CV-580 Propliners

[cargoflyr69]

I was at the local FBO today paging through a book on classic propliners of yesterday. I was just wondering if anyone out here knows what the pay scale was for the Convair 580 back in its heyday. I understand the Northwest and United Express (Aspen Airways now Air Wisconsin) operated them up til about 1988. It would be interesting to see how the pay on a 50-seat turboprop of yester-year compares to the 50-seat CRJ of today...

 

[KeroseneSnorter]

I was at the local FBO today paging through a book on classic propliners of yesterday. I was just wondering if anyone out here knows what the pay scale was for the Convair 580 back in its heyday. I understand the Northwest and United Express (Aspen Airways now Air Wisconsin) operated them up til about 1988. It would be interesting to see how the pay on a 50-seat turboprop of yester-year compares to the 50-seat CRJ of today...

My Dad flew one. He checked out as Captain in 1970. Remembers it well because he said that the Check Airman told him "You realize that you will make right at $40,000 this year!"

$40,000 in 1970 dollars....that's somewhere north of 100k in todays money, maybe more. I know a 73 Cadillac new was about $8000. At the time he had 4 years with the company.

He told me the per hour rate but I can't remember it. I'll try to remember to call and ask him tomorrow. At any rate he and I had this discussion a while back and the sad truth is that even the best paid RJ drivers do not come anywhere close to the 1970 pay scales in adjusted dollars. And the real bad part is that most can't even match the payscale dollar for dollar forgetting about 30 years of inflation.

EDIT: Spoke with him today, It was actually 71 when he checked out and his pay rate came to $36,000 for the year as a 6th year Capt. At that time the average full size car loaded with all the goodies was about $3500. And that Caddy in 73 was $7800. We have come a long was down the payscale pole since then! So to speak in todays terms, If we had those payscales the average RJ Capt. would be able to buy a new Monte Carlo or similar on one months pay, and the F/o could buy a new compact on one months earnings.

Back then though if you flew in an airlines colors, you were that airline. Although the contract carriers were just making their appearance around that time.

 

[wmudriver]

Old Propliners

As far as passenger carriers go, I know of at least 1 that still uses the CV-580 and that is ERA Aviation up in Alaska, according to their website. The 580 isn't listed on their payscale on www.airlinepilotpay.com.
IFL (Contract Air Cargo) and Air Tahoma still use the 580 but for hauling freight. Some aquintances of mine that currently work as FOs on the CV-580 make roughly what a 6th year CRJ FO at Pinnacle makes (refering to the above website). This is comparing apples to oranges considering the different flying involved between on-demand frieght and scheduled passenger carriers.
I'm curious if there are any ERA pilots or any other CV-580 drivers out there to help clarify this...

 

[Duke of Ale]

I checked out as a Capt in the 580 in June 69. I have the pay scale from then and it was $18.55/hr day and $22.05/hr nite. So 85 hrs. 1/2 day half nite came to $1725/ month. As I remember, a Volkswagen Beetle was about that much so we earned a Beetle a month. Someone else will have to work out what that is in today's dollars. My guess is that it is probably what a heavy jet driver makes today at some airline.

 

[de727ups]

Convairs

I flew the Convair 640 back in 1989. Pay was 40K for a Capt. I remember when Aspen was flying them and they were considered the best paid commuter airline. Can't remember exactly how much that was, though.

 

[A Squared]

Here's the deal:

I took the numbers quoted here and ran them through the Bureau of Labor Statistics inflation calculator http://data.bls.gov/cgi-bin/cpicalc.pl This adjusts for the Consumer Price Index (CPI) so it is comparing buying power then to buying power today.

Kerosene Snorter's Dad, at $36,000/year in 1971 had the same purchasing power as somone making $168,360 today.

Duke of Ale, at 20,700/year in 1969 had the same purchasing power as someone making $106,800/year

De727ups, at $40,000/year in 1989 had the same purchasing power as someone making $61,100/year today.

 

[KeroseneSnorter]

Well, I'm really depressed now!!!!!!!

On another note, Dad said that the 580 was the only prop driven airplane that he ever flew that he felt had plenty of power. The thing had double the power it did prior to turbine conversion (from the 340/440) and equaled the horsepower in reverse that the original had in forward!! Gotta love those Allisons.

 

[Birdstrike]

On a sadder note, see link below:

http://www.faa.gov/avr/aai/B_0813_N.txt

 

[cargoflyr69]

Thanks for the input guys. I know this was kind of a apples to oranges comparison as the industry has change significantly since then. But that was a pretty good income for flying a 50 seat aircraft back then!

 

[CSY Mon]

Never flew them 580s, but rode j/s with bud that sat on the left side.

He made about $65K back in 1983 for Sea Air Motive in Alaska...
'Bout the same as $120K these days...?
A bit more than ATR pay.
Good 'ol days.

Great airplane, 3500 HP a side of mem serves correctly.