who do you work for as an F/O making 40K a year in a 1900. Let me know cause I got a resume I need to send.

Frontier Flying Service... be wared... you need to be able to brave 40 below and 40 knots of wind (crosswind landings up to that are a norm here, not an exception), and you also have to be prepared to fly 1400 hours a year as well as work your butt off. Still beats CRJ FO pay for a few years.

Also the 30/hour is what it averages out to in my case, regular pay is 15/hour + 50/day + any perdiem if the assignment calls for it.

So what you are saying is that your not really paid 30/hr for flying the B1900. Its ok, No one is mad...

But yo make: 15/hr and 2.08/hr PerDiem. On top of that you work 50% more than the average Regional FO flying, since you said you fly 1400 hours a year. Also what does working your but off mean exactly?

But I agree with you on one thing. Working conitions do need to improve for all sectors of Part 121 flying and also some other areas as well, as you pointed out.

It's actually very hard to not average at least 30/hour, since the less you fly the more you make per hour, it's backwards, but the daily wage and the per diem make it work out that way... per diem is also not 2.08, it's based on if you're overnighting somewhere etc. etc., sometimes a flat 25/day sometimes 85/day, during the summer or when they're short on guys in your seat at a base it can give you an easy extra 200/check at least for being away from home for two to four days).

I also sleep at home 9/10 nights, can afford my rent, don't need to commute or have a crashpad, and working your butt off means you get to help unload and fuel (along with the CA) in certain outstations, it's not for everybody, but I'd rather fuel a plane than spend time being overnighted in 4 different cities on one trip.

A pilot that lives in base at the airlines like you live in base for your employer can also be at home every night if they bid day trips. Provided they are senior enough. While I am not trying to take a jap at your work schedule, pay, or anything else, I do want to show that there are several things to look at when considering Pilot working conditions.

A company that sets up a new shop needs to realize that pay alone does not solve the problem but neither does just work rules. Its the whole pie that needs to be fairly organized and divided.

HSLD put it best with a simple "you get what you pay for" statement. Ever pilot wants to work for a company that makes money but they also deserve to be at a company that has a business plan that does not require substandard conditions for its employees.

However you wanna look at it, the bottom line comes down to the fact that I make a great wage at a company where I like working, it's not substandard, it's part of the job.

Thank you guys for the info so far. I flew the line and I know what I and the other pilot's wanted. I also look at what the company needs. That's why I'm saying 4 day work weeks, gives you time to commute home on your weekend, a good flight pay with profit sharing for everyone. What else?

Right now I'll settle for a good, steady job!

Once I get that piece sorted the rest is easy.

*A business where the employer and employees work together to achieve a common goal, the success of the business. Without that, point one goes down the drain.

*The ability to grow with the company based on merit.

*Mutual respect in the employer/employee relationship.

As I said, right now I'll settle for the first point so if you know of someone in need of a good employee send them my way!

Most line pilots will pass the checkrides, show up on time and complete the trips per FAR's and company procedures. Considering that all of these are met, a pilot's contribution to profit or loss are, effectively, equal. How do you determine merit?

My point; Merit based systems do not belong at airlines.

I think it's great that you thoroughly enjoy your line of work, however, be very careful when you blatantly say you make a great wage. Being very young and without a family to raise, $30 an hour still sounds mediocre (way short of great), however, when you throw in how much you spent on flight training, how hard you work and in what type of conditions, and then top that off with a family of 3 or 4 to feed, $30 an hour starts to look like slave labor. Give it time, and never stop striving for better.
As a regional FO back in 2002, with an average of 16 days off, I made $37 an hour. Throw in inflationary adjustments and one can clearly see the scale has been sliding way down...... Sad.
BTW: per diem is not part of your salary or wages so it should never be included in what you make. It exists because it has to, not because your employer wants to pay you extra.
Fly safe and be careful with those crosswinds:)