Should captain pay top out at 150K?

[Amish RakeFight]

I'll admit I didn't read this entire thread, so I'll pose this question: If 150K is not enough, what would be adequate compensation? Someone pointed out that adjusted for inflation, early 1970's pay would equate to about 750K. Is that what the average pilot should be making?

Just asking...

That's whats really funny, but I digress.

 

[instructordude]

And just in case you're wondering, I have a nice house, a garage full of motorcycles, and I'm single. Having way to much fun as a single fighter pilot in my late 20's to be married. Nice shots though. For a 6th grader.

I can relate my fellow bro. I got a motorcycle, nice condo and am single and crazy with the ladies.

Do you street race your bike?? I got mine up to 155 MPH last weekend, left them in the dust.

 

[pipejockey]

Even I think Instructor dude is crazy. I'm just saying that capts that think they deserve 300k are nuts. We even have some at UPS that brag about making 400k. Given the supply of pilots there is no way we should be making that.

Given the supply of 2 bit wannabe Hollywood actors and actresses and wannabe reality stars, which most people could pull off without a problem, I suppose we need to bring their pay into line as well. I mean come on millions to pretend you are someone else while being filmed...HAHAHHA!! Talk about entitlement and chutzpah!

 

[skywiz]

Come on. All I'm saying is that we all know flying is a cake job. Making $150k/year is borderline theivery. My dog could turn on an autopilot.

Besides, other than wowing people with all the dials and guages, we all know the job is pretty simple. With less than a year of training, you might be able to teach a neurosurgeon how to fly the Concorde. With a year of training a pilot couldn't even give a rectal exam.

I disagree with this ridiculous post. Flying might be cake most of the time because most airline pilots have done it for years and years and have lots of experience. But the pay is for when the @#$% hits the fan. (emergencies)

You may be surprised... I would bet that after a year of on the job training, a pilot could perform some surgeries. Those surgeons aren't gods. Yeah, lots of education and experience, etc, but I don't see how it could be much different. Regardless, thats not really the point. Would the public like a 1 year experienced pilot flying their airliner? Didn't think so. (That airline would go out of business pretty fast or there would be a mishap.) Just like they wouldn't like a 1 year trained surgeon operating on them.

 

[pipejockey]

You CHOOSE to have a mortgage on what I hope is a $300,000 house.

You CHOOSE to carry two car payments

I can't believe now one has called you out on this. $300,000 is crap for a home. Ask a NYC based pilot who doesn't want to drive 4 hours roundtrip to and from NYC 4 to 12 times a month depending on schedule, and lives in 1 of the five boroughs of NYC. $300,000 gets you a dump. Are you saying because we CHOOSE to be airline pilots we must live in below average homes? Or drive 4 hours roundtrip to work? Doesn't an airline pilot deserve to live in a slightly better than average home and neighborhood in the city he works in? After all, we aren't cleaning toilets for a living, although RJ FO's are paid roughly the same.

And as for the cars, a minivan for the wife and kids that is reliable and allows you to have the peace of mind that they are not going to be broken down in the dump of a neighborhood you have to live in due to our pay. And a 4 year old Accord for yourself, to drive to work in, far from a luxury vehicle, seems reasonable. We also nned something very reliable. It's not like we have a normal job in which you can call work and tell them you will be late today. No, with us there is hell to pay, and we have to go do a carpet dance in front of CP like little school children, because management treats us like children, who are expected to live their lives for the company.

 

[Freight Dog]

......Coming from a C-150 driver. Maybe when you start flying professionally and understand the responsibility, accountability and experience required from years of work you will understand why our profession should be compensated appropriately. Why does a neurosurgeon make more than a GP? Why does a partner at a law firm make more than an associate? Answer those and you might start to understand. I don't think anyone is saying a capt should make $1 million or anywhere close to it. I think most captains would be happy making around $200K, have good work rules and treated respectfully by management.

One big flaw in your comparison.... portability of income.

I don't agree with JoeMerchant about a lot of things, especially RJDC stuff.... BUT.... maybe you can answer this:

I have 5300TT, 10 years of professional flying (getting paid to fly and not including training), 3 type ratings, 121 (passenger) and 135 (both VIP and cargo) captain experience, ETOPS (Hawaii/West Coast/South and Central Pacific) and domestic (US/Canada/Mexico/Alaska/Carribean) experience. My salary at my previous job was $94.14/hour (10% paycut included - should have been $103/hour)

Unfortunately, my airline went under, and I have to look for another job.

