People here are whining about my previous post; some are saying "under your proposal, experienced pilots will make the same salary as bus drivers!"

Well, guess what? You're right. But that's just my point: pilots ARE bus drivers. At least as far as salary scales go.

Yes, I'm aware the training costs for airplane pilots are vastly greater than for bus drivers; there's obviously no comparison there. The currency requirements are equally vastly different. So why should pilots be paid like bus drivers?

There's really only one answer: because the market ALLOWS pilots to be paid like bus drivers -- because so many people are interested in being pilots that they'll ACCEPT bus-driver salaries.

I know, I know -- plenty of pilots reading this are saying "No way I'll ever agree to that!" But the facts speak for themselves, regardless of whether some people are willing to accept it: even as mainline pilot salaries have nosedived in recent years, the number of new entrants into the pilot workforce has remained steady. And I think there's one main reason for that.

It's that flying airplanes is inherently pleasurable. Plenty of people are willing to endure a low salary, frequent separation from family, the potential liability, coping with weather, etc., as long as they can fly professionally. And that's really the bottom line, boys and girls. It's the reason why new pilots continue to flood the market, and it's the reason why the natural level of pilot salaries is going to continue to fall.

I simply urge pilots to understand and accept this truth so they can get on with their lives. If some pilots can't/won't accept this, this is a good time to move on to another career field.

After all, there's nothing inherently shameful about being a bus driver -- it's good, honest work. Just like flying.