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Old 05-07-2026 | 07:09 PM
  #1061  
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Originally Posted by Xray678
side note….being an instructor has become way over paid. The vast majority of instructors are seagulls…people who don’t want to fly and are hiding out in the training department. There should not be a premium for them doing what they want to be doing.
I don't want to derail the thread on an instructor pay tangent...but strong disagree.

You would have to pay me a lot more than what they make now to get me to be an instructor here.

I'm all for higher instructor pay, but we need to start by getting rid of DPS instructors and only allowing SLI (or guys on medical leave etc).
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Old 05-07-2026 | 07:19 PM
  #1062  
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Originally Posted by Xray678
side note….being an instructor has become way over paid. The vast majority of instructors are seagulls…people who don’t want to fly and are hiding out in the training department. There should not be a premium for them doing what they want to be doing.
hard disagree I want being an instructor to be a good job, I also want all our instructors to be SLIs. I believe our SLI pay is the lowest of the legacies

this is coming from someone who has absolutely no desire to be an instructor anytime soon.
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Old 05-07-2026 | 09:17 PM
  #1063  
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Originally Posted by Xray678
side note….being an instructor has become way over paid. The vast majority of instructors are seagulls…people who don’t want to fly and are hiding out in the training department. There should not be a premium for them doing what they want to be doing.
Disagree. But our opinions don’t matter. They have 2 LEC reps (just for INS). No way they are cutting benefits/pay. Just look how much they got last contract.
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Old 05-07-2026 | 11:24 PM
  #1064  
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Originally Posted by waldo135
Disagree. But our opinions don’t matter. They have 2 LEC reps (just for INS). No way they are cutting benefits/pay. Just look how much they got last contract.
Only one rep gets a vote (“status rep”)

Least of any council.
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Old 05-07-2026 | 11:41 PM
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Originally Posted by Xray678
side note….being an instructor has become way over paid. The vast majority of instructors are seagulls…people who don’t want to fly and are hiding out in the training department. There should not be a premium for them doing what they want to be doing.
Most people do not want to be an instructor. If they did, they have to go through another interview and then a rigorous and lengthy checkout process. Most instructors I know have said that it’s very stressful, and they get random APD/FAA observations on top of that. Then there is the requirement to become a SME at a ground job (curriculum, CQ development, sim support, etc.), in addition to being a fully qualified and competent line pilot. On top of that, there are more lucrative provisions for UA/AA SLIs. Finally, these “seagulls” have been flying the line 8 months of the year since the hiring boom of 2023 ended (though that may be reversing now).

I think your hot take needs to be put in perspective. Whatever pay premium instructors get, it is deserved.
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Old 05-08-2026 | 12:53 AM
  #1066  
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Originally Posted by Viper25
Most people do not want to be an instructor. If they did, they have to go through another interview and then a rigorous and lengthy checkout process. Most instructors I know have said that it’s very stressful, and they get random APD/FAA observations on top of that. Then there is the requirement to become a SME at a ground job (curriculum, CQ development, sim support, etc.), in addition to being a fully qualified and competent line pilot. On top of that, there are more lucrative provisions for UA/AA SLIs. Finally, these “seagulls” have been flying the line 8 months of the year since the hiring boom of 2023 ended (though that may be reversing now).

I think your hot take needs to be put in perspective. Whatever pay premium instructors get, it is deserved.
Agreed. When I checked out as an ER captain, the APD gave me a pretty good sales pitch on becoming an SLI, including pay and commuting benefits. I tried not to laugh as an SEA - ATL commute sounds like an inspiration for Dante, but we need (and currently have) a ton of good people in that department.

I’d much rather have good people who like teaching who are pushed over the edge of the inconvenience of it by the pay and benefits than those who are on a power trip. You get what you pay for.
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Old 05-08-2026 | 01:49 AM
  #1067  
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Originally Posted by 20Fathoms
Agreed. When I checked out as an ER captain, the APD gave me a pretty good sales pitch on becoming an SLI, including pay and commuting benefits. I tried not to laugh as an SEA - ATL commute sounds like an inspiration for Dante, but we need (and currently have) a ton of good people in that department.

I’d much rather have good people who like teaching who are pushed over the edge of the inconvenience of it by the pay and benefits than those who are on a power trip. You get what you pay for.
This right here.
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Old 05-08-2026 | 04:44 AM
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Don’t forget to factor in SLI pos space commuting and DAL provided hotel rooms.
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Old 05-08-2026 | 09:14 AM
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Originally Posted by Abouttime2fish
Don’t forget to factor in SLI pos space commuting and DAL provided hotel rooms.
Are those hotel rooms on Virginia avenue? I can honestly think of nothing worse than commuting across the country to stay for a few days at a time on Virginia avenue and spend 12 hours a day inside a building with no windows.

I'm glad there are good instructors who do it though..and they should be compensated extraordinarily. It's an important job.
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Old 05-08-2026 | 09:54 AM
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Originally Posted by Abouttime2fish
Don’t forget to factor in SLI pos space commuting and DAL provided hotel rooms.
to my knowledge this is an industry standard provision for Sim instructors.
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