FlyingMoose
Well-known member
- Joined
- Nov 9, 2004
- Posts
- 76
Hey AK and others,
I think "competetive" is too subjective of a term here. I worked there as well for a number of years and wouldn't have described it that way. I haven't been there for 5 or so years, but I do have numerous friends still there, and haven't heard of any pay system changes. But I'll answer in past tense to be fair:
You were paid on a flight hour basis at a tabled rate (first year FO when I was there was $30 p/fh and a first year captain was $58 p/fh) according to your position and length of employment. I'm sure those have probably increased some due to COL increases but I wouldn't call those amounts competetive. If your monthly flight hour pay did not exceed your monthly base, you would be paid the difference up to that base amount (it was $1,400 p/m for FO and $2,000 p/m for Captain when I was there). Again, not at all competetive. That base amount generally wouldn't even pay most peoples bills, and there were occasions, particularly on the military side of the house, that there was no flying going on for the month so thats all you got. On the other hand, there will be months when your hourly pay will add up to quite a bit (it is a 135 operation, but much of your flying is part 91 and public use so you may easily fly well over limits at other carriers). There were a very few, and AK might be one of them, that were paid differently due to being hired for specific contracts or outbases on salary basis.
All that being said, I will stress it is one of the most enjoyable and exciting flying jobs out there, but the schedule and type of flying is demanding. In my experience, I have never flown with a more talented group of pilots as a whole (yes, there are always a couple of sh*tbirds). I would recommend it to anybody that doesn't mind traveling and can be away from home for extended periods, because you will stay gone for lengths at a time, and that is how you make money there!
