Originally Posted by
Opteryx
OK, I'm fairly clueless on this. If an airline pays $30 an hour, and guarantees 70 hours in a month, you get $2100 a month fly pay (crap!). How many hours is typical (I know, this is probably highly variable)?
Yep, it's absolute crap. But you pretty much have it correct. Take this FWIW, but don't EVER base you financial needs on ANYTHING more than the airline's minimum monthly pay guaranty. Whether it's 70, 75, whatever.
Also, like others mentioned, the method in which airlines pay depends on the contract. One place I worked, the 1st of the month was for the first 45 hours of pay from the previous month. The 15th of the month was for everything flown past the 45 plus the previous month's per diem pay. These checks were slightly more "balanced" if you will.
Another place I've worked, the first check of the month was for 37.5 hrs of pay (half the min guaranty). The mid month was for the other 37.5 plus whatever additional flying done, plus the per diem. This results in a different style, a little check at the begining of the month and less little check mid month.
Originally Posted by
Opteryx
If you get paid $1.80 per diem, that's paid per hour from the time you walk in the door until when? And that's paid on top of the flight pay I assume? Any other $$ to add on to this that a pilot get's paid (not counting the second job as a pizza delivery boy)?
Just to keep this REAL simple. Say you are flying 4 four day trips a month, a 16 on/14 day off 4 on 3 off schedule. I KNOW, with the advent of various things combined with 117, it's NOT SO SIMPLE, bt stick with it. Say your trips are the same, noon show and 2pm releases. That would be 74 hours TAFB (time away from base) per month, 296 hours. As a senior line holder, I had 2 end commutable trips where my TAFB per month was in the 270's. I ALSO had reserve months were I was used every day, and had TAFB that pressed 350-375 hours. Both places I've worked, that per diem was calculated from a 1 hour prior to go time report, and a block in + 15 mins for a trip finish.
Now, if your last day you're running late, naturally you'll get more, till the time you finish for the day. In this example, the per diem is NON-TAXED as your rest periods occur in other than your domicile. If you are doing "day trips", "locals", "turns", or whatever they're called at insert airline here, that per diem is taxed. So if you're showing up 6 am, finishing in the afternoon and going back home/to a crashpad, that 8-10-12 hours is taxed.
And, as mentioned, some airlines don't pay per diem for an airport standby period, some do. Depends on the contract.