Colgan Starts at $14,400?

[SlipAway]

From a Washington Post article on April 18 entitled, "Nimble Regional Airline Builds on Its Small Size."

The starting pay for pilots at Colgan is about $14,400, said Kit Darby, president and publisher of Atlanta-based Aviation Information Resources Inc., which provides career information to pilots. Once pilots become captains at Colgan, they can earn $33,600 a year, he said.

For a little perspective, thirteen years ago (1992), when I graduated college, I got a job as a file clerk at a law firm making $18,000 a year. It is sad that the market is able to bear these kind of pathetic wages.

 

[chperplt]

I hate defending Colgan.... BUT

That article is full of crap.. Beech 1900 FOs start at 20 with a 75 hour min. That's 18K at a minimum... 33,6 is no where near the top end either.

Colgan may suck in a lot of ways, but they pay pretty well for the equipment they fly.

 

[Flic1]

Oh, $18k is much better...I mean at $14,400 I'd be worried about being able to pay for the chicken-flavored Ramen Noodles......but $18k...whew! Could probably even afford the 2-story cardboard box on that salary!!

 

[chperplt]

Flic,

The pay may suck ass... but that wasn't the point of my post.

 

[dalegribble]

Come on guys, stocking shelves at Home Depot pays better than this and you don't have to pay loans off while working there. I know everyone has to start somewhere but this is not fair to anyone to work as a flight crew member for these "salaries" I made more than this annually flight instructing quite a while ago, and if the weather was crap I didn't go. I'm sure others on this board might have some better advice than I but don't whore yourself.

 

[dalegribble]

I take that back. the gals in Hunts Point probably make more

 

[Lil Jon]

.....Beech 1900 FOs start at 20...... but they pay pretty well for the equipment they fly......

ouch. i've been making more than that flying a two seater and four seater. they deserve way better! ~600wk/3= 200/wk per seat...so they aughta make 200x19=3800/wk! even half that would be a nice raise ay?!

 

[Kaman]

It's simply what the market will bear...Pay isn't the greatest for what we do, but it's alot better than GLA @ 15.00 and they have a union.

 

[ShyFlyGuy]

From a Washington Post article on April 18 entitled, "Nimble Regional Airline Builds on Its Small Size."

The starting pay for pilots at Colgan is about $14,400, said Kit Darby, president and publisher of Atlanta-based Aviation Information Resources Inc., which provides career information to pilots. Once pilots become captains at Colgan, they can earn $33,600 a year, he said.

For a little perspective, thirteen years ago (1992), when I graduated college, I got a job as a file clerk at a law firm making $18,000 a year. It is sad that the market is able to bear these kind of pathetic wages.

Kit Darby is a packmule with bad teeth. Just goes to show how cutting-edge his information is. Makes you wonder what he's got out for Colgan, providing such inaccurate information. I'm not justifying Colgan's 1st year pay, but also consider that if you put a little effort into it, you can fly 1200 hours a year in the 1900 at $20/hr... $24,000 a year, head and shoulders above ExpressJet's 1st year pay.

Also bear in mind that Colgan is a commuter airline, not a regional airline. Colgan flies small turboprops, and pays accordingly. It's a crime that SOME airlines are flying 100 seat JETS (and taking mainline jobs) to the tune of $22 an hour. If you want to start pointing fingers at the fundamental fouls of this "Regional" industry, point to the real (management) criminals who are dodging scope and taking mainline jobs (pilots are just trying to put food on the table, ramen or otherwise... regardless who writes the checks).

Shy

 

[bvt1151]

The unfortunate fact is that there are way more pilots than pilot jobs right now. Convince a couple thousand of your flying buddies to drop the profession and watch the pay go up.

As long as there are these fly by night schools that will guarantee all ratings and a regional interview within a year as long as the check clears, we're going to be fighting a losing battle. Too many pilots, too few jobs.