all while they shrink to profitablility... lets see.. 112,500 fewer jobs in just the past few years.... and STILL they are 8 billion in the hole this year.... FWIW... I know two guys who are mail carriers...one for about 6 years.. the other for about 20... both of them said they wouldnt wish the post office on anyone....

Grocery store
 

Lets switch to Grocery Store clerk then?

The whole point about using the post office as an example is that they are a common job that is universal to all points in the USA. No job is perfect. There is plenty of hardship to go around these days however I would like to restate that the careers I use in comparison to aviation require little to no training or education yet their compensation is superior to most regional flying jobs.

When it comes to flying I have a great attitude. I just don't like being taken advantage of. Flying for the regionals is a bad investment when all else has been taken into consideration. One way to measure the hardship and risk is through comparing it to other common careers.

When held to that test it becomes obvious that a new pilot today who is paying nearly 200K in college and flight training to make less than a mailman is a very bad deal.

If your friends are mail carriers then my guess is that they enjoy a similar quality of life to yours yet no college or training was required. Ask them how they would feel about their jobs if they had to pay a small fortune for the privilege.


Skyhigh

Tunnel Vision
 

People develop tunnel vision when they have been in one career for a long time.

It is easy to become despondent or complacent when it comes to work. Pilots think they have it great once they breach 40K and forget about the fortune they spent to get there. Mailmen can complain about their jobs when really they have got it pretty good. It cost them nothing to earn their solid benefits package and middle class wages.

Pilots should earn far more for what they have to do. The mailman is going to be able to retire one day. People seem to forget that our profession is not just a playground but probably our biggest investment. As such it needs to be evaluated on its rate of return.

And when compared to most other common careers on virtually all levels it stinks. One way to make the numbers work out is if you can make it to the big time, UPS, FedEx or SWA. The problem is that there just is not room enough for most of us.

Skyhigh

Hey Sky:

There's a great thread going on in regionals about what your first flight was like on the line. Why don't you go over there and rain on everbody's parade?:D

http://www.airlinepilotforums.com/re...l#post971515:D

Regards,
Clutch

I think that first hand accounts of guy's first day on the job does not change the fact that regional jet flying is not a very good financial investment.

I can foresee that the future will have LESS good paying airline jobs, not more.

Leaving the career
 

Clutch,

This section of the forum is about "Leaving the Career".

Skyhigh

SkyHigh is clearly on the right track. If flying is your passion, as it was at one time mine, by all means stick with it. However, prepare for a life of being raped by airline managers that are one step below car salesmen. At my airline the managers sit around thinking of ways to rape the employees rather than beat the competition.

Four year degree and years in the military or years at poverty wages, for what? Flying for the majors today is a job at best. And you may not even get hired. I recommend searching elsewhere for employment.

Competition
 

It seems to me that in regards to the airlines the FAA regulates the product. Manufacturers of the planes standardize the delivery system and the internet has exposed even the slightest difference in price to the consumer.

The only way for an airline to compete is thorough beating up their employees so that they can offer their tickets for $3 less than the other guy.

Skyhigh

I apologize to car salesmen. At least they work for a living.

Union
 

Yesterday a friend of mine bought me lunch so that I could sign his union experience documents. He worked for me a few years ago putting in trim and flooring. He also did some framing and concrete work. His new Union job starts out at 65K for the first two years then moves up to 85K. With overtime some make over 100K per year.

His job title is concrete finisher and the project he is on is expected to last 20 years. I do not think he even has a high school diploma. Full retirement and great benefits. Another friend recently got hired with the railroad. A similar deal. Great wages and benefits. Little training and education required.

Skyhigh