Originally Posted by
AlaskaBound
I don't feel like Lakes is a "beginner" regional or even a low time building job. The fact that they FAA granted their proposal to operate 135 doesn't all of a sudden make those pilots, who've been flying 121, any less capable or any less qualified to fly a big "fancy jet". I have a hard time comparing those pilots to those flying traffic watch, banner towing, etc like you do. I think most of them are totally prepared to "take the next step up" because they've been flying 121 all this time. I'd go as far as saying they're probably better prepared...at least most of us have A/P, glass cockpits, FADEC, FMS, etc and all the fancy things that make our lives a lot easier and also make us lazy. I haven't done an NDB approach in years, an ARC hand flown, or entered a hold without the FMS telling me what I should do. I think these guys are terrific pilots who deserve just as much credit as anyone else flying 121.
I would argue that the quote above is precisely why the GLA pay is simply wrong for current pilots. And, market forces indeed are what will change them to where they should be, or eliminate the company that is unwilling to pay the market driven wage.
In the mean time, the market will not drive up the wage if a sufficient number of pilots accept such low wages, so it once again comes back to the result of the choices made by individuals - are they made with a short term goal in mind, or long term goals, and enough insight to understand the impact of the decision / actions on both goals.
Given the above, the information and communication that is generated on these forums, and the effort to get that information into the general public, can influence the rate at which market forces act on wages by influencing individual pilot decisions. So, keep up the efforts, they are not only important, but necessary and perhaps of critical importance right now given the (potential) inflection point that the industry now faces.