House Passes Airline Safety and Pilot Training Improvement Act of 2009

[Rez O. Lewshun]

Make better personal choices in life. If you do not think you are worth only $17k/year, then do not take a job at that rate. As I already stated, you can make more working unskilled labor jobs. If you think that it's appropriate to make $17k/year as a pilot, then do not complain about the wages. You cannot have it both ways. Do not blame somebody else that makes more after working many years in the industry for the problems with the wages and work rules in the industry if you are willing to take a job at such low wages. THE REAL PROBLEM IS THAT PEOPLE ARE LINED UP FOR THE LOW WAGE JOBS! As long as people are willing to fly jets for those wages, then the market price is set.

Re-read my post so that you might be able to answer it. If not Americans who should fly US registered jets for US companies in the United States.

 

[Skywest Pylot]

THE REAL PROBLEM IS THAT PEOPLE ARE LINED UP FOR THE LOW WAGE JOBS! As long as people are willing to fly jets for those wages, then the market price is set.

The real solution is to establish barriers to entry. The requirement to have an ATP for 121 ops is a nice start. Not only does it place more experienced (safer) pilots in the right seat at the regionals but it could create less supply and more demand. Basic economics suggest that wages at the regionals will rise as the demand for "qualified" pilots increases. Let's keep our fingers crossed that the Senate pushes it through.

 

[livin'thesim]

3000 hours for captain and 1000 hours 121 time!

Yahoo!

 

[Crizz]

The real solution is to establish barriers to entry. The requirement to have an ATP for 121 ops is a nice start. Not only does it place more experienced (safer) pilots in the right seat at the regionals but it could create less supply and more demand. Basic economics suggest that wages at the regionals will rise as the demand for "qualified" pilots increases. Let's keep our fingers crossed that the Senate pushes it through.

Bingo

Its no wonder this nation is so effed up. People dont understand basic principals of supply and demand. Everyone is so focused on how everything affects them personally at this very moment in time, and principal and the future be dahmned!

I see this bill as long overdue and completely embarrasing (for the FAA) that it has to come from the legislature.

The fact is this: It closes a long standing loophole that has allowed vastly underqualified individuals in the right seat of an airliner conducting scheduled service under part 121. This loophole has allowed for unlimited supply and artificially low prices (wages) for far too long. The airlines have been able to continually overplay their hand and slash compensation for their most skilled employees largely without reprocussion. (except a few experience related fatalities and wrongful death lawsuits) Until now. This profession will once again need to have incentive for the people who are now mandated to be qualified.

Having prerequisate qualifications comensurate with duties to be performed is never a bad idea. Quit being so dahmmed short sighted and look at the big picture.

 

[mrflier]

The point was made earlier, both pilots in the Buffalo crash met ATP minimums. Also, total time and having the ATP are not good predictors of pilot proficiency. The bill is messed up.

The beneficiaries will be the colleges accredited by AABI. AABI is controlled by a few colleges. Unless you want to work your way up the hard way, the quickest path to the right seat will be an AABI-approved school.

Edit to add:

"Credit Toward Flight Hours- The Administrator may allow specific academic training courses, beyond those required under subsection (b)(2), to be credited toward the total flight hours required under subsection (c). The Administrator may allow such credit based on a determination by the Administrator that allowing a pilot to take specific academic training courses will enhance safety more than requiring the pilot to fully comply with the flight hours requirement."

and

" an assessment of the quality of pilots entering the part 121 air carrier workforce from all sources after receiving training from flight training providers, including Aviation Accreditation Board International, universities, pilot training organizations, and the military, utilizing the training records of part 121 air carriers, including consideration of any relationships between flight training providers and air carriers;"

 

[Crizz]

The point was made earlier, both pilots in the Buffalo crash met ATP minimums. Also, total time and having the ATP are not good predictors of pilot proficiency. The bill is messed up.

While I could not agree more with your premise, I still believe this is an imperfect step in the right direction. It's no secret you can take a fresh private pilot and give them 20 hours dual in a CRJ sim, and they could pass a SIC checkride. It's also no secret that the physical manipulation of an aircraft is a very small part of the duties of a professional pilot. Ive known many sharp pilots whose "stick and rudder" was marginal. And many chuck yeagars who couldnt make a good decision to save their life.

None of that changes the fact that more hours in an aircraft, as a blanket generalization, means more experiences to draw from in a professional pilot's toolbox of knowledge.

The flying public deserves to have qualified people behind the cockpit door. Many sitting in the right seat now could not rent a seminole on their own. Thats a fact. The FAA has allowed the flying public to be exposed to and subject to the basic skill building of underqualified crew members in an airline environment, at a huge cost to safety. While the flying public has enjoyed historical low ticket prices, they are not the ones actually setting the prices. The airlines set the prices they deem appropriate based on their own economics. So, the argument that Joe Public didnt pay enough for his ticket is completely irrelevant to the fact a loophole exists that maintains low wages for entry level pilots.

 

[NEWSOUTH]

I can say that sucks.

