What's still good about major airline flying?

[AA717driver]

Fly4$--Well, welcome to 'Flightinfo.scum'. As you can see, some of our "finest" have floated to the surface.

I'm sure you have your 5% in the military, too...

(Pretty sad when I feel The General is getting picked on unfairly. )

Bavarian Chef--You're sounding a little surly today. Not like your normal posts. I have minimal Cessna time in the log book but I still enjoy flying whatever it is--757, DC9, G-whatever. You gotta make your own fun these days.

HNY Everyone! TC

 

[Morning Wood]

But I would like to be paid as a professional with respect to my training, skills, responsibilities, time away and the chance of losing my medical.
Yogi

Sadly, you are not going to find that in this industry.

 

[pilotyip]

100K is the doable minimum

Since when is 100K the big bucks? It's people like you that will keep this profession down. Strive a little higher or get out! Years of missing holidays and missing your kids growing up, can you really put a cheap price tag on that? There are pleanty of professions that pay about 100k in the second year with only a degree. (Yeah, I know, Go there myself!) Not for me, I actually enjoy my job, and the people I work with. But I would like to be paid as a professional with respect to my training, skills, responsibilities, time away and the chance of losing my medical. Aim a little higher 'dude', or go do something else.

Yogi

100K is a very achievable wage in the aviation industry after 10 years, what is wrong with than? It is a good income; I have never seen it and am doing just fine. Nowhere did I say you should not try to make more. BTW What is middle class income? is it 46K, 50 percentile, is it 75K, 70 percentile, is in 90K, 80 percentile, is it 110K 90 percentile. Most pilots make a good living compared to the rest of the individuals in this country, and most are doing something they like. BTW2 Am I lowering the bar when I took my present job at 42K/yr? I was unemployed and needed a job and at age 53 you don’t wait around too long for that next job. Did I do a disservice to the brotherhood by taking this management job?

 

[PCL_128]

Always the same lines over and over again from you, yip. The fact that you've never achieved 100k doesn't make it a "good income" for a professional pilot. It just means that you've had some incredibly bad luck in your career. I didn't get in this business to just make 100k. I have far higher aspirations than that, and you should encourage others to have the same rather than trying to justify low expectations.

 

[instructordude]

Yip,

You are a hero in my book. Happy New Year!

 

[FurloughedAgain]

I didn't get in this business to just make 100k. I have far higher aspirations than that

Let's see.

• You've worked for Gulfstream (where we can only assume that you paid tens of thousands of dollars for the privilege of riding right seat in a 1900 for a 100 hours or so.)
• You've worked for Pinnacle. (Clearly the cream of the regional airline crop.)
• And you've worked for AirTran which, up until a few years ago wasn't even on most people's career aspiration radar.

Are you really in a position to criticize YIP's career choices? Are any of us in a position to criticize ANYONE elses?

Frankly I don't see the logic of your career progression if your goal is to make far in excess of $100,000. Maybe you feel that the ALPA fairies are going to descend upon AirTran and suddenly endow you with an industry-leading contract.

I don't agree with everything that YIP says, but I admire the guy for one reason: He still has a positive attitude after all of the crud that this so-called "profession" has dished out for him. The choices he made are no different than the ones that you and I made. Our timing was just different. I, for example, went to work for AirTran in 1998 and was furloughed in October of that year. But for the grace of God there go you, my friend. Your career choices may fail miserably as so many before you have, or you may get lucky. But make no mistake, it is just dumb luck. Nobody in this industry has a functional crystal ball, and you are no exception.

 

[PCL_128]

Are you really in a position to criticize YIP's career choices?

I didn't criticize his career choices. I said he had "bad luck," not that he made bad choices. What I criticize is his constant assertions that $100k for an air line pilot is a good income. I take offense to that.

 

[pilotyip]

What a nice way to end the year

Yip,

You are a hero in my book. Happy New Year!

Thanks for your kind words, goes along with celebrating my 41st Wedding anniversary today. Great gal my college sweet heart who dropped out of college to marry me so we could spend time together before I went overseas. Anyone who would stay with me for 41 yrs, enduring years of family separation, being gone on many special days, like finding out she was pregnant, birthdays, anniversaries and 11 jobs then never threatened to bail out has to be a real special person. In the end the flying jobs may not have all been successful, but this match has been I have been truly blessed. Best wishes for all and I bear almost no one ill will and would love to share a beer with anyone who flies for a living.

 

[vtwo]

Thanks for your kind words, goes along with celebrating my 41st Wedding anniversary today. Great gal my college sweet heart who dropped out of college to marry me so we could spend time together before I went overseas. Anyone who would stay with me for 41 yrs, enduring years of family separation, being gone on many special days, like finding out she was pregnant, birthdays, anniversaries and 11 jobs then never threatened to bail out has to be a real special person. In the end the flying jobs may not have all been successful, but this match has been I have been truly blessed. Best wishes for all and I bear almost no one ill will and would love to share a beer with anyone who flies for a living.

Good on you and your wife. that really is what is all about, Family. Some how it just is getting harder to sacrifice time away for this profession called aviation.

The hey days that we dreamed of are gone for now. happy new year to you and yours

 

[pilotyip]

Would do it all over again

Good on you and your wife. that really is what is all about, Family. Some how it just is getting harder to sacrifice time away for this profession called aviation.

The hey days that we dreamed of are gone for now. happy new year to you and yours

But looking I would change little, it is still a great way to go if you like airplanes and that is why you fly