Originally Posted by JDFlyer

You are pulling alot out of your arse . . . .

For about the 5 millionth time . . . . Skywest pilots, by choice currently HAVE NO UNION. We are paid essentially industry competitive wages by Skywest management for the skills we offer to the company.

Our SAPA pilot representatives do NOT determine how pay raises are allocated. They will make proposals to management, but the final pay rates are ultimately approved or disapproved by management at Skywest.

If you or Paid2Fly are envious of Chips pay check, I suggest both of go apply for his job. The marketplace will determine whether you get it or not. Just like the market place determines what a CRJ FO and CRJ CA are literally worth. If you don't like those numbers either, I suggest you do the best job you can today, polish your resume to a golden shine and tomorrow go get a job somewhere that will pay you what you feel you are worth.

(Remember the film "Trading Places" when Day Akroyd's character is trying to pawn some kind of fancy, expensive watch, the pawn trader tells him, "In Philadelphia, its worth $50 bucks." This is our reality as regional airline pilots. Take it or leave it. My plan is to leave it. I have not a clue what yours is.)

Hermann -

If we are to pay people based on how much they have "invested" in their career, all the trust fund kids or kids of rich parents who sent them to Embry-Riddle or any other zero-to-hero pilot mills should be taking big fat pay cuts. "They" didn't pay cr@p for their job - their parents did.

For the record, one of the most resourceful people I know, who is a SLC FO, paid, out of pocket about $5000 to go from zero fight time to Skywest newhire CRJ FO. I suppose he should probably be paying Skywest for the honor of sitting in their right seat. Wait . . . maybe he should be giving $100 bills to the FO's with say $75,000+ aviation debt.

When it was all said and done, I probably paid $20,000 or so out-of-pocket to get to Skywest from zero flight time. I know . . . I know . . . . that practically makes me a communist. Remember, there is no "Havard School of Aviation" - all our licenses are the same, all are government issued. If you or anyone else on these threads paid $50,000 or $75,000 or $100,000+ for this job, that was YOUR or your PARENTS choice. Don't ask me to compensate you for those decisions. Don't continually punish Skywest for the economic realities of an industry that exists in a constant state of upheaval. Our management teams is one of the best in the industry.

To finish this post with much less sarcasm, and hopefully a few constructive thoughts:

1) I truly feel the pain that all regional airline FOs feel. I was one once. Yes, you deserve more money for your time, your skills, and yes even your investment. We all do. But ultimately that fight is with the consumer who buys our services.

Be patient, you will make Captain one day. On that day you may feel different about why Captains are paid more than FO's for their services. Luckily there have not been many, but there certainly have been days when I gladly would have been flying on the FO's "ticket" and have the entirety of his future career at great risk instead of mine.

2) While easy to do, carefully consider whether the anger or hostility you feel is in fact correctly directed at Skywest management, Skywest Captains, SAPA, Crew Support, etc.

OR

is it more fairly directed at an airline industry that has dramatically stagnated in the last few years. Where the economics of our industry have forever changed the compensation structure and work rules that we all must live with in order to even have a career.

Peace, my fellow aviators. Fly safe!