Why is my experience now worth the same as that of someone coming fresh out of ALL ATPS just having completed their commercial multi ticket, Regional Jet Standards course, and 250 hours total time?

OK, so I'm using regionals as an example because a few are still hiring, but OK.. let's use same equipment I flew at my old carrier - B737NG. Does my experience not matter? Why do I have to take $60+/hour paycut to fly the same equipment? Why do I have to leave this country in order to make the same amount of money flying the same equipment I was flying before my airline went under?

I'd really like to know...

 

[waka]

Do you street race your bike?? I got mine up to 155 MPH last weekend, left them in the dust.

Street racing? Not only are you spineless, you're a reckless idiot with no business commanding an aircraft. I hope you end up as a stain on the pavement before you kill someone else.

 

[instructordude]

Street racing? Not only are you spineless, you're a reckless idiot with no business commanding an aircraft. I hope you end up as a stain on the pavement before you kill someone else.

Street racing is hardly dangerous if you do it right, wear a helmet, two beer limit and only on roads with little or no traffic. Its fun to test the limits of your bike and nerves.

As far as me ending up as a stain thats a bit much. Grow up.

 

[clickclickboom]

Street racing? Not only are you spineless, you're a reckless idiot with no business commanding an aircraft. I hope you end up as a stain on the pavement before you kill someone else.

Instructor dude is totally flamerbating but I have a funny story that actually applies.

I too went through the motorcycle phase in my 20's and we all bought crotchrockets with my flying buddies. I got on the turnpike one night and decided that i would open it up. Got it up to 165mph but couldnt read the speedo past 150.. Slowed down drove home the rest of the way at 55 woke up the next day went out to the garage took one look at it and sold it a week later. Sadly the guy thta bought it from me ended up getting killed on it. ( Got Drunk and hit a tree)

Grew up on dirt bikes and three wheelers ( Had a Honda Big Red !!! Yes it would float if you hung off the back of it) but never did the streetbike thing.

Put 2400 miles on it and got it out of my system.. Lucky? Yes Alive ? Yes

 

[waka]

Street racing is hardly dangerous if you do it right, wear a helmet, two beer limit and only on roads with little or no traffic. Its fun to test the limits of your bike and nerves.

As far as me ending up as a stain thats a bit much. Grow up.

Ok, now I know that you're simply flame baiting. You think that you're simply entertaining yourself by playing like you're an idiot in your online alter ego. The ironic thing is that the real you is an idiot. Get a girlfriend.

 

[waka]

Instructor dude is totally flamerbating but...........

Got it now. The loser is on "ignore".

 

[Mamma]

One big flaw in your comparison.... portability of income.

I don't agree with JoeMerchant about a lot of things, especially RJDC stuff.... BUT.... maybe you can answer this:

I have 5300TT, 10 years of professional flying (getting paid to fly and not including training), 3 type ratings, 121 (passenger) and 135 (both VIP and cargo) captain experience, ETOPS (Hawaii/West Coast/South and Central Pacific) and domestic (US/Canada/Mexico/Alaska/Carribean) experience. My salary at my previous job was $94.14/hour (10% paycut included - should have been $103/hour)

Unfortunately, my airline went under, and I have to look for another job.

Why is my experience now worth the same as that of someone coming fresh out of ALL ATPS just having completed their commercial multi ticket, Regional Jet Standards course, and 250 hours total time?

OK, so I'm using regionals as an example because a few are still hiring, but OK.. let's use same equipment I flew at my old carrier - B737NG. Does my experience not matter? Why do I have to take $60+/hour paycut to fly the same equipment? Why do I have to leave this country in order to make the same amount of money flying the same equipment I was flying before my airline went under?

I'd really like to know...

With all that experience you need me to answer this for you? I think you know.

 

[Quimby]

1400 dollars for a college fund? Every heard of a Community College or better yet how about they can pay for it on there own.

Learn to spell, flameboy.

 

[Quimby]

Even I think Instructor dude is crazy. I'm just saying that capts that think they deserve 300k are nuts. We even have some at UPS that brag about making 400k. Given the supply of pilots there is no way we should be making that.

Good for them. If they want to work the system to make 400K, more power to them. So you think they're overpaid? What about some of the actors making crappy movies pulling in millions?

You sure you're not management?

 

[Freight Dog]

With all that experience you need me to answer this for you? I think you know.

I'd just love to hear an ALPA honcho tell me that there's nothing they can do about it. It'll just prove how useless and out-of-date ALPA is.