Becoming a Regional Airline Pilot

[GARFF]

Its a better direction to become a dentist or an accountant or somethin. Then you will be able to afford to fly for fun...

 

[Kugelblitz]

Getting a Regional Job

Yeah, it really isn't all that terribly hard. Just sign up and agree to work for no money. No real experience necessary. My first year at Comair under their industry leading contract GROSSED 15 thousand. I could have made more working a kiosk at the CVG airport. This after I made $110K the year before with AA. But I desperately needed a job with medical benefits so there I was.

I am now in my first year at CAL and may make 30K. One of the problems is that there are to many young pilots who only care about flying jets and laying flight attendants. They don't mind living 5 people to a 2 bedroom apartment because it reminds them of living in the dorm at the college they just left. Just pay them enough to buy beer and sate their imature egos by posting signs in flight ops like "Through these doors walk the worlds best pilots" and life is good.

I can't recommend anyone to get into this business today. The economics are such that salaries and benefits will continue to experience significant downward pressure because the blood sucking public wants cheap tickets and doesn't care if it results in an entire industry of working poor. I know that is strikingly harsh rhetoric, but it is for the most part true. I am 40 years old with 2 children, and feel very little security looking forward.

When one is young and flying a Beech 1900 for $13/hr, one doesn't see the long view. I remember those days well, and the pride I felt looking at that "big" airplane and thinking, 'Wow, I really made it'. The only problem is those low wage and benefit expectations will follow one throughout ones progression. The notion that one will just uprgrade visa vie Captancy or to a 'major' airline to better pay is fools gold.

United for example is better than Mesa, but it is true that purgatory is better than hell. It doesn't mean that one got a good deal.

The ubiquitesness of pilots from low paying carriers like Chitaqua and Mesa at the 'low cost large carriers' is no accident. The management of these airlines know that these people are conditioned to cruddy work rules and low pay and expectations, and bank on that attitude when they negotiate with their respective pilot groups. Hence, high management pay and low labor pay. That is how you end up with Jet Blue pilots who think they have this wonderful deal with crap pay,crap work rules, no labor protection to speak of, and getting to re-interview for their job every 5 years. Of course they will tell you through their blue Kool-aide stainded lips that this is all just a formality. Lets' see if it stays that way as labor costs continue to creep up for them.

Add to that that your government which is totally bought and paid for by big business is about to let a foriegn owned air carrier into the US and force wages downward even more. Additionally, NWA airlines is exploring the option of having cheaper foreign crews fly some of their international flights ie outsourcing. All this with record numbers of furloughees out on the street.

Sorry to be so negative, but times are tough, and if you have a choice, think long and hard. Don't end up 40 years old with a family of 3, endlessly starting over. I only have the 10,000 hours in my logbook to market myself with, this is all I have ever done. My degree is literally in flying airplanes. When I was 25, I thought that was all I would ever need. Then I grew up and found out I was wrong. If you can avoid that road, do it.

Good luck-all.

 

[Reebo]

Rack Him!

 

[Motive Flow]

Epic!

Poor regional pay.....We'll talk about that.:laugh:

 

[Murdoughnut]

I'm just curious - what are the flight benefits of working for a regional? Do you have a free flight pass that allows you to fly wherever you want/whenever you want? Is there an opportunity to take your spouse on free flights? I know it may seem like a stupid question, but my girlfriend and I rack up close to $2,000 a year in flights (domestic). It doesn't make up for the crappy pay, but is that a "benefit" one should consider?

 

[Flying Ninja]

I'm just curious - what are the flight benefits of working for a regional? Do you have a free flight pass that allows you to fly wherever you want/whenever you want? Is there an opportunity to take your spouse on free flights? I know it may seem like a stupid question, but my girlfriend and I rack up close to $2,000 a year in flights (domestic). It doesn't make up for the crappy pay, but is that a "benefit" one should consider?

Do yourself and your girlfriend a favor and stay at your higher paying job than the regionals. $2000 is nothing when you're making more than $30k a year (per individual) compared to making $18K to start with travel benefits. Cheap flights are easy to find. Save the aggrevation of going through flight training, packing in the hours over God knows how many years to be competitive spending enough money to buy yourself a degree from Harvard so that you can make $18k and get travel benefits. Doesn't make sense.

