Originally Posted by Triggs

Actually, between the base pay, selling back their 2 weeks off, and getting $180/hr for everything over 80hrs, they are making considerably more than a 5th year captain

Originally Posted by randomroute

The real scandal is 811 actually flew!

Also, lets just cut the crap with this notion that we get paid as much as the contract pilots do....

As a home based Swift F/O...your monthly gross is less than $3960.00. Why is it less? Because we dont have a traditional airline guarantee. We get 60 hours a month x 12 months. We then divide that value by 52 to get $913.84 per week (pretax) or 13.84 hours per week. WE DONT HAVE AIRLINE PAY OR PAYROLL SOFTWARE. CANT AFFORD IT!!!

So with our bi monthly pay...the first check of the month is $1827.69 and the second is $1827.69 + OVERTIME AND PER DIEM.

Needless to say, the second check is the one you pay your bills with and send to bank if you need a loan🤷🏽*♂️


Now, lets compare a typical month to a contractor. I have yet to break 60 block hours while working vacation express. So, with 18 days “on” and 12 days off, my monthly pay looks exactly like this:

1st check= $1827.69 (pre tax)
2nd check= $1827.69 (pre tax)+ $1231.20 per diem.

After taxes I get a monthly total of $2851.19 + $1231.20 per diem-=$4082.39.....

$4082.49 is less than $50k after taxes. But gee whiz! I forgot the bonus that has been paid late (you have to remind payroll ((whoever that is)) to give you the bonus) and it is taxed as retroactive pay so that $15k bonus the first year (no its not $25k) for me is just over $11,000 which would work out to be an extra $216.34 per week (but its not paid out weekly).


So lets compare that to a contract F/O that makes $9K (pre-tax) and if they are an American citizen, makes $2786.40 in per diem per month... the numbers are already larger arent they?

That works out (at my tax rate) to $6750 post tax + $2786.40 per diem-= $9536.40.....

Thats $114,436.80 annually.

So now that the math is out. I REALLY dont want to read anymore BS about how they arent getting paid more.

Even if these contractors didnt get the IRS protection of receiving per diem, they are still getting what amounts to $81,000.00 annually. Which is still more base than what I make.


I have a baby, bills, and work expenses. Who is making out?

Its a personal offense to have someone who hasnt even thought of the math talk about how contractors arent making more than me. And DONT GET ME STARTED ABOUT THE JOBS THEY TOOK FROM ME.

WE ARE ALL WAITING FOR THAT “CALL”.

If you want to make money here, you need to work on your days off. You only get 12 being home based. At minimum, you’ll have to work 2-3 for positioning and travel. That makes sub par QOL. Especially for an extra $222.75 per day off (my tax rate at 150% day off pay).

Dont let anybody fool you. YOURE GONNA MAKE $#!+ pay to fly $#!+ planes in demanding environments with little to no support from management or operations and have a boss that will always always always tell you “well its legal to fly” (dont want to accept a/c), “whats the problem?”(MEL), “find a hole” (request delay for storms), “you want to be a captain here one day, dont you?” (request to ground an airplane in MIA). A real winner.

Too much B$ For too little. Why sign up for this?

Originally Posted by Jeff90

Don’t be home based I’m Miami based and for a FO IM KILLING IT I WORK 3-4 days off a month and make almost base of a captain if not more than that, it’s not that bad here. Great crews a lot of hardworking people want to see this place get better, relax enjoy your time eventually this 2 years or whatever when your at American etc etc or wherever you want to go, it will be nothing enjoy your career don’t bash it is my saying.

Originally Posted by symbian simian

Not sure if I am not drunk enough or too drunk....

Originally Posted by randomroute

You dont “get it”. I could be at cape air working my @$$ off for good pay and 3 days off hoping for a better job.

Originally Posted by captjns

So what’s holding you back? Cape Air is hiring.

Originally Posted by Hellafo

You belong at Swift.