4 year+ Regional F.O.s -- lifestyle changes

[Mike man]

Geez,
I am completely sick of hearing people say they learn so much from instructing, that's a bunch of nonsense...

[font=&quot]Ummm...if you aren't learning anything from being a CFI you are doing it wrong. I'd wager that in the 3 years I was a CFI my student taught tons of stuff. Not only about flying but about perspective, attitude (not in the A/C), personality, etc. PPL student are the most fun--sort of--teaching someone how to fly an airplane is a pretty cool thing. The excitement and nervousness of the first solo then the first x-country, first solo x-country, first written test, first checkride...you are setting their habit patterns for the entire future of their flying career.

Suck it up, teach with a better attitude, and start looking for things your students can teach you...with 750 hours you will most likely be out of there this fall flying something bigger and better.[/font]

 

[boxjockey]

Fly4ever brings up a very valuable point that all people currently instructing should pay close attention to. One of the most important things you will learn as an instructor is how to interact with people in a myriad of situations. I instructed for three years, flew freight for a year, and now am fortunate enough to be with a great airline. I can tell you this. Anyone can fly an airplane, but not everyone can deal with a toolbox of a captain for a 25 hour four day trip. The people skills I learned while instructing is probably the thing I appreciate the most from my experiences. Sorry for the thread hijack again.

I'm closing in on second year FO, and by working a high time line, I will gross $40k plus this year. If you live within your means, this is plenty to live on until that upgrade comes around.

box

 

[five-alive]

Fly4ever brings up a very valuable point that all people currently instructing should pay close attention to. One of the most important things you will learn as an instructor is how to interact with people in a myriad of situations. I instructed for three years, flew freight for a year, and now am fortunate enough to be with a great airline. I can tell you this. Anyone can fly an airplane, but not everyone can deal with a toolbox of a captain for a 25 hour four day trip. The people skills I learned while instructing is probably the thing I appreciate the most from my experiences. Sorry for the thread hijack again.

I'm closing in on second year FO, and by working a high time line, I will gross $40k plus this year. If you live within your means, this is plenty to live on until that upgrade comes around.

box

You work for XJET, right? Not sure how that is possible. The most you can work is 1000 hours a year and at 1st year $22/hr thats $22000. Ok you get maybe $5000 per diem and maybe get over 100 credit a few months still nowhere near $40000 for a first year.

 

[Bluto]

Geez,
I am completely sick of hearing people say they learn so much from instructing, that's a bunch of nonsense
Flying demands physical skill...and I feel like I'm nowhere near as sharp as when I finished my CFII

I'm going to be blunt. I think that's pathetic. At 750 hours, if your flying skills are suffering because you're a CFI, you are probably a pathetic instructor and at best a mediocre pilot. I've never encountered a CFI with such a poor attitude. For your student's sake, I suggest you quit CFI'ing and go tow banners for a while. That'll really hone your flagging flying skills.

It's not the shiny jet syndrome why most guys want to get to thenext level it's the challenge.

Assuming you ever sneak through an interview and get hired by an airline with your attitude, you are in for a seriously rude awakening. You think flying for a regional is physically challenging or exciting? Dude, an airplane is an airplane. If you don't enjoy interacting with people you're better off finding a single pilot cargo gig for the rest of your career. Flight instructing can be tedious and frustrating after a few years, but if you aren't learning from it and improving as a pilot you honestly should quit. You're not doing anyone any favors by sticking around.

 

[BoilerUP]

You work for XJET, right? Not sure how that is possible. The most you can work is 1000 hours a year and at 1st year $22/hr thats $22000. Ok you get maybe $5000 per diem and maybe get over 100 credit a few months still nowhere near $40000 for a first year.

I think he meant to say he IS a second year FO, getting ready to finish his second year.

 

[fly4ever]

Mike, Box & Bluto,

You said it better than I did. Thanks for the additional comments.


shon7,

Thanks for your patience.

Fly

 

[BluDevAv8r]

I think he meant to say he IS a second year FO, getting ready to finish his second year.

No, he is about to start his 2nd year...and make 2nd year pay.

-Neal

 

[BoilerUP]

Well I recieved the copy of the new XJT contract from you, Neal...but even with the new improvements, I wouldn't have imagined a 1st year FO could gross around 40K!

 

[BluDevAv8r]

Well I recieved the copy of the new XJT contract from you, Neal...but even with the new improvements, I wouldn't have imagined a 1st year FO could gross around 40K!

I think he goes to 2nd year pay fairly soon, so it would be a combination of 1st and 2nd year pay. I'm not sure if he is figuring in about $5000 in tax-free per diem. Either way, I think if a pilot knows how to work the contract and the rules, it could easily be done, especially if he bids to fly with line check-airman and then gets displaced off his trip (and then picks up a new trip as add-pay). Smart pilots know how to work the contract to their advantage and increase soft time. Our new leg by leg segment pay system is a big help as well. Put it this way, I will have about 114 hours of pay this month but I am not going to fly anywhere near that amount.

-Neal

 

[BluDevAv8r]

You work for XJET, right? Not sure how that is possible. The most you can work is 1000 hours a year and at 1st year $22/hr thats $22000. Ok you get maybe $5000 per diem and maybe get over 100 credit a few months still nowhere near $40000 for a first year.

Just because all you can fly is 1000 hours per year doesn't mean that you will only be paid that amount. Most pilots at XJT fly around 750-800 hours per year but are paid roughly 1100 hours. The savvy pilots can fly around 900 hours per year and are paid roughly 1200 to 1300 hours. FO's can really clean up do to our displacement rules when you bid trips that have check airmen on them. Remember, you might fly a trip scheduled for 20 hours but really only fly 18 hours during that trip but get paid for 22 hours due to our leg by leg pay system. So now you've flown 18 but gotten paid for 22. Soft time (pay for hours that you havent actually flown is the key here). One can also call in sick for a 20 hour trip and be paid 20 hours for not even flying at all. One is also paid 20 hours for a 4-day trip while sitting recurrent ground school since we do ground school on days where we are supposed to fly. Flights are also cancelled all the time...but we get paid either way. Thus....if someone wants to push it up to close to 1000 hours, chances are they will have well over 1200 or 1300 hours of credit for the year. At a 2nd year rate of $32/hour, $40k is easily possible, especially if you factor in per diem.

-Neal