Pilots Turning Scarce As Demand Takes Wing

[jonjuan]

Hi!


Aviation growth is EXPLODING in India and China. Currently ERJ-190 type-rated pilots can start as off-the-street captains in India for $100K USD!

I'm excited about the great job prospects and salary increases in the future!

Hi!?!?
Why the exclamation point? Move to India as a type rated airline pilot and you are excited about $100K? Hel#, that's nothing to get excited about in Indiana much less INDIA.

 

[VxClimb]

Kit Darby, an expert on pilot hiring trends and pay.

YAWN.

 

[TurboAWD]

Aviation growth is EXPLODING in India and China. Currently ERJ-190 type-rated pilots can start as off-the-street captains in India for $100K USD!

I'm glad you are excited, but can I just say...whoop de freeking doo.

I can move to India to fly a DC9 size airplane for only $100k with no pension, no bridge healthcare, etc etc.

Sounds like crap to me. Granted, I suppose that is good for year one pay, but from a career perspective, that doesn't compare to what pilot of that size aircraft used to make. At home in the U.S. With a pension and other bennies.

Turbo

 

[whymeworry?]

What a stupid article.

1) They're called "Freight Dogs", not "Cargo Dogs"

2) EK pilots get paid squat. Great benefits, nice housing, everyone calls you "Captain". But at the end of the day you live in DXB, most flights are in the dark and tha pay is on the bottom rung! That gets old after the honeymoon is over.

3) CX, decent choice but try making it in HK... commuting back to the states is harder than you think. Pilot DO CARE about retirment and medical. Pay and benefits before aircraft selection.

4) There is no pilot shortage. US Carriers still pay the most, though foreign carriers are catching up.


Everyone wants to fly something big, powerful, comfortable, and new... but after 90 days an airplane is an airplane. Once you get over the initial joy of flying something new you'd better be ready to face the reality of a long career with the carrier you've chosen. Its not about the airplane, its all about Quality of Life.





One good thing I liked though, at least the NW guy voted with his feet. That takes balls but I'm afraid he did it due a bad case of SJS rather than as a statement.

 

[FmrFreightDog]

One good thing I liked though, at least the NW guy voted with his feet. That takes balls but I'm afraid he did it due a bad case of SJS rather than as a statement.

Knowing the NW guy in question, I can assure you that is a 100% correct statement.

 

[Dumb Pilot]

Asia will be the market in the forefront of pilot recruiting in the near future, quite a bit of very lucrative contracts with US pilot bases coming. CX for example, already has pilot bases in SFO,JFK. The ANA group is planning a near future Chicago base for their 767 cargo fleet. And JALWays already bases pilots in Hawaii. This will be the hiring strategy in the next few years from the Asian carriers that have more heavy jet orders that just about everyone.

I can move to India to fly a DC9 size airplane for only $100k with no pension, no bridge healthcare, etc etc.

Sorry, but some of these contracts out there pay a LOT more than that, with retirement, medical. Like everything, there are not so good gigs in the international arena, but there are some very good ones too.

 

[RichardRambone]

Losers

 

[tyuwerty]

Sorry, but some of these contracts out there pay a LOT more than that, with retirement, medical. Like everything, there are not so good gigs in the international arena, but there are some very good ones too.

He is right, I dont work in India, but I am overseas. The 100k is just the cash compensation (80k is tax free from IRS). I have worldwide healthcare, free housing (1800sq ft house), free schooling (American International school), life insurance, loss of medical, a space positive ride anywhere in their world wide system once each month, 2 free tickets each year for each dependant and regular discount travel. At end of contract (3 years), they pay a healthy completion bonus (50k+).

Every year I get a 5% base rate increase. Average of 11-13 days off each month. (I am only second year seniority)

I live in a country where the cost of living is 50% of what it is in the USA. Even with a maid, gardner and a driver, a 1/3 of my base pay and all of my overtime goes to the bank.

It isnt a life for everyone, but I love it and so does my family.

 

[AA717driver]

captain dad--On the Kit Darby comment: I was being as sarcastic as one can possibly be. I am very well educated in the aviation business.

maximizer--Regarding the GV "B scale": I live in a low-cost part of the country and no one has ever left for better compensation. There's a stack of resumes as high as the tail of the airplane. They don't HAVE to pay more...

TV9--Check your PM's. TC

 

[gunfyter]

I read that starting pay was $20K per month in India