Shamus said:
Here is why everyone hates S. Fl. I used to fly a 35 part 135, 800 hours a year, evey flight was international, 6 hard days off a month, starting pay $25K a year. The company two hangars down has forigners pay them $10K to sit right seat for 100 hours, and a third company flying 35's out of S. Fl pays $20 a flight hour.
Who ever said it was right, most scumbag operators won't pay more then $50k a year, b/c they can higher some low time pilot off the street for next to nothing. Oh yeah, I forgot about Florida Jet, flying 55's pay is $18K a year, and you are in the hangar everyday cleaning. One of these days they are going to get caught for not giving there FO's the 13 days off per quater.
Are you RVSM current? You mentioned that your flights are international by nature. International Procedures trained by FS or CAE? Or has your company been lax on the continuing education? No benifits? No vacation?
You now know that AVIATION is the BIG LIE. In 2000, I held my first full time Lear job flying a 36XR over 100 hours per month as Lifeguard. For that, I received $36K per year. Now, 5 years later, that same job is paying $24K. Faced with the incredibe; inflation associate with every day life (hamburger $3.99lb, milk $3.79gal, bread $2.50loaf, gas $2.89gal), the opposite trend in GAJET pay is criminal. Just look at the bonehead company at ABQ who is advertising for a chief pilot Lear 35 (and a bunch of other piston planes) for $45-50K. Incredulous!!
However, no matter how much we complain about substandard pay and conditions, the pilot community is doing
it to themselves. There are scores of lowtimers who want the fast track to turbojet and will prostitute themselves for the smell of burning stove oil.
And then there are the certificate holders, who were (are) pilots at one time, who see nothing but dollar signs instead of correcting the wrongs when they were in the cockpit.
However, there are still a few decent operators out there who pay the freight. You need to join NBAA ($250 per year) as an associate member. The price of admission is well worth the Member's Directory (by tail number/ac type et al)) and Air Mail section of their web site for networking.
And, you have to really work your charm everywhere you stop. Talk to as many pilots that you can. Something will come of your efforts. And, you need to get out to the West Coast. Or an ex-pat Arab job. Good luck.
Now, can anyone tell me where I can get ahold of a training/pilot contract to glean. Mine also is coming up do and to reniew the company wants to hose me again. Sure would like to see a contract that is mutually acceptable.