Why do you do what you do

[Flechas]

That's twice in two weeks you made me spit !!!

I didn't know Stifler's Mom was against swallowing......

 

[Twotter76]

Well lets see here in the course of my second year (at this airline) I have been to Hawaii (x2), London, Cabo San Lucas, Colorado, and Alaska on my time off (which is ample). I am taking my third trip to Hawaii next month and then I am going to follow it up with some fishing in Alaska (again). I am able to finally start making some headway towards paying off my substantial debt and my savings account has money in it (well it did until I went to Vegas). I average somewhere between 14-18 days off and 90-100 hours of pay. I will break $50k on second year pay.

Yeah there are absolutely drawbacks (commuting, displacements, junior manning, godd@mn concessions) but they are far outweighed by the positives. Its all about QOL but if you can make some money while maintaining it - more power to ya! And on top of it all, my job really isn't work to me, I look forward to the trips I fly. I haven't found too many other sources of employement that allow me all the benefits I get my flying job so I think I will hang on to it a little longer yet...

 

[PilotOnTheRise]

First year regional pay is not very good, obviously. But second year pay usually increases fairly well. Within a year, at most regionals, you can be making $30K+ (not that it is a ton of money, but livable). When you think about it, pilots are not alone. Most entry level jobs, right out of college don't pay much over $30K. Of course this does depend on your field, but this applies to most. As a regional FO, consider it your entry level job. Pay is not great first year, but second year it is definately livable. With each year you get a pay raise, regardless of how small. Not many people can say that about their job. And, usually within a few years or so you can make captain. Captain pay is more than liveable, even with the regionals (most of them). You can be making close to $50K+ your first year and it goes up each year thereafter. Do this for several years and then its on to the majors. This is when you know it has all paid off. You can then look forward to your eventual six figure salary.

It is easy to come into a regional forum and discuss low pay. Truth be told, pilot pay is one of the highest paying jobs in the nation. I've seen this stated in a number of places, including the "Occupational Outlook Handbook" put out by the government every year or two. It just takes time, like with any job, to work your way up. You cannot expect a six figure salary your first day. Doctors don't even make close to six figures their first years. In fact, most don't make much more than a first or second year regional FO.

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Okay kid...prepare to get slammed on this idealist view of the world!!! The responsibility thing ( passenger etc) getting paid only when the door is shut (if xjt your guess is as good as their's) and of course the company sometimes likes to screw with ya!!! The problem is 2 year fo makes (hourly x Guarantee which ranges 70-80 hours) jack sht compared to most professional jobs requiring experience(hours of flight, training equals a degree in a lot of cases)!!! Aviation is the hardest field to break into while being the most unstable, just ask the employees at United, USAir or even Continental who just took a major pay cut!!! For most the "flying big iron" dream is no longer a reality. I love your view of the Airline industry and positive views but it is not really realistic in todays current market. For some the "Regional airline" (althought they fly to Canada and Mexico) is going to be a career not the "big airlines"!!!! In my opinion those days of the Regional Just a stepping stone to the majors is over!!!


These are just my thoughts right or wrong!!!!

It may have been a little idealistic and a bit simplified, but basically what I am saying is that entry level pay as an FO on any regional is not much different than pay for any entry level job, out of college or not. This is for MOST jobs, not all. I realize pilots are highly trained and many on top of that training have a degree to go along with it. But, as I said, even a doctor doesn't come out of school making six figure salaries. They often stuggle like the regional FOs in their first few years, and they are saving lives for a living, in the most literal sense, not just having 100's of lives in their hands.

