I'd rather not have a job than make less than I do right now. Maybe the pilots who are making more than me disagree...but I would not put in the hours and personal sacrifice for anything less than the approx. $1500 a month most of us new FOs make. It just ain't happening.

We're professionals, as such, entitled to some dignity in pay. I don't think your doctor would be willing to stick his lubed finger up your nether regions to check your prostate if he was making less than $20,000 a year. I spent just as much time and effort preparing for this job as a Doctor...

And yes, I love flying...and I'm not doing it for the money...but I sure as hell ain't going to do it for free. Let me define free: anything less than I'm making now. Anyone who would needs a dignity check-up. The more we give up, the more we devalue ourselves and our profession. Like my first flight instructor told me: never give free or discounted lessons: it devalues your profession. I'm sticking to that. Offer me less and I walk - its as simple as that. I'll pick tomatoes in Sinaloa before I take a pay cut.