Welcome to Flightinfo.com

  • Register now and join the discussion
  • Friendliest aviation Ccmmunity on the web
  • Modern site for PC's, Phones, Tablets - no 3rd party apps required
  • Ask questions, help others, promote aviation
  • Share the passion for aviation
  • Invite everyone to Flightinfo.com and let's have fun

1st year pay at CAL

Welcome to Flightinfo.com

  • Register now and join the discussion
  • Modern secure site, no 3rd party apps required
  • Invite your friends
  • Share the passion of aviation
  • Friendliest aviation community on the web
It might just be my imagination, but didn't Pocaho have 2900 hours just last week? Maybe the inteviewers at CAL had an issue with her logbook and gave her the hook.
 
Nice! 30K a year and no health insurance. Min days off, poor union leadership, Newark base, and PBS.

Sounds like a real hoot. LOL

ps, by my calculations, you will not double that for the second year if you decide to stay on the 737.
1) 30K for the FIRST year... its not like it stays that way!

2) Min days off? I have averaged 15 days off a month since I have held a line (737 EWR). I only sat reserve for 5 months which was longer than most. I was hired in April and didnt have a lot of people come in Junior to me, September / October hires were getting off reserve in a month or 2. Oh and I was talking to some friends at XJet in EWR and that have mentioned that the lines have gone to He!! and min days off is the norm.

3) Poor Union leadership--- The folks that brought us contract '02 are almost all gone. There is progress being made and most people are optimistic for the future. (Bling Bling)

4)I am born and raised in Jersey. EWR ROCKS! The flying is varied and a lot of the bad delays can be avioded with smart bidding.

5) PBS---- well it sucks.

Bottom line... CAL ain't perfect. There are large problems here that need to be fixed. That being said it is still a heck of a lot better than any regional could ever be. The real deal is that flying for Xjet was a great time, and I have no bad blood toward that company it is simply a supplier. Their success and failure depend on the Good graces of others. Xjet has done a good job of finding homes for the first 69 airplanes, but what is going to happen when the next 69 leave in the next few years? Or when Colgan moves into ewr and shrinks the once junior base even more?

Get real... I am sorry that Cal rejected you... but with your attitude it really doesnt shock me. Time to move on!

Good Night and Good Luck.
 
It might just be my imagination, but didn't Pocaho have 2900 hours just last week? Maybe the inteviewers at CAL had an issue with her logbook and gave her the hook.

It's attitude and lack of flying ability that probably did her in during the interview. I'm betting that will come out in every interview she has.
 
Personally I am very happy Pocono didn't get hired. HE/SHE has shown his/her true colors. Ninety eight percent of our new hires are great people and do an outstanding job. Of course we have that two percent and it's obvious where Pocono would fit in and we don't need any more thank you.

It's very apparent to me that Pocono is in that "me me what about me and more about me generation". I believe this is more apparent in this generation of new pilots vs older generations.
 
It's very apparent to me that Pocono is in that "me me what about me and more about me generation". I believe this is more apparent in this generation of new pilots vs older generations.[/quote]


Careful...I can think of a particular generation at cal with this attitude. Say around 1983 to 1985.
 
Careful...I can think of a particular generation at cal with this attitude. Say around 1983 to 1985


Whoa please don't put words into mouth and say I am comparing them to 83 to 85.

No doubt many in this category you mention fits the above criteria but there is a difference and a big one. The ones in the 83 to 85 category crossed a picket line. The ones in the current generation of pilots I believe wouldn't and actually would fight hard in the opposite direction for a better contract and would strike and never scab.

My point is I believe today many want what is due to them today and not tomorrow, less penitence if you will. I never said they would scab, and that is really below the belt to insulate that is what I said.

Many in the infamous group(83 to 85) would step on top of you or whatever to get what they wanted. Please don't put words into my mouth what you are insinuating is NOT what I AM SAYING!

My statement is more of a generalization of the youth today not specific to pilots.

In reality for our contract campaign at CAL I am very happy we have many of the new generation pilots because I know they will fight hard and they will be a major reason (if we are successful in our quest for a real contract) we will be successful. In my opinon without this group at CAL our chance for successful would be very low.
 
Last edited:
Nice! 30K a year and no health insurance. Min days off, poor union leadership, Newark base, and PBS.

