Mechanics Pay??

[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!