Pilots on food stamps.

[jonjuan]

We have a 10 year FO on food stamps. He's married with 5 kids. When he was hired people were upgrading after 6 months to a year. They were also told they would be at American in 4 to 5 years. 8 years later he upgraded only to be displaced into the right seat 6 months later.

Are we supposed to feel sorry for a regional FO who decided to have 5 kids? What ever happened to having all debt paid off and then having a significant cash cushion/savings before taking on a mortgage and having kids?

 

[onewithwings]

Doctors, Military, Teachers?? What the hell are you talking about? Are you talking about the Doctors that after a fixed period of time can count on not only earning a livable wage, but virtually a guaranteed 6 figure income?

I don't think Dr.'s makes as much as we think. I have a friend who is working 5 days a week as a research physician and the week end as an ER Dr. in another city (5 hour drive) to make enough money to support his wife and child. He is 35 years old. He says he takes a weekend off a month to spend with his family.

He was telling me how, when he was a resident they have to spend 36 hours on duty and how he envied pilots who have gov't mandated time and duty restrictions. He works 12 hour shifts in ER and that is crazy, crazy work. I was floored to hear his story.

My cousin who is a Dr. graduated with so much debt that he went into the Army because they offered to pay all his medical school debt. He is hesitant to go into private practice because of the huge overhead and malpractice insurance costs. For now, he's happy in the Army working a 90 day rotation as a surgeon out of Baghdad.

It's not all peaches and cream...

 

[www.]

I have an idea, let's get ACORN to help these guys out!

 

[altimaklr]

Don't forget about Section 8 housing too. I qualify as a FO and I'm currently on the waiting list (it'll probably be a while in this economy).

 

[CA1900]

Are we supposed to feel sorry for a regional FO who decided to have 5 kids?

I hope not. I shouldn't be paying for his choice to have kids.

 

[Rez O. Lewshun]

Are we supposed to feel sorry for a regional FO who decided to have 5 kids? What ever happened to having all debt paid off and then having a significant cash cushion/savings before taking on a mortgage and having kids?

So we get to question life?

If a large or majority percentage of FO's had 3+ kids, there might be a issue... then again not really....

If a few FO's have five kids so be it. They won't have much discretionary income, but they will be rich in life and family. Also, perhaps this is a 2nd career and the kids were already around. This FO took the bait and lure of the profession thinking, like we all did, that we'd be making 6 figures in 5 years....

I recall a FO at my regional who had cancer... It was concerning for a while. He got better but was still out of flying for a while. While he was out his wife became pregnant. The MEC was helping with his COBRA payments. While I was coming off of a trip, smart a$$ big aviation college 20-something intern turned airline pilot sneers... "what is he doing have kids if we're paying for his cobra"

Again.. the point is what are WE doing as members of our profession to raise the floor up?

Instead of judging how many kids a fellow pilot should have, let's judge the compensation package his is getting.

 

[altimaklr]

Sure. Let's not question someone who decides to have multiple kids, while working at the lowest point in a very unstable industry. Not to mention he probably isn't even home half the month. I guess it's ok to defend pilots, but if a walmart worker has kids and gets welfare, then they are selfish lazy mf'ers.

 

[Jar Jar]

www.peopleofwalmart.com

awesome..

 

[BoilerUP]

A professional airline pilot shouldn't need food stamps to provide for themselves and their family.

That being said - where is the accountability of these people accepting employment in a historically unstable industry with widely-known low pay the first couple years? Why would one go into mountains of debt and then be forced to use government assistance (meant for those who need it out of necessity, not by choice) simply so they can have an "office with a view"?

Call me old-fashioned, but I'd leave this clusterscrew of an industry in a second if I couldn't reasonably support myself and my family while under FULL-TIME EMPLOYMENT...

 

[spitfire1500]

A professional airline pilot shouldn't need food stamps to provide for themselves and their family.

That being said - where is the accountability of these people accepting employment in a historically unstable industry with widely-known low pay the first couple years? Why would one go into mountains of debt and then be forced to use government assistance (meant for those who need it out of necessity, not by choice) simply so they can have an "office with a view"?

Call me old-fashioned, but I'd leave this clusterscrew of an industry in a second if I couldn't reasonably support myself and my family while under FULL-TIME EMPLOYMENT...

Exactly!!! Anyone that goes out and spends the $ to be competitive in this industry now, the way it is, is just foolish!! The investment now is enourmous and in reality over the longrun you are investing in this industries management groups to provide worthwhile opportunities....very foolish!!