Please help! In the first years of your career, did you ever...

[cjdriver]

You should know that the pay is so low simply because there are a great deal of silver spoon kids that are willing and able (parents pay their rent) to work for nothing, and some have even paid to work at an airline. It has nothing to do with the fed or the airline management, and everything to do with the types of people attracted to flying for an airline. Just sayin'.

 

[cjdriver]

As a case in point, I offer the following:

I flew with a guy whose parents paid for a degree in engineering for him. After getting a job as an engineer, making good money, he decided he didn't like sitting at a desk, and had his parents pay for Comair Academy. A fast track to the airlines. When he graduated from the school with his certificates, which cost tens of thousands of dollars, he flight instructed there for peanuts to build time. All the while his parents footing the bill. Then, when he had whatever the minimum flight time was (I'm guessing 500-1500 hours), he paid another $10k to get an interview at Comair regional airlines, for a first officer position on a Brazilia turbo prop that I'm guessing paid about $14-16k/yr. All in all, the guy spent probably close to $100k for a job that paid $16k. If a company can get someone to spend that kind of time and money preparing for a job making that little, why wouldn't they take advantage of that? How can you blame the industry or government reg's on this behavior?

 

[brokeflyer]

that is why the wages are so low.....they allow 250 hour pilots to get hired.

they need to move that up to around 2500 hours MIN. then wages will go up and ticket prices will increase and all will be happy.

please make the documentary.

 

[Raoul Duke]

So this guy is trying to shed some more light on the pathetic wages at the regional level and this is how you respond? No wonder we can't get the compensation we deserve. You are a disgrace. Now crawl back to your trailer while the rest of us try to bring some justice and respect back to this profession.

yes this is how I respond to a stupid idea. Pilot pay is low for the first couple of years. OMG what a tragedy, no other professions would dare to start new hires at low salaries. I am so shocked that everyone does not automatically get paid 747 CA rates. What is the compensation you deserve? If you don't get what you feel you are worth, quit and go somewhere else. No one is holding a gun to your head.

 

[Kalifornia]

yes this is how I respond to a stupid idea. Pilot pay is low for the first couple of years. OMG what a tragedy, no other professions would dare to start new hires at low salaries. I am so shocked that everyone does not automatically get paid 747 CA rates. What is the compensation you deserve? If you don't get what you feel you are worth, quit and go somewhere else. No one is holding a gun to your head.

I think we found Pilot Yip's illegitimate son, conceived with a stripper.

 

[InTransit]

yes this is how I respond to a stupid idea. Pilot pay is low for the first couple of years. OMG what a tragedy, no other professions would dare to start new hires at low salaries. I am so shocked that everyone does not automatically get paid 747 CA rates. What is the compensation you deserve? If you don't get what you feel you are worth, quit and go somewhere else. No one is holding a gun to your head.

You are actually quite out of touch. If this doesn't affect you, then get out of the way.

 

[crj567]

You should also look into a little airline called "MESA." They actually sent crews on the shorter overnights equipped with a board to place between the aisles to sleep on-rather than a hotel room.

BTW-

MESA
SUCKS!!!!!!


-Roll That!

 

[kingair1]

I am a 3rd year pilot for Alaska Airlines

Still on WIC to this date. It will end after August.

My oldest son qualified for reduced meal purchase in 7th grade last year.

Last year we missed the Food stamp program by making $ 100.00 over the monthly maximum pay requirements for a family of 5.

Lost over $ 35,000.00 in savings to funding my MAJOR AIRLINE PILOT JOB making mortgage payments. ( my fault for not budgeting ). Keep in mind we live in a 1989 split level home 30 miles East of Seattle. This house was a fixer upper when bought in 2006.

And pilots are overpaid ???? **ck that Sh** !!!

 

[N813CA]

Why do you hate these parents that make an effort to pay for their childrens education? Even if it is $100,000 +. I have to respect the parents for starting a college fund 30 years ago. Sick and tired of hearing about it.

 

[QOL_is_great:)]

I remember my first year in the regionals (Jan 99-Dec 99) and with the last two months as a captain I made $19K for the year. Well below the federal limit to receive gov't. help with my family of four.

Only reason I couldn't recieve the money is I worked a part-time gig (national guard pilot) and that small amount of coin pushed me over the cutoff. I wanted to continue to my service after leaving active duty and also knew hard work was better then being a slacker. It caused more time away from home but it worked out in the end.

View Airline Pilot Central for pay scales. Remember the pilots my earn a certain amount of coin per hour, but that's for maybe only 80 hours of pay per month.

Example via the above mentioned web site. A B1900 FO earning $20 per hour on 3rd year pay is flying 80 hours per month is only bringing in $1,600 gross. If that same pilot has 12 bid periods and each is 80 hours credit per month then said pilot will see $19,200 for the year, gross.