Originally Posted by
LodyDivots
This is exactly right. It might be cool, for a second, to your friends, that you fly a mini 737, or that you fly a jet, period, but that coolness will wear off, quick, when you tell them how much you make.
To the generation of pilots, who is willing to fly mainline aircraft, for crap wages, you may find it cool and you may think you have, "bragging rights", to your friends, and family, but they will be laughing at you, all the way to the bank, as they buy their homes, raise their families, go on vacations, and actually have a retirement to look forward to. Meanwhile, you can fly your 70+ seat, mainline jet, for regional wages, and stay in your crash-pad, eating your top ramon. You'll be cool, though, because you fly a big jet! ROFL!
Ok who are we kidding. No new pilot, no highschool student looking to be a pilot, and no current student learning how to be a pilot actually thinks he/she is going to make a killing in this business. The good ole days of smartly dressed captains flanked by smartly dressed "stewardesses" descending the steps of a shiney new Boeing Jetliner, donning his aviator glasses, and clutching his brand name briefcase, headed to his florida winter beach house are over. The regionals didnt kill pay wages. Deregulation did. We all know that there are a million other better paying jobs to be had. But most people now days choose this profession not because of the glamour and the high pay, but because its what they wanna do. The same reason ppl choose to be teachers, police, firefighters, or join the military. It certainly isnt for the pay. So if it means being proud of the jet they fly or bragging to family and friends...let them have that moment. Capt Sully makes 120,000 g's. At least thats what I've been led to believe reading other threads. I hardly think the problem is at the regional level.