Would you.......

[Browntothebone]

Not many FO's making 150k/yr.

This one does. And that's without any open time or working my a$$ off.

 

[CopilotDoug]

The regionals is a 100k/yr job after 10 years.

That's a big roll of the dice. To put it more accurately: The regionals MIGHT be a $100k/yr job (If you're airlines doesn't go under, if you don't get furloughed, if your pilot group doesn't take pay cust, if...if...if...)

 

[Dubya]

The majority of my friends with professional degrees making six figures spent close to the same that I did on their schooling. (doctor, lawyer, MBA, Phd) Those that make that kind of coin in sales or other jobs with only a bach. deg. work their assses off to get that pay. It is easily conceivable that a regional captain will make six figures WITH 16,17 days off per month. ALL of my friends are flabbergasted at that. Throw in the travel bennies and the fact that my job ENDS the second I am released...i'd sign up all over again.

Well, we all know that the majors gave up on scope over 15 years ago allowing the creation/growth of the "regional" airline. Now the "regional/national" airlines fly their old routes on smaller, more efficient planes at a fraction of the pay because of their desire to hang on to the very top tier of pay at the expense of entry level jobs at the legacy carriers.

Now they regret it and glare at the kids flying LAX-SEA on a 70 seater. They are suffering now because of their lack of foresight and greed. Now they have to fly til 65 to make up for it all.

You can be greedy and overplay your aces and get busted, or you can value bet and stay in it for the long haul. Now they are on the street (without pension/ taking pay cuts/ giving up bennies...etc.) because of their poor decisions years ago.

W

 

[Browntothebone]

That's a big roll of the dice. To put it more accurately: The regionals MIGHT be a $100k/yr job (If you're airlines doesn't go under, if you don't get furloughed, if your pilot group doesn't take pay cust, if...if...if...)

I don't know why you guys have your bar set so low. You do realize that there are airline jobs that pay OVER $100K/yr after the FIRST year?

 

[Gobi Gred]

When I sat down with the head of the aviation program I was going to attend he basically told me there were no jobs in aviation and that my chances of flying for a major carrier were nil. He certainly didn't sugarcoat what I was getting into. Later the aviation club brought in a guy by the name of Wayne Philips to talk to us about flying for a career. He stood up there and proceeded to tell us that most of us would never fly for a major airline. There was a lot of gloom and doom in his presentation. Needless to say I had pretty low expectations for my career. But I pressed on because flying and airplanes had been a passion of mine for as long as I could remember. I've had some really good luck in my career and while I don't fly for a major airline and don't know if I ever will, I make a decent living flying airplanes. That's what I wanted all along.

 

[CopilotDoug]

The majority of my friends with professional degrees making six figures spent close to the same that I did on their schooling. (doctor, lawyer, MBA, Phd) Those that make that kind of coin in sales or other jobs with only a bach. deg. work their assses off to get that pay. It is easily conceivable that a regional captain will make six figures WITH 16,17 days off per month. ALL of my friends are flabbergasted at that. Throw in the travel bennies and the fact that my job ENDS the second I am released...i'd sign up all over again.

Some BIG differences:
-They can hit the $100k mark much faster
-They start over at a new job, they can negotiate higher pay.
-Total lack of control over career progression as a pilot: You have to roll with the punches. In other jobs, You can set the tempo.

 

[Nindiri]

Hypothetically speaking if there was no majors (SWA, FEDEX, Delta....ect) and the highest paid pilots made $60-70 bucks and hour.

I have always wondered how many would still fly as a career if the most you would top out at is regional captain pay. .

Absolutely. I like making more, but even if I had stayed at the regional, 80K for working 13-14 days a month in a nice aircraft is not a bad deal.

This job is incredibly easy. It's like getting paid money for enjoying a hobby.

 

[instructordude]

I would. 60-70K is a lot.

 

[Dubya]

Some BIG differences:
-They can hit the $100k mark much faster
Working 10 times harder and much more and longer hours.
-They start over at a new job, they can negotiate higher pay.
This MIGHT work in prosperous times and in SPECIFIC job arenas.

-Total lack of control over career progression as a pilot: You have to roll with the punches. In other jobs, You can set the tempo.

Really? Total lack of control? Come on.

Not such BIG differences after all.

W

 

[siucavflight]

In a second, the airlines are not the end all be all, I fly corporate now after a few years at the regionals and I really love my job.