Kit Darby's Struggling To Make Ends Meet

[Pistonpilot]

Article in USA Today about the current state of the industry.

http://www.usatoday.com/travel/flights/2005-02-07-airline-employees_x.htm?POE=TRVISVA

Kit Darby is having to sacrifice.

"It's not as good a job today as it was a few years ago," said Kit Darby, a United Airlines captain for 20 years. "I've been furloughed five times and worked for three airlines that went out of business. I know what it means to start over."

United pilots are in process of approving an 11.8% decrease in pay on top of a 30% reduction a year ago. As a result, Darby's pay will go from about $230,000 to $150,000.


Sudden decreases in income have caused stress at home. Darby said he and his girlfriend, a first officer for United, had to sell their car after she was laid off in 2003. She found a new job with a charter airline making $70,000 less than before. The pair's household income has shrunk by at least $150,000 a year, forcing them to rely on savings to pay the bills.

 

[banned username 2]

The pair's household income has shrunk by at least $150,000 a year, forcing them to rely on savings to pay the bills.

If they can't live on his $150,000 plus whatever she is making (say $50,000) then they are idiots who are living way beyond their means...

Seeing as the average household income in the US is about $60k a year, I don't think the donatations are going to come flooding in for poor Kit...

This guy is living in his own world!

 

[Jeff Helgeson]

Don't forget the seminar money!

If they can't live on his $150,000 plus whatever she is making (say $50,000) then they are idiots who are living way beyond their means...

Seeing as the average household income in the US is about $60k a year, I don't think the donatations are going to come flooding in for poor Kit...

This guy is living in his own world!

It is al relative!

I remember a young Captain at AA that rented a room in the DC area with other guys, one of which was one of my ME students. I asked him why he didn't buy his own place, etc. He replied that he had no debt and was sand bagging most of his six-figure income and stated, "if AA goes out of business tomorrow, I won't have to work another day in my life".

He was a little different, but I admire his commitment. His seniority is still flying. I only wish I had checked under his mattress when he was rooming with my student!!!

 

[Smacktard]

If they can't live on his $150,000 plus whatever she is making (say $50,000) then they are idiots who are living way beyond their means...

Seeing as the average household income in the US is about $60k a year, I don't think the donatations are going to come flooding in for poor Kit...

This guy is living in his own world!

Has nothing to do about living beyond their means, has everything to do with re-adjusting to a lifestyle they haven't lived at in quite some time. I'm sure half the world's population thinks you're an idiot because you haven't retired on your fat corporate paycheck, afterall, $1000 a month would set them for life in their country, how could you posssibly have any concern when you're making what you are.

 

[sleepy]

I guess his JetJobs business isn't doing so well now either? A true snake oil salesman, I don't have any sympathy for him.

 

[WillFlyFoCookie]

I met Kit at Oshkosh this past summer. He certainly knows his stuff about this industry and is a very convincing speaker. He's pretty good at getting people fired up about working hard to get the flying job that everyone else wants. I do agree that it is hard to feel too terribly sorry for him. He told us that after his first round of concessions at United, he had to sell his BMW M5. Now that is sad. I can't imagine what's he going to be driving now with the latest cuts. Maybe all the way down to a 3 Series...and not even an M3!

 

[generaltso]

I am suprised Kit Darby is hurting financially, what with the huge PILOT SHORTAGE we are facing!!!!

 

[EMBPLT]

Unbelievable!!!

 

[COEX-FO]

I guess his JetJobs business isn't doing so well now either? A true snake oil salesman, I don't have any sympathy for him.

I couldn't agree more!!!

 

[GogglesPisano]

Don't worry, he'll still be selling the snake oil for many years to come.

 

[dixieflyer]

I cant beleave he is living with a woman he's not married to. What is this world coming to...? Those pilots!

 

[snine3departure]

If they can't live on his $150,000 plus whatever she is making (say $50,000) then they are idiots who are living way beyond their means...

Seeing as the average household income in the US is about $60k a year, I don't think the donatations are going to come flooding in for poor Kit...

This guy is living in his own world!

Thats is one of the biggest problems with our industry. Do you really think airline pilots should be making the US average income. Give me a break!! We should be getting paid what Kit was making prior to pay cuts with his kind of experience and longevity in the industry. Also he is not complaining about his situation only stating that he has had to completely revamp his lifestyle as many pilots have had to do. (Whether Regional or Major). We need to stop the bleeding, we are forcing our family's to suffer with us, selling our cars, homes etc. For most of us regional pilots it hasn't hit that point yet. Keep it up though, it will. I will be complaining just like Kit when AWAC goes down the tubes because someone at the other airlines thinks average is O.K.
Don't know if any of this makes sense, don't really care just stating my opinion. I for one sure feel for all of the major airline pilots and family's who have taken the huge hits. I am sure it has taken years off many of our lives...and for what???