I agree regional FOs deserve more pay. But the pay does come, and the salary is livable, it just takes some time to get there. The airline industry is always changing and is very unstable, I realize that. It is hard to get into, and it does require alot of training and experience. The majors are having problems right now, but this has happened before in the airline industry, and things straightened out. Remember that even the regionals not long ago were not even hiring, and now many are hiring at a pretty good rate. It is only a matter of time, even if it is years ((fingers crossed)) that the majors will hopefully begin to pick up again. Right now we see Continental, SouthWest, JetBlue, AirTran and probably some others hiring. We also see some of the majors such as Northwest, etc., beginning to call back some of their furloughs (as little as they may be calling back). It is certainly an improvement over 2001 and for a few years after that. It may be an idealistic, or hopeful view, but I do believe things will begin to straighten out. I have to be hopeful, afterall, I will be entering this industry within a couple years.

 

[DirkkDiggler]

Hey Pilot on the Rise. Keep up the positive attitude. We need more of those around this profession.

 

[FN FAL]

That has a lot of do's in there huh?

I am a new guy and I want to ask...

Why should someone with flight hours even strive to be a "professional pilot" at a regional or any airline for that matter?

Because deboning chickens is more funner?

 

[FN FAL]

It may have been a little idealistic and a bit simplified, but basically what I am saying is that entry level pay as an FO on any regional is not much different than pay for any entry level job, out of college or not. This is for MOST jobs, not all. I realize pilots are highly trained and many on top of that training have a degree to go along with it. But, as I said, even a doctor doesn't come out of school making six figure salaries. They often stuggle like the regional FOs in their first few years, and they are saving lives for a living, in the most literal sense, not just having 100's of lives in their hands.

Uhhhh...you hit the nail on the head.

I'm looking in my text book and most Federal L.E.O. start at GS-5, which according to the U.S. Government 2002 General Schedule pay, grosses $22,737.00 a year.

All things considered, it's regional pilot pay. Some pay more, some pay less...but a lot of regional pilots can make 22K a year their first year, depending on trip bids and per deim. Education will net you GS-7 pay to start in federal L.E.O. jobs, which is $28,164.00. Which is close to major airline starting pay or national airline starting pay...maybe even most fractionals.

I don't know where the lives in the hands thing came into the picture, but school bus drivers have hundreds of lives in their hands every day and they get 10.00 an hour part time...probably no benefits at all. One railroad crossing mistake and they can kill as many as what's in a CRJ.

I'd say as long as they got 800 hour pilots willing to do the job and standing in line to apply, the pay will remain the same and so will all that goes with that. Not knocking the newbies, but you could be doing banner towing and pipeline patrol or flying boxes at some dump.

Sit up straight in your EMB or CRJ and enjoy the lifesyle you have paid for...it could be worse.

 

[aa73]

Pilot on the rise,

You have to understand that some of the most negative people in the world are airline pilots. Even with the smallest economic recession, they will preach the end of the world, the sky is falling, or some combination of that. What they don't realize, and continue to be proven wrong, is that airlines are cyclical. Some love to preach about a major shift in the industry.... The bottom line is, for the past forty years, anytime there's been a recession - regardless of the reason - you have massive furloughs, pay cuts, BKs, etc. Only to be followed by a hiring boom, expansion, pay increases, etc. This has happened consistently since the 1960s.

Don't let the negatives fool you. You must realize that you do take a huge risk when entering this field. You could very well be one of the unlucky ones who gets furloughed three or four times, or joins an airline which files Ch 7. Or you could be one ofthe lucky ones and hire on with one airline for your whole career.

Yes, the "regional airline" concept has definitley changed. But how has it changed? By aircraft size and routes served, that's how. Pay, however, remains dismal no matter what you fly at the regional level. It barely keeps up with inflation, if that. Now, you can argue that regional pilots can make a decent living, and some make much more than a decent living. But when you compare the salaries that, say, a United pilot used to make on the IAD-AUS route flying a 737, and now you look at what a CHQ pilot makes on that same route, you'll see what I'm talking about. The pay still sucks, and will always suck at the regional level. And now, since we are at the tail end of a recession, major airline pay is nothing to brag about, either. But take a look at some of the concessionary contracts major airlines have signed in past recessions. Only to sign much better contracts once the industry picks up again. That is what you will see at the major airlines once we turn around in a couple of years.

