Originally Posted by
BeechPilot33
The reason the regionals get paid so bad is first there are pilots that are willing to work at bottom feeder regionals. If they couldn't hire anyone they would have to raise pay. Second is the big three trying to get the cheapest labor they can and being greedy and extending "regional" flying, now over 40% of the big 3's product is delivered by regional pilots getting paid 30% of what the major pilots make.
1500 hours cost minimally $100/hr plus instructor pay, multi and incidentals means approx $200,000. The CFI may not be paying that, but his 10 students are. Pyramid scheme alert!!
Entry level making 20K living on food stamps may have worked when airlines hired placeholder FOs and let them build time in training seat - but no más
Or when Joe taxpayer was paying mega billions to train jet jockeys doing touch n gos in a C5A Galaxy - no más
Now with $200K going into the making of an ATP - how did anyone ever think paying $20K would sustain. Majors overpaying their pilots (harkening back to regulated flying $1400 coach NYC-LAX) and the pilots wanting to maintain that ancient pay/QoL model is what led us here. The 1500 ATP rule is the tide that went out and exposed those without swimsuits.
By 2018, entry level ATP qualified pilots will be getting $100K. You heard it here first boys n girls
And get ready for airlines getting involved with 2-300 hour pilots. It's starting already. Same model as before - airlines pay for the training from 200 hours onwards