Originally Posted by
Cycle Pilot
Very well written, acl. FTB is smoking something. $100K house? Even with the housing market depressed, we couldn't even touch a decent condo for $100K!
A) I am not smoking anything.
B) I mean I am not smoking just anything.
It's Labrador btw.
C) see highlighted in bold to answer why it was $100K...
Originally Posted by
forgot to bid
Another question, we never really put pay demands in terms of actual annual salary. We play the % game and let the pilot figure it out.
But here is my best estimation of our seniority by category, as we all know 12 years tops it off. But you can look at the FedEx/SWA equivalent aircraft and get a feel of where seniority is and there is my question - what should the average FedEx/SWA equivalent pilot be able to afford comfortably?
For instance
and I'm going to go low ball here just to not persuade the answer:
MD88 B should be able to afford a $100K house, 1 used $10K car every 10 years, 2 kids but no college fund, spouse doesn't have to work.
MD88 A should be 40% better.
That's my low ball. Hopefully you get the point, but should the average be $70K a year? Or $130K a year? Determined by what they can afford.
Originally Posted by
acl65pilot
FtB:
Given this is not the First Rodeo for any aviator, I will submit that a FO on the lowest paying jet in yr three plus of longevity should be able to afford a typical middle class house; 250K, two newer cars with payments of about 400 each, schooling for their children, a college fund, able to put the max per year in their 401K and be able to do everything that a typical manager mid-upper level at a normal corporation should be able to do. That equates to 140-155K a year. It also should go up significantly from there.
Most pilots DAL has hired in the last five years have been doing the military for 10+ years and or the civilian world for 7-15 years. The bulk of pilots hired would be mid to upper level managers on a different career track at a min.
I continue to purport that to attract the best you have to pay em like you respect em.
The idea of a pilots in his mid 40's sitting reserve on the 7ER or 330 making 6K a month with kids going to college is preposterous. That pilot has been doing this job for 20+ years and should be paid in kind. Same goes for the 7ERA that sits reserve and makes 155K gross a year and is in his mid to late 50's.
Personally. Band NB together, the average B pilot and I'm going to say a 6 year pilot (halfway to max longevity), should be able to afford a mortgage on a $350K house with 20% down, a typical 6% fixed rate 15 year mortgage (aiming high) being no more than 30% of the pilots post tax budget.
Given tax rates, I believe that puts said pilot right at $130,000.
If we figure a 75 hour cap, you're looking at $145/hr.
Figure FO's make 35% less than Captains then you're looking at $222/hr for a Captain or $270ish if you interpolate the numbers out to a 12 year Captain rate. Seems high but there is a cap and bow wave being figured in.
That's my $.02.