Include soft pay from a decent contract and all it takes is one cancellation or some delays or block or better to close that gap. And that wouldn't matter if the planes were the same size, but we're talking -900's vs 50 seaters here.

How can people flying 50 seaters expect better pay when bottom feeders are flying aircraft almost twice as big for the same pay?

Who makes more than that on a 900??? We are all botton feeders.

One cancellation...please! We all suck and you know it. Go check it out for yourself. You are making "feel good" statements, but they don't "fact check". Let's look at one situation at a time and check the facts. Man, I'm telling you all regionals suck. There is no Mesa Sucks. We all have issues. For example, look at Mesa's monthly sick bank vs. ASA's new contract.
Look at Mesa's reserve rules. Look at Mesa's 900 Ca Rates. Look at the fact that Comair was the biggest pay for Training airline in the business, before they went out for 89 days. I remember when Comair was shameful to work for before the strike. Look at Comair's givebacks. I'm not dogging Comair. Who is the best regional. Who cares. They all suck and you will find it out, if you research it. I'm saying, we should all come together and work together. But, we all look for that scapegoat. We all want to be the best and point the finger at who we think is the worst. Very few had any control. Now we have all the control if we work together. We all suck, so let's all work together to change our situation. Flame away!

 

[NEWSOUTH]

I made more than that on a 50 seater at 8 years...so I can say that sucks.

Who did you work for? Let's check it out.

 

[kf4amu]

I'm saying, we should all come together and work together. But, we all look for that scapegoat. We all want to be the best and point the finger at who we think is the worst. Very few had any control. Now we have all the control if we work together. We all suck, so let's all work together to change our situation. Flame away!

That would be nice, but I think in reality it won't happen. The most senior pilot groups generally actually care about their pay and QOL while the junior pilot groups only want the quick upgrade and the major job. I think we've kind of plateu'd with regional airlines size wise...nobody is going to be doubling in size anymore, and quick upgrades at bottom feeders are not going to happen for the time being.

But that won't stop the next pilot group at some crappy bottom feeder trying to jump ahead because they don't care about their pay.

 

[NEWSOUTH]

That would be nice, but I think in reality it won't happen. The most senior pilot groups generally actually care about their pay and QOL while the junior pilot groups only want the quick upgrade and the major job. I think we've kind of plateu'd with regional airlines size wise...nobody is going to be doubling in size anymore, and quick upgrades at bottom feeders are not going to happen for the time being.

But that won't stop the next pilot group at some crappy bottom feeder trying to jump ahead because they don't care about their pay.

Your right. Good luck.

 

[CessnaFan]

ATP IS the way to go!

Finally some logic! If you want to be an airline pilot, get an ATP. That legislation will be the best thing for pilots in the long run because it will weed out the wanna bee's and only the serious need apply. Pay will go up and the QOL of an airline pilot might actually make a comeback.

A previous poster commented that SIC should be excluded. That's a nonsense argument, since they are part of a team AND only a heartbeat away from being PIC. Get your ATP and be a real professional pilot. All 121 ops should require an ATP for all seats. The idea of a 400 hr 22 year old fresh out of school sitting right seat carrying passengers is just absurd!

Um...or maybe it will result in them having to pay pilots decent wages to attract people to the industry. I deem this as good for pilots...it seems that congress has stopped the race to the bottom.

BTW...when I got hired you had to have at least 1500 to be considered remotely qualified for the job. 500 hours is not enough experience to be in the right seat of an airliner. There is no valid argument for it!

 

[no1pilot2000]

When people are going to take a trip on an airline, do the following. When booking the flight over the phone, ask the airline customer service rep. if the flight is going to be on an express carrier or mainline carrier. If you feel safer flying on the mainline aircraft, book the flight, if not, driving or taking the train is an option.

 

[buscap]

Let's see here...

I get on google or bing and do a search?

Priceline-dot-com, yep.

Well-paid-professional-pilot-dot-com, nope.

Case settled.

But then again, I can't remember the last time I drove around looking for a gas station which advertised the best quality gas.

And blah blah blah freaking blah...keep your comments about risking your life and "who do you want operating on you!!

 

[atpcliff]

Hi!

The idea of a 400 hr 22 year old fresh out of school sitting right seat carrying passengers is just absurd!

or a 188 hour pilot, who never went to school in the right seat, on their first ever commercial flight!!!

cliff
NBO

 

[acaTerry]

Make better personal choices in life. If you do not think you are worth only $17k/year, then do not take a job at that rate. As I already stated, you can make more working unskilled labor jobs. If you think that it's appropriate to make $17k/year as a pilot, then do not complain about the wages. You cannot have it both ways. Do not blame somebody else that makes more after working many years in the industry for the problems with the wages and work rules in the industry if you are willing to take a job at such low wages. THE REAL PROBLEM IS THAT PEOPLE ARE LINED UP FOR THE LOW WAGE JOBS! As long as people are willing to fly jets for those wages, then the market price is set.

Where to begin with ignorami such as this....