Originally Posted by own nav

While I'm doing my best to stay out of the conversation (I like it when Jetlife and others bring up good valid points for discussion without getting nasty), I must say there is a missing point here.

That is, AMF has changed their pay structure to promote long term employment. While, yes, most pilots are eyeing the shiny airlners, and use Regionals and AMF as a stepping stone, there is now a more viable option to stay around longer if you don't see what you like in your options moving on.

A couple years ago, the difference between year 1 and salary cap on the Metro was about 8,000. Now it is more like 40,000 (with the exception of getting the sign on bonus for having previous part 135/121). The big push now is to get more pilots, not only to capitalize on the demand for the work we do, but also to retain pilots through a better schedule. It has worked for those flying the purple tailed feeders, hopefully it works just as well or better for us without having to give up the second engine by going to Caravans.

AMF is definitely on the blue collar side of the spectrum when it comes to pilot jobs. In a lot of ways, you have to see life from the perspective of Mike Rowe over that of your high school guidance counselor and millennial popular opinion. Not everyone will, most won't. A large regional has literally 20 times as many pilots as AMF.