Mechanics Pay??

[Weasel Keeper]

Here ya go Some Guy,

************************
Author Unknown

Through the history of world aviation
Many names have come to the fore,
Great deeds of the past in our memory will last
As they're joined by more and more.


When the first man started his labor
in his quest to conquer the sky
He was a designer, mechanic and pilot,
and he built a machine that would fly.


The pilot was everyone's hero
He was bold, he was brave, he was grand,
As he stood by his battered old biplane
With his goggles in his hand.


But for each of our flying heroes
There were thousands little renown,
And these were the men who worked on the planes
But kept their feet on the ground.


We all know the name of Lindbergh,
And we've read of his flight into fame,
But think, if you can, of his maintenance man,
Can you remember his name?


Now, pilots are highly trained people
And wings are not easily won.
But without the work of the maintenance man
Our pilots would march with a gun.


So when you see the mighty jet aircraft
As they mark their path through the air,
The grease-stained man with the wrench in his hand
Is the man who put them there.

 

[Maiko]

LOL!

I get those guys bask with an M.E.L. sticker on the autopilot!

Yeah it has its rewards.

 

[sbn340mech]

LOL!

I get those guys bask with an M.E.L. sticker on the autopilot!

hehe, i loved doing that. The best one was when I had to do MEL it at the gate prior to departure. flight crew was not to pleased.

 

[sbn340mech]

I started at Chicago Express right out of school as a mech. for 12.00/hr plus .25 night shift. Worked my way up and a little over two years when ATA shut us down I was a QA inspector, run/taxi qualified making 16.50/hr.

 

[Painkiller]

That's a terrible paycheck, for what we do. My ex-brother-in-law paints for the painters union, back in Pittsburgh, and he makes about 27$/hour.

For painting stinking walls, he makes 11 MORE an hour than you, and you're responsible for the lives of everyone on board that aircraft.

That is beyond my comprehension.

I'm currently employed by "soon to be a footnote in aviation history" Delta Airlines. The hourly rate I'm making AT THE MOMENT, is just a hair over $30/hour. That's after the 10 percent paycut I just took at the beginning of the year. I can expect another one of at least that magnitude and, another increase in the cost of our mediocre medical benefits.

There is no one in aircraft maintenance that should be making even average US pay.

A surgeon makes a mistake and kills a person. We make a mistake and kill many. Why would anyone even bother with the responsibility, the hours, adverse working conditions, FAA pressure, ect...for a lousy paycheck?!!?

I've been with Delta for almost 17 years now. Almost all of that time has been spent out here on the flightline. Currently, I'm working international aircraft, and have been for the past 5 years.

I have a new resume written up and, I'm getting a cover letter made.

There is no way I'm taking another paycut and staying in this job.

It's just not worth it in any way, shape, or form. Car mechs at the local Chevy garage making more/less responsibility, my ex bro painting, PAINTING!!!! making more/less responsibility, elevator mechanics at the airport making about the same/less responsibility....it just goes on and on.

Anyone going to school to get into this "career" seriously needs to have his/her head examined.

It's THAT bad....sorry to say and, sorry that I choose poorly to become an amt.

 

[sbn340mech]

You about hit the nail right on the head with that post. Unfortunatly I don't see the industry getting any better. I've decided to give it one more try with an airline in MKE. If that dosen't work out I'm going to take that as "it was never meant to be"

Maybe when enough of us quit or retire or move on elsewhere they will begin to realize just how valuable we are. The number of new A&P's entering the field has grown smaller over the years as people realize those same skills can earn them 3-5 times as much.

I know when the regional I worked for got shut down, there were about a dozen experienced A&P's who were getting out for good.

 

[Vector4fun]

Guys,

If you don't mind my asking;

My Son-in-law is working for Duncan making about $18/hr I believe, doing airframe work on corporate jets. Been at it for about 3 years now. Does he have any better options (realisticly) now, or is that about the "top" of the pay band for Westwind/Challanger/Gulfstream work nowadays? I know he's sending out a few resumes.

 

[Painkiller]

Good luck to ya. Seriously, I hope it works out for you.

I wonder though...God must love aviation. Those planes never fall out of the sky due to shoddy maintenance, well...hardly ever.

I'm glad! Really don't want a bunch of dead, innocent passengers but, just sitting here thinking about it, I remember when I was brand new at Delta. I used to work in the hangars in atlanta. When I'd fly out of town, I'd park in the employee lot by the flight line. All those poor employees from Eastern were out there walking the picket line. Pilots and mechanics.

Scab pilots flying the planes and some scab mechanics fixing them. You and I both know that those planes at Eastern, at that time, were flying pieces of junk! There was tons of stuff getting "pencil whipped", and not being worked on at all. I'd be willing to bet that quite a few of those things were flat out unsafe to fly in. No passengers cared. It was a cheap flight. That's all that mattered.