Sounds like a real hoot. LOL

ps, by my calculations, you will not double that for the second year if you decide to stay on the 737.

I will double my first year earnings and I am on the 737. You forget that you are being paid MPG for most of your time on first year pay and you are a lineholder for 2nd year pay. Big difference, especially when you are flying well in excess of MPG and you are also flying the productive trips and not the junk trips assigned to reserves.

-Neal
 
You work at Express. I doubt you have ever seen 60K, so don't pretend you know how much that is. You say you have 4100 hours, which is doubtable, but using that as a basis you are most probably a 3 or 4 year CA/FO, which is due largely in part those Express pilots actually getting hired by CAL and leaving. 75 hours at APC will get you 59K a year as a 4 year CA. Don't try to tell anyone you know about anything at CAL when you don't know jack ******************** about Express.

Ex737, not to shoot holes in your argument but as a 6th year Captain in 2005 I made about $85k at XJT. It wouldn't have been much less on 4th year pay...maybe $5k less. Then again, I didn't commute which puts a big impact on how many hours one is willing to fly/credit.

-Neal
 
Ex737, not to shoot holes in your argument but as a 6th year Captain in 2005 I made about $85k at XJT. It wouldn't have been much less on 4th year pay...maybe $5k less. Then again, I didn't commute which puts a big impact on how many hours one is willing to fly/credit.

-Neal

i must've been the laziest bastage at Express. i never cleared more than $80k (including profit sharing) and i was there a long time.

oh well. the rest in my youth has prepared me for this uphill climb to a higher quality of life at CAL.

Express guys make decent money in the left seat. but, i much prefer flying at CAL. it's better organized, more professional front to back, and offers more career choices. i'll be back to Express pay levels by the 3rd year. guys who think otherwise were doing bad math when they decided to stay at Express.

Express is a grand place with good opportunities. i wish them all the best. but, i'm glad to be where i am now and i look forward to a good fight for a better CAL. CAL does well = Express does well. win/win for all involved.

just to reiterate, though - PBS SUCKS!
 
i must've been the laziest bastage at Express. i never cleared more than $80k (including profit sharing) and i was there a long time.

oh well. the rest in my youth has prepared me for this uphill climb to a higher quality of life at CAL.

Express guys make decent money in the left seat. but, i much prefer flying at CAL. it's better organized, more professional front to back, and offers more career choices. i'll be back to Express pay levels by the 3rd year. guys who think otherwise were doing bad math when they decided to stay at Express.

Express is a grand place with good opportunities. i wish them all the best. but, i'm glad to be where i am now and i look forward to a good fight for a better CAL. CAL does well = Express does well. win/win for all involved.

just to reiterate, though - PBS SUCKS!

Yes, PBS does indeed "suck." No doubt there!

And I wasn't a commuter so I bid a lot of day trips that were 6+ hours. That strategy ended up getting me a lot of RX days due to delays which allowed me to then work the system even more. I had a pretty good clue about how the contract worked so that helped too ;) But when you live in base, crediting 100+ hours a month is easy...and you end up not flying anywhere near that. Unfortunately it is a tad different here at CAL (far less soft time to exploit).

-Neal
 
I'm on pace for $34-36K first year pay. I know it sucks but my decision to come to CAL was based on long term growth and these pay rates will drastically change (amongst other things) come Contract 08'. However, my pay will more than double come next year.

I definately do not pick anything up and try to drop as much as possible. I was hired in Oct 06' spent one month on reserve and since holding a line in Feb 07' have averaged 14-15 days off a month (737 EWR). This summer I have been holding either 13-14 days off with at least 1 or 2 weekends or partial weekends off. I am bidding around 65% in base.

This is legit, factual, to date information. Please do not let some disgruntled, narrow minded fool tell you what your life will be like by quoting websites and talking to "her friends".
 
I was at about $40k my first year and more than double that second year. Every airline has it's problems, but this has been a great gig so far. The international travel is a blast (although not quite as fun as my ATA days!) and the crews have been great. I never even bothered with my own insurance for the first six months, but I am single and am lucky to be in good health. Time goes by fast here...
 
I am still curious how AWACoff made $70,000 his first year. Did you come up with that number by using CRJ Captain's pay for the first 11 months of your "first year" at CAL?
 

Latest resources

Back
Top Bottom