedule an interview, or for a review copy of "Flight Guide for Success," contact Renee Cooper at Christie Communications: 805.962.1347 or rcooper@christiecomm.com.

Renee Cooper Christie Communications 805.962.1347 rcooper@christiecomm.com

2008-05-31 00:31:53 0374106 MARKETWIRE