Pilots are pathetic bottomfeeders

[CODs4ever]

This industry is a real loser and unfortunately, a bad place to be now with high gas prices and bankruptcy at every turn. I flew for the military for 12 years and made good money, got out, and could only find work at a regional making $18K/year and having a very poor quality of life.

What is really humorous is the fact that when I left the job for which I had trained for the last 12 years of my life (airline pilot), I was offered an executive position in sales and a project manager position with a homebuilder - both jobs having a base salary of four times what I made as a regional FO. And oh, by the way, I had no direct experience in either of these (non-flying) areas of employment.

So, yes, I guess professional pilots could be termed as "bottom feeders" because over the years they have allowed pay & benefits to go down the toilet, while quality of life got worse. I can understand wanting to keep your job and your airline afloat, but this is ridiculous. I was told by an older pilot that in the early 1970's a senior captain at AAL made about $140K/year. That is around a half million in today's dollars. An airline captain today making $140K is probably not too far from the average - that's too bad, since there are many other jobs out there, with a lot less responsibility, making same or much more, income. And you will be home every night and have weekends & holidays free.

I chose to get out before it was too late and start another career. Now I only fly for fun, and I actually still enjoy my two-seat Cessna going 120 kts at 1500' and below. It sure beats flying for poverty wages and living in hotels.

 

[RJP]

Outside of lawyers, is there another profession other than aviation that is more "me-oriented"? Doubtful. How much OT can you scarf up each month?

The race to the bottom has to end somewhere.

 

[RJP]

and flying 65 hours a month in your 777.

P2J

Who exactly is hiring that flies 777 except Emirates or Continental?

 

[WickedPissa]

Note about the above post. Original text was automatically changed to the word dang. That kind of blows the original forcefulness of my statement and makes it sound gay. The politically-correct software should automatically change the word "gay" to "ALPA".

That's funny. Up to this point, I just thought a lot of rednecks wrote posts using the word "dang".

 

[Flyeys]

they took eer jebs!!!

 

[DoubtingThomas]

Furthermore, he is a new FO courageous enough to speak his mind to the spineless captains and fellow jellyfish he works with. It is the rare pilots like he which are the only hope for the success of this industry.

well I'm not very internet savvy but this quote is from 'crashpad'.

My question is: what exactly is courageous about posting anonymously on an internet gossip board? I was hoping 'crashpad's remark was sarcastic but now I believe that he was being sincere. It's almost enough to make a guy like me start praying for our future.

Horvath, S/A #801369

 

[SAEaviator]

It is going to be very hard for the regionals to up their pay when you have majors like United and USAir in bankruptcy that have their top guppy captains making a whopping $125 dollars an hour (airlinepilotpay.com). The trickle down effect is upon us and all we can do is fight to make our QOL and Pay better.