Not a single incident of aircraft safety being compromised ever happened.

Just seems bizarre...

On a side note, I've read more than a few places where amusement parks are big on our skill set. It certainly would be alot more fun "testing" the equipment we just worked on!!! Hey, even the same lousy hours and, working outside!! Woo hoo!!! *L*

Still, I have to admit, it probably would be pretty cool to work with all the animatronics, and stuff like that at say, Disneyworld.

I'd quit Delta for that. Guaranteed.

 

[mazbaird]

Anyone know of any companies that hire A&P's over-seas without any prior military experience?
Seems like thats the only way you can make any money anymore in this business.

 

[Gatorman]

Anyone know of any companies that hire A&P's over-seas without any prior military experience?
Seems like thats the only way you can make any money anymore in this business.

You can check on www.climbto350.com board, there are hundreds of Saudi jobs. I just hope you can adapt to the lifestyle change.

I've been with Delta for almost 17 years now. Almost all of that time has been spent out here on the flightline. Currently, I'm working international aircraft, and have been for the past 5 years.

I have a new resume written up and, I'm getting a cover letter made.

There is no way I'm taking another paycut and staying in this job.

Dude, I have been bending my wrenches on corporates as long as you have been with Delta and I know several guys that would die to have your job with your pay. Including myself.
At my best, I was a planner/scheduler making $25/hour and I loved it. Then 9/11 happened and I wound up dumping oil out of the bottoms on catapillers til I found a contract job as a 135 inspector for $30/hour.
Now I am at a new repair station as a senior tech making $21/hour.

Yea, it always sucks where you are at and never as good as where you have been.

I was told one time by a maintenance director when I was not happy about a current situation....he said "Go and do what ever will make you happy"
As I left his office I passed another manager that was heading into his office who just had more that half of his office team leave to another company and took one of their places.....I was happy.

If you are not happy with your job, move out of the way of someone else's happy.

(man, that was good!)

 

[FreightDogs]

Pay, poems and a wise man

Weasel Keeper- thanks for the poem, it's a good one. Thats going on my toolbox.

I toured a Delta flightline at Orlando Airport when I was in school (empty diddle). ~1993. The Lead came up to our tour group, it was plain he was close to retirement. He told us all to quit school and go fix cars, or goto manufacturing jobs. I wrote him off as a burn out at the time. I was young and stupid, headstrong and filled with grandiose dreams.

He was right.....but it was fun finding out on my own.

The best I was even paid as a mech was 17.50 hr. BUT the overtime was sliding scale, and I was on call 24/7/365. I took care of three aircraft in three different states. My brother in law was in field service at the time , traveling around the same area fixing stuff in factories. - he made 35 hr plus a car allowance. - and he never had to sign anything off other than his paycheck.

 

[FreightDogs]

son in law $ top out at repair station

Friend of mine got a gig with nationwide in their flight department making 30 an hour, he had 5 years on challengers. they had just bought one. Seems like if you get at least 5 years on a derisable airframe you can get jobs with rich companies like nationwide. My buddy says it was cake - wash the plane and call the service center with warranty issues. Then he moved over to a desk as a maintenance coordinator at a fractional ownership company for more cash and less responsibility. - (NxxxQS).

So my opinion is if your son-in-law leaves the repair station, he will be paid more BUT he won't be doing in depth maintenance - just wipe and dipe',

If you don't mind my asking;

My Son-in-law is working for Duncan making about $18/hr I believe, doing airframe work on corporate jets. Been at it for about 3 years now.

 

[30MK]

Man guys, you are getting me nervous a bit. I realy like aviation, and some say that money are good, but others dont. Most of the guys here at my college, get jobs in the Seattle area, and most get starting pay at over $20 dollars per hour. So thats ok, I just hope that I can support my family.


30MK

 

[Gatorman]

Seattle!!!

Dude, you wana make money in Seattle?
Forget about aviation, open up a daycare. There is a waiting list for kids to get into daycare facilities up there.

Mega $$$$

 

[Painkiller]

Gatorman - I can't move out of the way of someone else's happy. There is no "way" to move out of since it's a ticking clock waiting to expire. We're going out of business.

Not that big a deal since I figure I have about a year or so to find another job and find my happy again.

30MK...you're getting "a little bit nervous". !?!!? Please tell me that you at least looked into this industry before jumping into college for it???? This isn't the very 1st place, and time, that you've asked anyone about the outlook for this industry, have you? Please tell me it's not so.

You should be more than a little bit nervous. There are tons of out of work aircraft mechanics, all with experience, that are going to be trying for the same jobs you are going to be, if they haven't bailed completely on this career.

Just the facts, brother. While you have a chance, I'd seriously look into another career UNLESS, you just HAVE to fix airplanes.

Then, I truly wish you the best of luck!