 

[banned username 2]

Do you really think airline pilots should be making the US average income. Give me a break!!

Now exactly where did I say that??? What I was saying is Kit shouldn't expect the average American who reads the USA Today to feel bad for him because he is only making $150,000 a year, while that reader is sitting there making $60,000 a year... Read what I wrote, not what YOU THINK I meant...

 

[mesaba2425]

Maybe someone can post a sticky and start a fund.

 

[temcgrew]

How many years?
He cannot pay his bills on 150k?
Is he commuting to work on a chartered helicopter?
With his big united pay before 9/11 and his side buisness, how in the world can he not have paid some things off by now?

Alimony maybe?

 

[VFR on Top]

At least he was smart enough to not marry her--an ex-wife would be even harder to afford after the pay cut!

Speaking of, I wonder if anyone has ever gone back to a divorce court and successfully argued for lower alimony after such a large paycut or furlough?

 

[Vik]

The avg income in the U.S. is about half of what you've quoted. Its closer to $28k-$33k

If they can't live on his $150,000 plus whatever she is making (say $50,000) then they are idiots who are living way beyond their means...

Seeing as the average household income in the US is about $60k a year, I don't think the donatations are going to come flooding in for poor Kit...

This guy is living in his own world!

 

[banned username 2]

The avg income in the U.S. is about half of what you've quoted. Its closer to $28k-$33k

Actually I was using Average Household Income (not individual)... The average for 2005 from the top ten cities is $61,557 (Overall US is $52,542)...

Source: http://advertising.washpost.com/the_market/top10/future-hhincome.jsp

 

[Sphincter Boy]

His G/F is a bitch. Used to work with us.

 

[Vik]

Ah okay. Fair enough.

Actually I was using Average Household Income (not individual)... The average for 2005 from the top ten cities is $61,557 (Overall US is $52,542)...

Source: http://advertising.washpost.com/the_market/top10/future-hhincome.jsp

 

[sleepy]

I read (on MSN) where Airplane Pilots have the second highest average salary in the US (around $113K per year). The only group that was more well compensated were Surgons (around $175K per year average). We are paid better than Engineers, Lawyers, Teachers, Researchers, CEO's, and Sales People (yes, we were ahead of CEO's).

 

[Publishers]

He also now owns AEPS to add to his Air Inc deal.

Actually the guy had a heart attack -- no remarks about how could that happen -- and was non flying for a long time.

He has also had enough women problems according to some sources including the fact he was invloved with Becky Dean of Air Inc.

There are some who could not live on the budget at $4.0m a year.

 

[8vATE]

Thanks Kit for keeping the spoiled, girl chasing airline pilot stereotype alive and well!!


As one of the other posters stated... very little sympathy will be coming from Joe and Jane Public when they see the $150,000/yr salary...

And he just HAD to mention his girlfriend another pilot....


Everyone wonders why airline pilots and their unions have such poor images..
Everytime they interview one s/he inserts their big fat foot in their mouth.

 

[avrodriverj85]

They still have girls flying at United?

How would USA Today know to call him? I suspect that business is down at ole Air Inc, and he needed some publicity.

I know a guy that rode his jumpseat pre-9/11 and Darby was pushing the AirInc membership pretty hard enroute. When the jumpseater responded he wasn't interested, Darby snapped, "well I guess you aren't seriously interested in a career in aviation", and then didnt talk to him for the rest of the flight. Now, that's professionalism.. What a dick!

 

[StaySeated]

I was at an airinc conference a few years ago and kit was sitting on stage after introducing all of the speakers. One of the airline reps took the podium and starting talking about his airline (commutair?, I dont remember but he was younger and very humorous). This gent went on to tell everyone in attendance that he was holding a jobfair and that it would be "free" and then proceded to turn around and look squarely at kit. There was a brief period of silence and then every in the crowd roared in laughter and cheered. I may not have acheived a dream job from that conference but to see kit fester as everyone laughed in his face was well worth the price of admision. It was atlanta 03, anyone there?

 

[pilotyip]

Was that Lori Clark?

