the problem
I think a big part of the problem, if we can call it that, is that we fly because we love to fly and management takes advantage of that.
how many times have I heard pilots say, "i can't believe I get paid to do this"? And these aren't guys who belittle their qualifications, like the shmucks who tell pax that they just push the button on the autopilot and have nothing to do until the plane lands itself. And they don't say that because they didn't work themselves silly to get into their position, or because they don't know they're among the highest qualified professionals in the world, and it's certainly not because they don't sweat out every checkride and medical.
No, they're doing what they want to do. Problem is, there's a high premium on that, so we accept very low pay.
Most non-pilots don't believe that the FO on a turboprop gets paid less than a social worker. But Mesa can pay that because if I don't take that job, someone else will, and I'll wind up being a CFI forever.
I just landed a part-time job flying Navajos and I'm stoked, even though I think I'm worth more than 25 bucks an hour. The problem is, the market says I'm not worth more because if I don't fly that plane, 200 other guys will trample each other to take it. And then I'll never get the multi hours I need for a real flying job (which will also have lousy pay).
Unless every single pilot put his or her foot down and says they won't fly for below a liveable wage (or an upper middle class wage at a decent airline), we'll always have this problem.
Face it guys, we're as easy as teenage nymphomaniacs after a glass of champagne. The blessing of loving what we do has the curse that we often have to do it on the cheap.
