By Aviation Recruiting | For charter operators, flight departments, and transitioning service members
Business aviation has spent the past year talking about shortages: not enough technicians, not enough experienced pilots, and a retirement wave that keeps building. Meanwhile, one of the best-trained aviation workforces in the world is leaving the military every year, and most of it never finds its way to a charter operator or corporate flight department.
With Veterans Day on November 11, it’s a good time to ask a practical question: are you recruiting the people who already know how to keep aircraft safe and on schedule?
1. A trained workforce leaves the service every year
About 200,000 service members leave active duty each year. A meaningful share of them worked on, around, or in aircraft.
The numbers on the maintenance side stand out. According to the Aviation Technician Education Council (ATEC), as reported by NBAA, about 22,000 service members with aviation maintenance backgrounds leave the military each year. Yet the U.S. Senate has reported that the aviation industry captures less than 10% of military aviation maintainers.
That’s a large, experienced talent pool walking past an industry that needs it.
2. Maintainers: business aviation’s biggest untapped pool
The FAA issued a record 11,103 new mechanic certificates in 2025, according to the ATEC and Oliver Wyman 2026 Pipeline Report. Only 1,375 of them, up 5%, were earned through military experience. Compare that with the 22,000 or so maintainers leaving the service each year, and the gap is obvious.
Why so few? Many service members don’t know business aviation exists as a career path, and military training doesn’t automatically translate into an FAA A&P certificate. Congress has noticed. The FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024 directed the FAA to develop a written competency test tailored to military mechanics, and the FAA tasked an industry working group with recommending standards for it in late 2024. Until that test is in place, most military maintainers still need to document their experience and pass the standard FAA knowledge, oral, and practical tests.
For operators, that’s an opportunity. A veteran who arrives with years of hands-on experience, technical-order discipline, and a documentation mindset may need only a clear path, and some support, to earn the certificate.
The culture fits, too. At an NBAA outreach session with Air National Guard maintainers, a veteran technician put it this way: “I find business aviation to be like working in a mini squadron.”
3. Pilots: experienced, standardized, and in demand
Military pilots arrive with structured training, checkride culture, crew resource management, and experience operating under pressure. FAA rules recognize that training. Under 14 CFR 61.160, a military or former military pilot can qualify for a restricted ATP certificate with 750 hours of total time, instead of the standard 1,500.
The competition is real. The Air Force is fighting to keep its pilots, offering retention bonuses of up to $50,000 a year, or up to $600,000 over a 12-year commitment, according to ClearanceJobs. And the airlines recruit military pilots aggressively.
Business aviation has to make its case. Many military pilots value what corporate and charter flying offers: a small team, a close-knit crew, varied missions, and the chance to stay close to home. Some come out of transport aircraft with multi-crew turbine experience that translates directly. Others, especially fighter pilots, may need more multi-engine or civilian-specific time, plus type ratings. Plan for that.
4. SkillBridge: a no-cost on-ramp, with 2026 changes
The Department of Defense SkillBridge program lets service members spend part of their final months of service training with a civilian employer. Participants keep their military pay and benefits, and approved employers pay nothing to participate.
Aviation companies are using it. Dassault Falcon Jet runs a SkillBridge program, and Texas-based helicopter MRO Helicopter Services Inc. welcomed its first SkillBridge participant in September after becoming an approved employer earlier this year.
One important update for 2026: SkillBridge has historically allowed up to 180 days. The Department of the Air Force shortened that for Airmen and Guardians to 90 or 120 days, depending on rank, effective March 31, 2026. Other branches set their own rules, so confirm timelines with each candidate. Shorter windows mean operators need to plan earlier and have a ready training plan on day one.
Pilot pathways are growing as well. The University of North Dakota’s Vets2Wings program, which helps veterans and Guard members cover flight training costs, received a new $3 million federal investment this spring that extends it through 2030.
5. What operators and flight departments should do now
- Recruit before separation, not after. Most service members plan their transition 6 to 12 months out. Get in front of them early.
- Consider becoming a SkillBridge employer. It’s a no-cost way to evaluate a candidate on real work before making an offer.
- Build an A&P path. Help military maintainers document their experience, prepare for FAA testing, and earn their certificates. Pair them with a senior technician.
- Translate your job posts. Avoid civilian jargon that doesn’t map to military experience. Describe the aircraft, the work, the schedule, and the team.
- Plan for transition training. Budget time and cost for type ratings, Part 135 checks, and the customer-service side of charter and corporate flying.
- Sell the mission. Veterans are used to purpose and teamwork. Tell them what your operation does, who they’ll fly with, and why it matters.
- Hire on qualifications. Keep screening focused on certificates, experience, and fit, and follow federal rules on service members’ employment rights, including USERRA for Guard and Reserve members.
6. For service members heading toward separation
- Start early. Talk to operators and recruiters a year or more before your separation date.
- Get certified while you can. Maintainers, start documenting your experience and work toward your A&P before you separate if possible. Pilots, know your R-ATP eligibility and what time you’ll need.
- Look at business aviation. Charter, fractional, and corporate flying offer real careers, not just a stepping stone.
- Use the programs built for you. Ask your command about SkillBridge timelines early, and explore programs like Vets2Wings and NBAA’s maintenance scholarships.
- Translate your experience. A clear summary of aircraft types, hours, inspections, and leadership roles helps civilian employers see your value fast.
The bottom line
The industry is short on pilots and technicians, and the military trains thousands of them every year. Today, most of that talent never reaches business aviation. Charter operators and flight departments that recruit early, use SkillBridge, and build a clear path to FAA certification can tap a workforce that’s disciplined, standardized, and ready for the mission.
This Veterans Day, the best way to honor their service may be to hire their skills.
Hiring a pilot or technician, or getting ready to leave the service? Aviation Recruiting connects charter operators and corporate flight departments with experienced pilots, technicians, and aviation professionals across the country, including veterans making the move to civilian aviation. Contact us today and let’s talk about your next move.
