Pilots Turning Scarce As Demand Takes Wing

[Phaedrus]

Kitty Darby is a tool! (What the hell kind of a name is Kit anyway?)

Apparently it's the name of a unit that likes to have David Hasselhoff's arse firmly planted on it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ykSzwYQV6PU

 

[BigMeat]

The only shortage we are experiencing is a shortage of pay! Its time to get militant! I have slowly been putin it to the man...I havent washed my pilot shirt in a week! So much for uniform standards ;0)

 

[McNugget]

Green, why don't you do us a favor and get out of aviation. My point was, I don't care the size of the jet, I think pilots should be paid a decent wage and I think my family should have medical benefits and I want my pension, so what the hell is wrong with that???

I think we (pilots) are our own worst enemies, always undermining and undercutting each other to get in the bigger plane or the new route, usually for less money...

I would rather fly a beat up old DC-9 on short domestic hops and make $150K with medical benefits and a pension than fly a shiny new 777 half way around the world and make less, with no medical benefits or pension. THAT WAS MY POINT.

Amen to that, bro.

 

[pilotyip]

All part of the 2007 hiring boom. Fits in with the growing worldwide shortage of pilots. SWA, FedEx, UPS, etc may have 1000's of resumes on hand but they are all the same resumes. The resume piles of available pilots at those airlines will go down at the rate of total airline hiring. In 2009 those resume stacks will be a lot shorter. The same thing happened in 2000 when airline hiring was truly booming.

 

[sleepy]

Sounds like something Kit Darby would write. The hiring boom of the 80's, 90's, etc........ LOL.

 

[wrgcareer]

I agree with BigMeat. The only shortage out there is in the pay department. Somehow we need to find some leverage.

I've had the recent privilege to "walk the line" with my Bros. out here in the west. I think we need a new sign to carry though. How about "Drunk and irresponsible leadership rakes in millions while the pilots get nothing".

 

[pilotyip]

Ways to get higher pay.

For all the pilots who want hirer pay, there are two ways to go about it. #1 with hold your services until you get the pay you want. This can also be done in your place of work to force management into higher pay rates. This is the same method used by the Comair, UAL, NWA, and DAL pilots in the late 90’s. Those were great victories for the pilot work force. #2 raise money in the capital markets, start your own airline, and pay the pilots whatever they think is fair for their services, and pay management no more than the average pilot's pay. Pitfalls with #1, there may be unemployed pilots who are desperate to feed their families and make house payments. These pilots may work at a lower wages than you would like. Pitfall with #2, are pilots willing to risk their own money in starting an airline?

 

[PHXFLYR]

I agree with BigMeat. The only shortage out there is in the pay department. Somehow we need to find some leverage.

I've had the recent privilege to "walk the line" with my Bros. out here in the west. I think we need a new sign to carry though. How about "Drunk and irresponsible leadership rakes in millions while the pilots get nothing".

.....I like that. Where can I find one?? By the way,thanks for joining us on the line.:beer:


PHXFLYR

 

[AdlerDriver]

Others are more optimistic.

"It's possible you'll see some spot shortages, but I really don't think you'll see long-term shortages," said economist Daniel Kasper, managing director and head of the transportation practice at LECG Group, a Boston-based consulting group.

"To the extent that airlines are having trouble finding pilots, salaries will go up, and that will draw military pilots."

Riiiiiiiight. Salaries will just "go up". Airline management is just going to decide - "Hey, you know, we just aren't getting the pilots we need. Guess we'd better raise those salaries."

First, there will always be some kid in an RJ or some other low paying job willing to make it to "the show" who will take whatever they happen to be paying.

Second, most of these concessionary contracts have lives extending well beyond the next year or two. For someone to suggest that any pay raise will occur before those contracts are up for negotiation obviously has no clue. Management is going to stiff-arm any changes for as long as they can.

 

[Ty Webb]

All part of the 2007 hiring boom. Fits in with the growing worldwide shortage of pilots. SWA, FedEx, UPS, etc may have 1000's of resumes on hand but they are all the same resumes.

I have to say . . . . YIP has been predicting this for a few years now. At first he sounded like an idiot, but now, he sounds more like an idiot savant .


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