Originally Posted by
Nemack85
Yhea , the 89k student loan is looking pretty brutal, I’m not sure the comment about me and the regional with the bonuses and not being an airlines pilot understand what I mean
lots of ppl like me, decided to go to atp ( I’m a flight attendant for AA and all the pilots have been telling me for quiet a while to get into atp) even though school Was super expensive, it was the fastest way to get those certs , the school really make sure to advertise the partnership with the regionals on purpose because they know they charge lots of money so they try to convince new ppl to Get those huge loans , The way they sell it is to became a cfi, get paid 15/17 $ and hour instructing while you get the cadet money from the regionals which will help you paying your student loan , well Im sure lots of you knows this I don’t have to explain it
its just kinda bother me that comment, who are you to say I should or shouldn’t be an airline pilot
I hope your reading comprehension improves before you hit INDOC otherwise you’re going to have a tough go at it.
You said in your previous post that you went to ATP for the regional bonuses, and that if the bonuses are cut then you see a drastic drop in pilots in the near future. Your words. Correct?
So again, two months ago there was a pilot shortage. Airlines were fighting one another to fill their classes. Today. That shortage is over. Just with TSA and Compass there are almost 1,000 pilots on the street. And if this business doesn’t rebound in the third quarter, there are going to be a lot more WELL QUALIFIED pilots on the street this fall. So no. Regionals don’t have to offer a bonus anymore. In fact, they can be more selective than they have ever been, and could probably scale their cadet programs back for cost savings.
I think that it’s great that you’re a f/a switching to becoming a pilot. We actually have quite a few of them here and most of them are pretty awesome. Nobody told you not to become a pilot. We just said that if chasing a bonus is your reason for doing so, then you’re doing it for the wrong reason.
Cadet programs and bonuses are line items on budgets that are easily adjusted. Many of us here went to ATP, and when that $89,000 student loan comes due, it’s going hang around your neck for a long time especially if you’re instructing for $25/hr before taxes. My ATP bill was only $35,000 and the payment was tough to do on an instructor salary along with student loans.
The point is that you shouldn’t expect a bonus anymore to come to a regional. The market has plenty of people who are on the street, type rated, and ready to start. Best of luck as you plug away at ATP and remember, it’s up to you to do the learning there, they’re just going to give you the tools to pass a checkride, you have to figure out how to actually do it.