What's a major airline pilot worth?
#61
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Just my $.02, but I don't see any politician touching the RLA. This would potentially cause some union strikes thereby affecting the their constituents. No matter how much money or large the unions get, the general public's perception will continue to win. I agree the RLA needs to be changed, should have been with deregulation. But that change will need to come from somewhere else besides the political system.
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#62
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Just my $.02, but I don't see any politician touching the RLA. This would potentially cause some union strikes thereby affecting the their constituents. No matter how much money or large the unions get, the general public's perception will continue to win. I agree the RLA needs to be changed, should have been with deregulation. But that change will need to come from somewhere else besides the political system.
How do you propose to change the RLA outside the political system? I'm at a loss to think of one. By it's very nature the RLA would have to be modified or replaced by an Act of Congress. (double entendre intended!
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Denny
#63
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Hopefully it won't take 12 years for someone to accumulate the proper certificates/ratings to get into the airline world (training only - I'm not necessarily referring to instructing, Part 135 flying, timebuilding, etc). On the other hand, with the tuition/board/flight fees that a lot of universities are charging these days, it's quite feasible to pay more than $200,000 for a 4 year degree including flight training. Is that the only way to go? Absolutely not. But for those that do go that route (and even a lot of those that don't) it can still take decades to pay off those loans.
#64
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It takes someone about 12 years to become a doctor. Plus it costs at least $200,000 to go to medical school and it will take them years to pay off their student loans.
I have no idea why people keep comparing pilots to doctors. When you don't show the true woes of the industry you get the starry-eyed shiny jet kid running to get into the rightseat. Hopefully with all the lights on the problems in the industry in the last two years the SJS people will think twice beforing starting training... thats a good thing for everyone who already flies for a living. Supply and demand.
#65
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From the same starting point (18 years old) it takes at least 25 years to become a major airline captain. And the cost to get there in training and below market wages working your way up is way more than $200K.
Last edited by APC225; 06-08-2011 at 08:18 AM.
#66
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Regardless of the imaginary powers we attribute to various unions and labor laws, the only really important law is supply and demand, along with a business plan that makes money over the long haul.
#67
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#68
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Just my $.02, but I don't see any politician touching the RLA. This would potentially cause some union strikes thereby affecting the their constituents. No matter how much money or large the unions get, the general public's perception will continue to win. I agree the RLA needs to be changed, should have been with deregulation. But that change will need to come from somewhere else besides the political system.
Clearly, the pain of RLA is not bad enough. When pilot unions decide that it's enough and call a general strike and damn the RLA... it'll get ugly, but that's probably THE ONLY way you'll ever get rid of it.
#69
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Problem is that 90% of "airline pilots" are uptight, white republicans living a blue collar labor existance.....wear a uniform and a name tag....you are blue collar....period..embrace it... go out and ply your craft and quit being closet ceo's....college degrees in the last 18 years are nothing more than the high school of your predecessors
Thank you in advance.
Carl
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