See you at the majors some day.
73

 

[nimtz]

You just have to enjoy what you do, as it sounds most of you do. Regional pilots are probably underpaid, but realize you are not alone. It is no different, as I mentioned before, to most first year entry level jobs. Regionals realize that most of those coming in as FO's are young, often in early/mid 20's and this is their first piloting job, other than maybe instructing. I'll say it again, but I know of noone coming out of college, etc., going into a job paying much more than a regional pilots first few years pay. The pay will come, just be patient.

You must have some really dumb friends cause many of my buddies coming out of college started at firms paying them 50-60K/year.

 

[Geronimo4497]

Hey Pilot on the Rise. Keep up the positive attitude. We need more of those around this profession.

AMEN I say, AMEN

Oh yeah, ba humbug

 

[LAXSaabdude]

I do what I do because it fits the lifestyle I want to live. I work at a regional, and I have been here long enough that I can make a living at it. I'm not getting super rich, but because I actually use my travel benefits, I can sort of live out the "Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous"

In the past couple of years, we have been to Aruba, Cabo, Hawaii, the Philippines, and countless places in the Lower 48 and Canada. Those trips would have been much costlier if we had to pay full fare and full rate on the hotels, but because I actually use my benefits to my advantage, the cost was quite low. The travel benefits alone are worth huge sums of money to me.

Because I do not have children, and never will have any (already saw a doctor to make sure of that ) nothing will interfere with our ability to continue to live out this lifestyle.

If one approaches this field as just another job, and expects to live an "Ozzie and Harriet" lifestyle, they will be sorely disappointed. The most bitter coworkers I have dealt with seemed to have that expectation.

Make the most of your time off, make the most of the places you fly to when you are working, and use the benefits. That's my key to happiness

LAXSaabdude.

 

[Ron Mexico]

The world thanks you for your decision...lol

 

[Shobra]

I understand the title. yeah I can read. I do this because I'm a hopeless addict. My pain is caused by my pleasure, yep that's me. I'm also hopefull that someday, somehow, me and the missis can move up to that beautiful double wide Mo-bile home, he he he.

 

[rgd]

You must have some really dumb friends cause many of my buddies coming out of college started at firms paying them 50-60K/year.

Great response Nimtz. I made more than 30k while I was in school. My buddies out of school would have laughed at a 30k a year job out of college. BTW, there are a ton of high paying jobs out of school that are not 9-5 behind a desk. If you are a pilot for the love of flying, great. If your doing it for quality of life AND pay, you should have become a pharmacuetical rep. You have a better quality of life than a pilot, and you can go buy your own airplane.

 

[regionaltard]

Why do you do what you do?

The judge said it was either this or jail......

 

[Ron Mexico]

Some may say there is really no difference....
I kid...lol

But you can't really do anything else with a "Professional Aviation" degree from ERAU or where ever...so some who aren't real positive get stuck in this because they can do anything else.

 

[1flier]

I agree with mamba, I have been a licensed pilot for 10 years and doing commercial work for 3. The view no matter what the weather has been cannot be beat and thats why I do it. We all know the money is not always there, but we do it anyway because it does beat sitting in a cubicle 8-10 hours a day with everyone else around you complaining about the job. As far as the money, its a varied things as much as our jobs. You can be a Lear F/O making 17K a year or Pipeline Patrol pilot flying a C-182 or 50 year old PA-18 making 40K a year. Airlines are not the only jobs, but like most pilots, I have had more than my share of people ask me when am I going to be a real commercial pilot, not just a flight instructor or charter pilot. If a airline is your destination then great, if you feel you are too old, still try and if it doesnt work, no problem there are plenty of other opportuniites if you look. I say this, enjoy the ride, make it memorable and do not forget why you originally became a pilot, its fun. Everyone fly safe and enjoy it

 

[standaman]

Honor

This job is honorable plain and simple.