 

[Murdoughnut]

I see your point ... unfortunately, I make $50k a year right now and spend nearly all of it on my high maintenance girlfriend. It's funny how sometimes the more you make, the more you spend. Hell, I could at least be broke and doing something I love. Then when she whines about wanting to go out for an expensive dinner twice a week, I can honestly say we don't have the money for it. I dunno, I hear people talk about the crappy QOL in the regionals, but to escape my woman a few nights a week seems worth staying in a crappy hotel. Hmmm ... maybe I have some relationship issues

 

[Flying Ninja]

...I make $50k a year right now and spend nearly all of it on my high maintenance girlfriend. It's funny how sometimes the more you make, the more you spend. Hell, I could at least be broke and doing something I love. Then when she whines about wanting to go out for an expensive dinner twice a week, I can honestly say we don't have the money for it. I dunno, I hear people talk about the crappy QOL in the regionals, but to escape my woman a few nights a week seems worth staying in a crappy hotel. Hmmm ... maybe I have some relationship issues

LOL...man, talk about dejavue...I completely understand the high maintenance girlfriend. My suggestion (and of course I'm not telling you to do) is to slowly cut back on the spendings on her. Chicks will drain a bank account faster than you can say V1. I thought as you did that I can be broke and do something I love. Then I found myself broke, without a girlfriend, with debt, and no flying job. If you need time away from your honey, get some guy nights into the week. Best wishes, and here's something for you to think over:

http://www.mitchfatel.com/muffinjoke.html

 

[pkober]

Kugel,

You should be happy and consider yourself lucky to be furloughed from AA, you TWA untermensh!

Liven the dream, spending days away from the family and sleeping six to a room.

CLAMABKE

 

[SBD]

I am curently employed at one of the pilot mill schools. I'm very close to interviewing with a regional. If I had to do it over I would have never gotten into this business(airline side). I love flying and I hope to continue to do it for the rest of my life. But from what I hear on these boards and the outlook of life at a regional it makes me wonder "What the Frick have I gotten myself into?"

 

[pkober]

Don't let anyone on this board ever talk you out of doing what you want. This job has down sides but overall it's been good to me. Your first year sucks, while junior, but than it gets better. The problem is getting stuck in a cycle where all you ever are is a first year pilot at an airline.

CLAMBAKE

 

[Kugelblitz]

Yavull

Don't let anyone on this board ever talk you out of doing what you want. This job has down sides but overall it's been good to me. Your first year sucks, while junior, but than it gets better. The problem is getting stuck in a cycle where all you ever are is a first year pilot at an airline.

CLAMBAKE

Maybe some day you can get recalled to AA and then life will really be good!
Sieg Heil!

Remember, TWA brought AA no value, and I am sure a few hundred AA pilots flying out of STL, oops, SLT would second that. They would much rather be furloughed. But hey, after all, they had every career expectation of flying out of St. Louis so they are in their 'rightful place' right?

Careful, I know where you live!!!!!

 

[Bringupthebird]

I'm just curious - what are the flight benefits of working for a regional? Do you have a free flight pass that allows you to fly wherever you want/whenever you want? Is there an opportunity to take your spouse on free flights? I know it may seem like a stupid question, but my girlfriend and I rack up close to $2,000 a year in flights (domestic). It doesn't make up for the crappy pay, but is that a "benefit" one should consider?

Actually you get to sign up standby wherever and whenver you want. Hmm, leave a 50K/year job and marry a high-maintenance girlfriend so you can earn 15K/yr and watch both the full flight and the disappointed bride push back just when you were hoping to get on (the flight, I mean ) You'll have to work on selling the HR people on your judgement.

 

[pkober]

A ray of sunshine.

Kugal,

Shouldn't you be studying or shining some AA pilots shoes?

 

[dogismycopilot]

Research ATA (Airline Training Academy) and TAB Express (Airline and flight school). Buyer beware! If it is too good to be true, it probably is. These schools stole the lives, dreams, and money of many looking for the 'fast track' to an airline career.