A Commuter Pilot's Life: Exhausted, Hungry and Poorly Paid

[Danny040]

-Personally, I think the next logical step in cheapness is Cabotage, and I think it will happen in the next decade. In that case, we are all well and truly screwed in the butthole.[/QUOTE]

I agree. The doc will get the whole fist up there when this falls. Might be the price of our debt with countries like China. GSP-ATL served by your friendly Air China crew. We're in a global economy now and it's coming.

 

[BOOZENEWS]

Cabotage?? Don't most of the foreign carriers pay more than the US? Why are we worried about cheap foreign labor flooding our market when these foreign airlines are begging expats to come over? What am I missing?

 

[no1pilot2000]

Flying for the airlines

I was visting another aviation web site that deals with pilot salaries and interviews. I was exchanging emails with a former Air Force pilot a year ago. He was evenatually wanted a career with SWA or Air Tran. He decided to go to the regional airlines to get his currency up to date. He got a job with a regional airline on the east coast. I spoke to him recently via email to see how he's doing. On the down side, he told me, the regional company he flies for is crap (suprise....suprise). On the positive side, he's getting alot of flying and some good experience. He told me he would never recommed the regional airlines to any potential career pilot. He said, if a person is young, healthy and is determined to make flying a career, go into the military and get your flying experience that way. The training and standards are better.

 

[DH106]

Of the tons of military guys I've flown with, I've never really heard any of them say, "Yeah, the military sucks you dry. They bleed you for everything you're worth. It's miserable. Stay the hell away."

But, almost every civilian guy that worked for a "commuter" can attest to those points.

For-profit businesses are great, and so is the basis of our country. But this is what happens when companies take advantage of real people. And, unfortunately, people have died as a result of it. That's the reality of the civilian/"commuter" world.

It sucks, and it doesn't have to be this way. Numerous points have been made that, if a few dollars additional were paid for every ticket, then "commuter" crews could be well-paid. It's sad that all of our technology and all of our modern methods can't get past the race to the bottom.

 

[DH106]

By the way, let me just add my two cents that I truly think that the regional airilnes are absolutely evil, from every aspect: greed, race to the bottom, paying pilots poorly, pilot-pushing, etc.

If you want to defend the regional airlines, go ahead; especially if you want to make the argument that it's "supply-and-demand," or "this is capitalism at work," etc. But, remember this: we wouldn't be having this conversation if they were so wonderful.

 

[Schicer]

I find it amusing that so few people are able to identify why our industry is in this downward spiral. It has nothing to do with cheap airfare, sell out pilots, outsourcing, Mesa or the myriad of other symptoms that people point to as the problem. Come on, do you really think that if airlines charge more for airfare that they will suddenly start to pay us more?

It’s a simple supply demand curve. Pilots are in huge supply in an over capacity capitalistic market. Why; because it’s just too damn easy to become a pilot in the US (could have something to do with the over abundance of zero-to-hero flight schools).

Go where the demand is high and maybe you’ll find what you’re looking for.

 

[pipejockey]

All by choice lets remember. If guys would quit climbing over each other for these pathetic jobs this career path could start to have some hope for the future. I know, I know blah blah blah. Good luck with your loan by the way.

This article makes my B99 freight job in 1997 making 3100.00 a month sound pretty sweet. I even had medical and a 401k. Oh but that was flying boxes in a old turbo prop, poor me! I didn't get to fly the fancy new EFIS RJ to some far off desination like Witchita KS. Or do International to Toronto. LOL

Are you serious? Those of us who got into this profession prior to 2002 or so, had a reasonable expectation of up to 5 years max at a regional carrier then we would be off to a Major. After all, it was the Majors that made up the vast majority of flying, plus had a pension you got at 60 and a career value of 6 million dollars. Now the regionals make up half of the departures in the US, meaning no more jobs at the Majors for most regional pilots, and oh yeah, pay cuts at the Major airlines if you are lucky enough to get there and last but not least, no more pensions!

I think 100 grand for a job with what had a 6 million dollar career value is quite a bargain. I guess everyone was supposed to have a crystal ball huh? With 13,000 hours you must have been settled at your career airline long before 2001. Once again, another pilot who has his, now screw everybody else!

 

[pipejockey]

It’s a simple supply demand curve. Pilots are in huge supply in an over capacity capitalistic market. Why; because it’s just too damn easy to become a pilot in the US (could have something to do with the over abundance of zero-to-hero flight schools).

Go where the demand is high and maybe you’ll find what you’re looking for.

You need to do some research on the industry in the 60's and 70's. Pilots were paid handsomely and we had FAR more licensed pilots in those decades compared to the general population than we have today.

 

[Schicer]

You need to do some research on the industry in the 60's and 70's. Pilots were paid handsomely and we had FAR more licensed pilots in those decades compared to the general population than we have today.

I know plenty about the industry. Your talking about a regulated era, things are different now man. But if you feel that this has nothing to do with supply and demand, then who am I to argue.

 

[pilotyip]

Pilot Glut

You need to do some research on the industry in the 60's and 70's. Pilots were paid handsomely and we had FAR more licensed pilots in those decades compared to the general population than we have today.

The pilot glut was because 500K pilot were trained in the 1940's. Most were PVT pilots. If you compare ATP's in the 60's with ATP now you will find a tremendous increase in ATP's. Most pilots taking training today are intent on becoming an ATP that was not the case in the 60's