Originally Posted by
duvie
Things are quite bleak right now mate. Out of the 15+ Regional airlines I don't know if any are hiring and many of them have pilots on furlough (basically a lay off but with the right to get your job back when the company needs you again). None of the major airlines are hiring right now, many have reported large financial losses and are continuing to cut back flights for both themselves and their regional affiliates.
The Good News: This industry is very cyclical and if you had posted the same message in 2003 you would have heard about how terrible the last few years had been, but little did they know but 2005-2007 saw incredible hiring numbers. I don't think anybody knows for sure when the next big hiring spree will be, but due to the amount of retirements that are coming up, it will be big.
As for your questions about the company paying for your training and in return receiving employment from you, I don't think any airlines in the states offer the so-called "sponsorships" that are available in many other countries. I'm vaguely familiar with them in England, but don't know enough to speak intelligently.
Flying airplanes for a living is an incredible job. Everyday for the last four years I've thought to myself at least once how lucky I was to be getting paid to fly while my buddies are trying to secretly check their personal email in their cubicle. Being away from home for 3 to 4 days at a time is harder for some than others. I'm young and single and love it. I use the travel benefits extensively (Ireland, England and Hawaii in the last three months) and enjoy my time away to read and work out and just relax. Obviously if you have a wife and family it can be harder, but there are many things you can do to improve that, first and foremost, living in your domicile.
Two years from now the industry could have totally turned around or it could have rebounded and hit another snag. Nobody knows, but as long as you understand the risks and rewards going in hopefully you won't be bitter or too obliviously happy when you make it on with an airline. Good Luck and amidst all the hype of training/job hunting/future employment, just don't forget how much you love flying
Looks like you are currently a CRJ FO, right? Some people could argue that you actually get "PAID" to fly. I am glad that you enjoy your job but please let's be fair to the first poster and don't tell him how great it because there is definetlly alot that he doesn't know yet. For instance, your friends may be working at cubicles, but on the weekends they are home with their families and have every major holiday off while you are flying people around with 6 hours of sleep on 14 hour day. I when I worked for a "top" regiona andl I rember looking at my pay check and realizing that I got paid around $50 to fly 50 people from NYC to Chicago! That's really hard to swallow and I certantlly don't qualify this as "getting paid to fly"
To the first previous poster: If you plan to fly in the USA for living then I suggested to look at the pay scales and try figure out if you want to have family living on the edge poverty. Finish your biomed degree and buy yourself an airplane.