Originally Posted by
hindsight2020
But that's the thing. People don't enter this industry because they heard the grounded version of reality that most people scoff on this site. The only people who enter this industry with a grounded sense of reality is the career changers or the mil retiree crowd, both which do not rely on the industry lack-luster compensation to survive day to day. In eseence they are hobby pilots. For the rest of the peanut gallery, you better bet your bottom dollars they're coming in with the optimism-bias version of the industry of rapid left seat upgrade, major for 20+ years and six figure wide-body CA position with plenty of days off. That's why they keep lining up at Purdue/ER/UND et al or the allATPs of the world.
So I agree with you that we need to continue pushing forth the truth, but disagree this will lead to less disillusioned-prone people entering the profession. No, if the truth was better received you would simply have less people entering the field outright. No matter how much in love somebody is with aviation, only those who are not worried about paying the rent with this job pursue the industry without abandon. The rest simply delude themselves into thinking sour grapes stories of economic hardship will be an exception to their reality. If they actually internalized the statistically factual version of this industry they would not set foot at all I bet you that. So nothing has changed.
ALPA and other associations need to hit these young guys hard when they're still in school. The average ERAU student probably has no idea that they can make $48,000 their second year at one regional flying a CRJ versus $24,000 at another (those are real figures). All regionals are not created equally, and you're going to be at one for a LONNGGG time despite what the Kit Darbys of the world say.
You say nothing has changed - I'm not so sure about that. Enrollment is low at several schools you mentioned, and financing for flight training is nearly impossible to get these days. I frequently go back to my alma mater, and have seen more pre-ATC types than pilot types recently. You're absolutely right in the respect that there will ALWAYS be delusional youngsters, but I think the secret is out.
Will it get better? Probably not, unless supply and demand change. However, my time at a regional was very similar to my underclass years at every private sector place I've ever worked - you're underpaid and under appreciated. Unless you're with Uncle Sugar, there are no free lunches any more (I can't believe how much I make now for the amount I fly compared to the 121 world). I even have a lot of RN friends that aren't even allotted time to do ADMIN work while on the clock anymore. And to my friends working in Manhattan: I love you dearly, but 8am-8pm + BlackBerry + $120,000/year = not for me.