It seems like this topic keeps coming up, and pilots forget that this is a business, subject to the laws of economics--especially supply and demand.

Yes, it costs a lot to become a pilot at a major--either years of low pay instructing and at a commuter or regional, or giving up several years of your life in the military. Each of us would love to be swamped with money for living through this, but because so many people are willing to do it, the supply of pilots is high. This drives salaries down.

In the early days of the airlines, there were many fewer people capable of being airline pilots. If you think about it, in the 50s the airliner itself had only been around 10-20 years! Now we've had almost a century to "grow pilots," and that has happened--there are lots of folks out there that want to do what we do, and sometimes for peanuts. It's a "buyer's market" for those looking to hire pilots.

Are the "glory days" gone? Depends on your definition of glory days, I guess. I still get to go to work, fly a plane, see the world in a way very few people do, and get paid a decent, if not overwhelming, salary to do so. Could I make more money as a computer geek (my educational background)? Probably. But I also would have tons of paperwork, deadlines, status reports and all of that hassle, too. In aviation, my work is done when the passengers walk down the jetway (or down the steps for some folks). When I go home, work stays at work. My wife likes that (OK, so do I!).

So basically, flying is like EVERY other profession--you ask for the most you can get, and work for what you feel is sufficient. If you don't like the pay in the flying industry, do something else. If you don't KNOW anything else, well then, that was a poor life plan, I'm sorry to say (sometimes the truth hurts, ya know).

For those of you who enjoy the flying life, good on ya. For those who don't, go look for something you DO enjoy--regardless of the pay, life is a lot better when you don't hate what you're doing every day.