Pilot Shortage

[gunfyter]

100K is a very achievable wage in the aviation industry after 10 years, what is wrong with than? It is a good income; I have never seen it and am doing just fine. Nowhere did I say you should not try t0 make more. BTW What is middle class income? is it 46K, 50 percentile, is it 75K, 70 percentile, is in 90K, 80 percentile, is it 110K 90 percentile. Most pilots make a good living compared to the rest of the individuals in this country, and most are doing something they like. You have to pay your dues someplace to start out in this business

Pilots need to be Rich, not middle class. $200K is the new $100K Salaries on par with Medical doctors.

Do you really think RJ captains should earn less than $100K? I do not.

The reason people fly for low wages is that the experience and staying current is worth MORE than the pay ... in securing a better position that pays pilots correctly. Employers take advantage of this reality and offer criminally low wages to pilots in certain sectors of this industry.

 

[Coool Hand Luke]

Look, guys flying for the commuters probably get what the deserve .... it is not like they need a college education fly a shinny little jet.

I don't fly for the commuters, but what differenct does that make anyway? Let me go ahead and answer my retorical question: none

But that's just my opinion G100driver. Just like in my opinion an Astra is not really a Gulfstream. But hey, I suppose you probably get away will fooling all the ladies by telling them you are a "Gulfstream Driver". How impressive.

 

[G100driver]

I don't fly for the commuters, but what differenct does that make anyway? Let me go ahead and answer my retorical question: none

But that's just my opinion G100driver. Just like in my opinion an Astra is not really a Gulfstream. But hey, I suppose you probably get away will fooling all the ladies by telling them you are a "Gulfstream Driver". How impressive.

I guess irony did not filter down to the commu ...opps, mainline feeder pilots ... (sacasm again, do not fly off the handle)

ps I have not flown a G100 years but I cannot change my screen name to fit every type I have ... and yes the ladies are are very impressed :laugh:

 

[skyward80]

$100k in 10 years might be nice. However, if people are going broke and living off of food stamps the previous 9 years, you'll need a lot more than $100k to make up for that.

I agree with the whole "pay your dues" thing. I'm in the military, we wrote the book on that stuff. Two things I have noticed about military pay:
1) I'm not getting rich (not in it for that either).
2) The money the gov't does me is enough to cover all of my needs and a lot of my wants. I am never looking to promotion as a means of "catching up" on debt I racked up due to low pay.

Look at the pay scales out there. First year pay sucks (gotta pay those dues), but most places don't have great second year pay either. So, if you're going into debt in year 1, when do you "catch up". Never. It's nearly impossible to live off $35k-$40k a year (that's before taxes). People have to pay rent/mortgage, student loans (I'll be paying those dues for a LONG time), car loans, retirement, etc.

So, $100k in 10 years doesn't sound so bad, but what's it going to take to get there? I argue that the reason any "shortage" might be induced in this industry (or at least in US aviation) is because many people look at those 9 years and say f*** it, I'll do something else.

Skyward80

 

[Publishers]

Fam62 makes good points. The aspect that many fail to grasp is that many of what you consider the lower tier of jobs would not all be there if pilot pay was doubled or if the cost of fuel doubles. There is a certain reality between the cost variables. As example, there is a cost where it is no longer reasonable to fly cancelled checks. There would be routes no longer feasible from certain cities. It would be more economical to drive than fly some trips. The companies aircraft that is marginal would become not feasible. The regional jet seat cost would be too great for XYZ companies sales staff and trips would become delayed or cancelled. There would be less whine from all the pilots because there would be less pilots.
In any occupation, there are companies that are the best to work for that have the best wages and the best QOL. The goal of course is to work for one of these and it is highly competitive. Many of those who work there started somewhere else with an opportunity someone gave them where they worked to become attractive to the best companies. What you need to ask yourself is would I be chosen or passed up? What if the people that helped me get started had not? what is the range of value for doing a particular job?

 

[atpcliff]

Hi!

The pilot shortage IS already affecting the majors in 3 ways:

1-they are losing revenue, because passengers who were originally going to be on their flights did not make it, because the feeder flight was late or cancelled

2-the number of applicants is way down, compared with what they are used to

3-the experience level of the applicants is also down compared with what they are used to.

cliff
YIP

 

[hindsight2020]

$100k in 10 years might be nice. However, if people are going broke and living off of food stamps the previous 9 years, you'll need a lot more than $100k to make up for that.

I agree with the whole "pay your dues" thing. I'm in the military, we wrote the book on that stuff. Two things I have noticed about military pay:
1) I'm not getting rich (not in it for that either).
2) The money the gov't does me is enough to cover all of my needs and a lot of my wants. I am never looking to promotion as a means of "catching up" on debt I racked up due to low pay.

Look at the pay scales out there. First year pay sucks (gotta pay those dues), but most places don't have great second year pay either. So, if you're going into debt in year 1, when do you "catch up". Never. It's nearly impossible to live off $35k-$40k a year (that's before taxes). People have to pay rent/mortgage, student loans (I'll be paying those dues for a LONG time), car loans, retirement, etc.

So, $100k in 10 years doesn't sound so bad, but what's it going to take to get there? I argue that the reason any "shortage" might be induced in this industry (or at least in US aviation) is because many people look at those 9 years and say f*** it, I'll do something else.

Skyward80

'2'

As a Reservist and a low-time guy I can vouch for how ridiculous the thought of working for a regional as the alternative is. No thank you. I value my time at home and my professional time more than to invest a college education and pilot training into a nominal 35K/year compensation for half a decade and be gone from home half the month. In that sense "pay your dues" is a bowl of sh$t. Nobody should be expected to starve to fulfill one's professional duties. Accepting unlivable wages for a decade as a tradeoff for a bigger carrot is just not economically sensible; give me a competitive starting wage and then we're talking, otherwise I agree, it's just not worth it. There is no pilot shortage, just shortage of well-compensated pilot jobs, and a surplus of qualified applicants for those few jobs. I am sure if military aviation was not available to me I would have pursued other avenues of employment and made flying recreationally a goal.

 

[pilotyip]

This is still a great career, upper income of the US more time at home than most other jobs. And if you fly for the right reason, i.e. love of flying you will be the happiest guy on the block. BTW where else are most of the pilots going to go to come anywhere near the the airline wages.

 

[Ultra Grump]

100K is a very achievable wage in the aviation industry after 10 years, what is wrong with than? It is a good income; I have never seen it and am doing just fine.

Yeah, $100k is great if you can stand living in the frozen boondocks. Not so great in any large city, and certainly not if it's anyplace warm and desirable.

 

[gunfyter]

Yip,

I could have done almost anything else (for the las 30 yrs) and been better off than I am now.

I have come to the conclusion that this "love of flying" is a disease that has caused me to be broke mot of my life.