Originally Posted by Tinpusher007
I have a question for all those who say that airline pilot wannabees are ruining the industry by accepting jobs for low pay. What are those guys supposed to do, exactly? They can make no demands on pay walking in the door. The union doesn't even know them (because they get no money from them). Are they supposed to put their careers on hold to improve the pay and QOL of incumbent pilots? Pilots who do have a voice in collective bargaining and on some level AGREED to the contracts that pay peanuts. Are all the prospective newhires supposed to back off so that management has no cheap labor to come in and keep them in business. Im not trying to inflame anyone, I am asking all these questions seriously, and I do appreciate where the incumbent pilots are coming from. I agree that this is a dying profession with adequate compensation in a deep downward spiral. But I too may be looking to get on with a regioanl airline to build my turbine time and then I would like a job with Netjets or some other fractional rather than the majors. But for ppl like me, we are stuck in a big catch 22...ie...we need hours to get a job, but also need a job to get hours. Anyway, honest answers and input would be appreciated.
You're correct for the most part, it IS our fault. However what has changed in the last 5 years or so is the increased use of PFT pilots...
In addition to the operational experience aspect of accumulating 1000+ hours as a CFI, you also see certain unpleasant aspects of aviation employment, ESPECIALLY the QOL abuses that are universally perpetrated by aviation employers in a non-contract environment. By the time you're done with that you've had enough of working for peanuts and getting abused.
The PFT folks come in on an airline seniority list with no clue; they go through their learning process while earning seniority ahead of the CFI's and while driving down the compensation of the industry as a whole. additionally they are willing to work at any airline that will hire them, while CFI's tend to be morte selective (I know some who refuse to take a job at Mesa, even after they were rejected by SKW).
A pilot's group negotiating horsepower can be severly impacted by PFT, if there is enough junior PFT on property, it makes it very difficult to strike. The reason for this is that typically a junior regional pilot would be willing to quit or strike and go work somewhere else if conditions are bad enough...but the PFT crowd CAN'T get a job elsewhere, so they are afraid to strike and risk killing the company or getting furloughed...the last thing a PFT airline pilot wants to do is wind up on the streets and need to get a CFI to build PIC time....
Management is very adept at feeding the fears of the inexperienced with threats of doom, gloom, furloughs, slow upgrade, etc.