 

[P38JLightning]

>>>I read (on MSN) where Airplane Pilots have the second highest average salary in the US (around $113K per year). The only group that was more well compensated were Surgons (around $175K per year average). We are paid better than Engineers, Lawyers, Teachers, Researchers, CEO's, and Sales People (yes, we were ahead of CEO's).

there's a flag on the play, and it looks like this one's coming back...

there is NO WAY that is true. in order to come up with that number, you either have to make it up, or take a very limited cross section of "major" pilot pay only. to say the "average airline pilot" makes 113 is insane when you think about the thousands and thousands who start at 20 and might one day dream to top out at 100K. there just ain't that many 200, 250 and 300K jobs out there to raise that average to 113K. No way.

As for Kit, i thought he made a killing off of Air, Inc. My gosh, 150-200 bucks a head for a PACKED job fair, thousands of annual membership fees (90% profit margin on those) and all those 40 dollar kinkos books and 30 dollar resume reviews if the dude's not a millionaire off of this racket than its just not possible in this country!

by the way if you do find yourself in this industry making 200K or more, and you chose to live at or beyond your means, you're an idiot.

 

[sleepy]

>>>I read (on MSN) where Airplane Pilots have the second highest average salary in the US (around $113K per year). The only group that was more well compensated were Surgons (around $175K per year average). We are paid better than Engineers, Lawyers, Teachers, Researchers, CEO's, and Sales People (yes, we were ahead of CEO's).

there's a flag on the play, and it looks like this one's coming back...

there is NO WAY that is true. in order to come up with that number, you either have to make it up, or take a very limited cross section of "major" pilot pay only. to say the "average airline pilot" makes 113 is insane when you think about the thousands and thousands who start at 20 and might one day dream to top out at 100K. there just ain't that many 200, 250 and 300K jobs out there to raise that average to 113K. No way.

As for Kit, i thought he made a killing off of Air, Inc. My gosh, 150-200 bucks a head for a PACKED job fair, thousands of annual membership fees (90% profit margin on those) and all those 40 dollar kinkos books and 30 dollar resume reviews if the dude's not a millionaire off of this racket than its just not possible in this country!

by the way if you do find yourself in this industry making 200K or more, and you chose to live at or beyond your means, you're an idiot.

They didn't say "airline pilot", they said "airplane pilot". You might want to read the post more closely next time. That pay seems about right for corporate "airplane pilots". Anyway, I report, you decide.

 

[Gummo]

If you want to be precise about it...

They didn't say "airline pilot", they said "airplane pilot". You might want to read the post more closely next time. That pay seems about right for corporate "airplane pilots". Anyway, I report, you decide.

The article actually says "aircraft pilots", so I guess you'd need to roll in all of helo bubbas, glider pilots, etc. Also you misquoted the cited average pay, which was a whopping $133,500. There is just no way this number is right. It sounds closer to the average of pilots flying for the majors. (Alright, we can include FEDEX and UPS with the Majors for just this once). The relevant portion of the piece is quoted below.

Just to get a better fix on what we are really making, I went and looked up the Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics. In the lastest national compensation survey (http://www.bls.gov/ncs/ocs/sp/ncbl0658.pdf), using June 2003 data, they say that "Airplane pilots and navigators" who work full time have mean hourly earnings of $103.49 and work a mean of 22.4 hours per week. That works out to annual earnings of $120,545! Still can't believe it, but I'd sure like to get some of that action. Well enough fun with numbers, I need to get back to hunting for that $20k/year Regional FO job.

__________________________
Top Paying Jobs Overall
The jobs that pay the most require at least a four-year college degree. According to the Employment Policy Foundation, the nation's 12 top-paying jobs -- and the mean annual income reported in 2003 (the most recent year data was available) for each -- were:

Physicians and surgeons $147,000
Aircraft pilots $133,500
Chief executives $116,000
Electrical and electronic engineers $112,000
Lawyers and judges $99,800
Dentists $90,000
Pharmacists $85,500
Management analysts $84,700
Computer and information system managers $83,000
Financial analysts, managers and advisers $84,000
Marketing and sales managers $80,000
Education administrators $80,000

 

[CRJDog]

If they can't live on his $150,000 plus whatever she is making (say $50,000) then they are idiots who are living way beyond their means...

Seeing as the average household income in the US is about $60k a year, I don't think the donatations are going to come flooding in for poor Kit...

This guy is living in his own world!

Unbelievable! He has to tap into his savings to pay his bills with a combined income of 200K? What about all the money he collects by bullsh*tting about pilot jobs being so abundant and AirInc memberships?

Darby....what a jack@ss!