“They’re paying you to fly an airplane, and that’s pretty cool”

[waveflyer]

Ty, bc of the whipsaw market, that's somewhat true-
But the flip side to that coin is also selling the dream of major airline pilot- where most accept the crap wages temporarily in order to make the good money later-
Between fuel and the cost of school increasing like crazy- hell, it's hard to become a teacher in a state school for less than $15-$20k/year, much less add on flight training with $6 avgas- and that there is no illusion that major airline pilot will mean any great riches and you're finding Americans by and large choosing to do something else-

Maybe the ideological MBAs who always thought pilot unions inflated their pay beyond natural market levels might realize that most of us have been flying for UNDER market wages since 9/11- we're just trained and invested.

The next generation is not and wants no part of the airlines

 

[jonjuan]

Regionals don't have a problem finding pilots; they have a problem paying pilots.

How is it their problem when people are willing to not only work for those wages, but climb over each other to take the jobs?

 

[Smarta$$]

How is it their problem when people are willing to not only work for those wages, but climb over each other to take the jobs?

1. Not for long.

2. They had to reduce hiring mins to 250 hours a few years ago to find people willing to work for that crap pay. Low quality cockpit crews in order to protect super low wages.

3. He knows the winds are changing on their scam, and that is why this blowhard scared and calling for government moneys....

Funny how the small government anti-regulation crowd always wants government money for THEIR issues. Hypocrites.

 

[SWA Bubba]

1. Not for long.

2. They had to reduce hiring mins to 250 hours a few years ago to find people willing to work for that crap pay. Low quality cockpit crews in order to protect super low wages.

3. He knows the winds are changing on their scam, and that is why this blowhard scared and calling for government moneys....

Funny how the small government anti-regulation crowd always wants government money for THEIR issues. Hypocrites.

Got new for you-- the "small government, anti-regulation crowd" doesn't necessarily just want money for OUR views. We believe that goverment has a legitimate function, and that is NOT to regulate every aspect of our individual lives. However, creating standards for legitimate, national enterprises (that would be covered under the Constitution's commerce clause) like interstate/international air transportation IS part of its defined function (however, knee-jerk reactions are never a good idea). So, if reasonable standards require higher minimums to safely transport people en mass by air, then that's fine. If the regionals have to pay more as a result, fine. If that has a side-effect of raising their costs and lowering their lift, fine. That's how a free-market, capitalistic society functions--everything's driven by supply and demand. The market will charge what its consumers can or will bear.

On the other hand, large-government pogues like yourself seem fine with the government regulating every freaking thing under the sun. That's NOT what the constitution framers had in mind. Do you really think the government can effectively or economically control all that it tries to? Just because I agree with you that the government has a legitimate interest in minimum regulations or standards for commerce/transportation, doesn't mean that I agree with you that the government can pull any random thing out of its azz to regulate. Now that I'm an adult, I don't really need a nanny. THAT'S what us small government, anti-regulation crowds think.

Bubba

 

[Smarta$$]

Nice rant. But I am referring to duchebag Cohen's request for the government to provide MONEY to train pilots so that his industry doesn't feel the supply pinch and force his industry to pay living wages.

 

[waveflyer]

It was a nice rant though Bubba.

 

[belliott]

Cohen can suck it... he just needs more funding from regional airlines, aviation colleges, and other proponents that would benefit from the minimums being dropped so he can continue to visit his local tanning salon. Its high time for us to be compensated properly for our labors and for our management teams to stop accepting piss poor contracts to keep flying. If the travelling public only wants to spend 80 bucks to go from ICT to DEN perhaps they should drive.

 

[Ex737Driver]

I think he was referring to CAL.

Doesn't exist anymore. Not sure if ya got the memo.

 

[SWA Bubba]

Nice rant. But I am referring to duchebag Cohen's request for the government to provide MONEY to train pilots so that his industry doesn't feel the supply pinch and force his industry to pay living wages.

It WAS a nice rant, wasn't it?

Alright, I agree: Cohen's as misguided and knuckleheaded as others have pointed out. However, next time, you should be more specific in your naming of the "small government anti-regulation" crowd. Because my rant still stands, and the majority of us in this 'crowd' are against what he wanted for his or any other special interest or "noble cause."

Bubba

 

[fam62c]

I hate to say it but I predict that the retirement age will get raised and they will water down the new-hire experience requirements in order to insure a steady supply of inexpensive labor for the regionals and cheap tickets for the public. The government is not going to allow a looming pilot shortage to become a problem if they can do something about it. I'll be amazed if these things don't happen. It doesn't matter what we think because there's not enough of us to matter.