Actual Airline Pay
02-25-2012 | 12:40 PM
#71
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Joined: Jun 2007
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From: 737 CA
Thanks all! I am finding I'm Having a hard time thinking... and I could really use the help and advice. I'll give you the main points in my decisions...
I don't have any money in the family... well, enough for like 50-70k but that's it. and I have been into flying all my life. My grandfather was personally taught by Paul Riddle in 1927. So I want ERAU to be apart of my life and I want to learn at the Prescott, AZ school. I want the four year collage experience that I missed out on when I went to the Community collage after high school. I want to fly. Anything anywhere. I want a family someday. A wife who is already on a career path and independent.
I have read threads all day saying go to school for a degree outside of aviation. I do have four and a half years of working in accounting, taxes and divorce litigation, under my belt as of now. I feel like I have a good fall back plan and am ready to go for flight training. I understand the math of reality when it comes to the figures of how much pilots can make and what most do make. I want to know is, is the student loans idea a HORRIBLE idea. Can the yearly wages of the first five year in a commercial job pay for the interest so I don't go under right after school...
I don't have any money in the family... well, enough for like 50-70k but that's it. and I have been into flying all my life. My grandfather was personally taught by Paul Riddle in 1927. So I want ERAU to be apart of my life and I want to learn at the Prescott, AZ school. I want the four year collage experience that I missed out on when I went to the Community collage after high school. I want to fly. Anything anywhere. I want a family someday. A wife who is already on a career path and independent.
I have read threads all day saying go to school for a degree outside of aviation. I do have four and a half years of working in accounting, taxes and divorce litigation, under my belt as of now. I feel like I have a good fall back plan and am ready to go for flight training. I understand the math of reality when it comes to the figures of how much pilots can make and what most do make. I want to know is, is the student loans idea a HORRIBLE idea. Can the yearly wages of the first five year in a commercial job pay for the interest so I don't go under right after school...
Don't think it won't happen to you. I know many people that made all the right career moves and made it to a major only to be furloughed twice, lose their home and have to start over again. I fly with guys all the time on their 5th-7th airline! I've been lucky to be with only two so far, but don't think it's in the back of my mind that this whole pirate ship could sink at any time.
03-02-2012 | 08:49 AM
#72
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From: 2172
Something else to consider is that if you saddle yourself with 300k in debt, sure you'll make more as you get more senior and it'll be easier to pay off, but I'd say there's a 50/50 chance you will get furloughed, downsized, downgraded, go on strike, your airline will close up shop completely, or some other career tragedy befall you. Having that much debt and being in an industry this unstable is a bad combination.
Don't think it won't happen to you. I know many people that made all the right career moves and made it to a major only to be furloughed twice, lose their home and have to start over again. I fly with guys all the time on their 5th-7th airline! I've been lucky to be with only two so far, but don't think it's in the back of my mind that this whole pirate ship could sink at any time.
Don't think it won't happen to you. I know many people that made all the right career moves and made it to a major only to be furloughed twice, lose their home and have to start over again. I fly with guys all the time on their 5th-7th airline! I've been lucky to be with only two so far, but don't think it's in the back of my mind that this whole pirate ship could sink at any time.
The main problem with this industry is the complete lack of control you have over your own destiny. Everyone works hard and makes huge sacrifices. But in the end it's the flip of a coin. Get hired on Monday - make captain in 5 years. Get hired on Wednesday - multiple furloughs and financial ruin.
03-12-2012 | 04:54 PM
#73
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Joined: Sep 2009
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Who thinks you are "nuts for liking corporate"?....just not sure why you feel the need to be on a "major" web board bashing the majors.
I am happy you have had a good career but when I came out of the military no one I knew was applying at EAL because it was clearly a dead end road as early as the mid 80s....I have flown with a lot of FO's who flew good corporate gigs while furloughed, and all are very happy to be back....to each his own I guess.
I am happy you have had a good career but when I came out of the military no one I knew was applying at EAL because it was clearly a dead end road as early as the mid 80s....I have flown with a lot of FO's who flew good corporate gigs while furloughed, and all are very happy to be back....to each his own I guess.
03-12-2012 | 05:25 PM
#74
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300k?!?!?! ***? Go be a surgeon and complete like 10 fellowships, buy a small sports team and a Citation.
Seriously, as a UND grad (absolutely TERRIBLE decision in hindsight), DO NOT MAJOR IN AVIATION. Want to be a pilot? Fine. Go to a school with WOMEN first of all (if that's your thing, making an assumption here...), then get all the ratings any other way. I HIGHLY regret not majoring in something else. Biggest regret of my life. Honestly.
Enough has been said about what a miserable industry this is, and I agree 100%, but some of us just cannot help but still want to be pilots. Sucks. It hasn't been terrible to me, but it's been bad enough. At 31, and 7 years of airline jobs, all my friends with no college make more money than I do, have kids, own homes etc.
I am imploring you.... DO NOT GO THERE. Go to a beach college, drink Natty Light, and go on beaver runs.
Enough!
Seriously, as a UND grad (absolutely TERRIBLE decision in hindsight), DO NOT MAJOR IN AVIATION. Want to be a pilot? Fine. Go to a school with WOMEN first of all (if that's your thing, making an assumption here...), then get all the ratings any other way. I HIGHLY regret not majoring in something else. Biggest regret of my life. Honestly.
Enough has been said about what a miserable industry this is, and I agree 100%, but some of us just cannot help but still want to be pilots. Sucks. It hasn't been terrible to me, but it's been bad enough. At 31, and 7 years of airline jobs, all my friends with no college make more money than I do, have kids, own homes etc.
I am imploring you.... DO NOT GO THERE. Go to a beach college, drink Natty Light, and go on beaver runs.
Enough!
03-12-2012 | 07:47 PM
#75
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+1
Exactly right. The capriciousness of this industry never ceases to astonish me.
I have students of mine that are captains at SWA or FDX and I am on my 3rd major (a total of 9 years furloughed twice), 2 fractionals, 1 regional, 1 Corp-135 and 1 freight. 9 type ratings and an FE ticket later and I polish a desk 40 hrs a week. All because I hired on at UAL when I did.
Fair? No. But that's life. I'm not bitter. Just nonplussed.
SCR
Exactly right. The capriciousness of this industry never ceases to astonish me.
I have students of mine that are captains at SWA or FDX and I am on my 3rd major (a total of 9 years furloughed twice), 2 fractionals, 1 regional, 1 Corp-135 and 1 freight. 9 type ratings and an FE ticket later and I polish a desk 40 hrs a week. All because I hired on at UAL when I did.
Fair? No. But that's life. I'm not bitter. Just nonplussed.
SCR
03-13-2012 | 03:52 AM
#76
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Be smart and get a degree in business fly on the side. Get your ratings from some mom and pop flight school if you want to go the airline route at least you won't have so much debt. 300k is impossible to pay on a rj salary. Some pilots get lucky and get hired at the perfect time. Rj job upgrade > 2yrs hired at a major in under 4 yrs short upgrade time and never laid off. Beware because those guys are few and far between. I wasn't so lucky 6 years in the right seat never made over 50k but I did the mom and pop flight school and have zero student loan debt so it's a little easier to swallow. On the flip side I met a guy that was hired at FedEx at 27. I also read a article about a guy the upgraded at ups in his mid 20's. This career path is a gamble, it's like walking up to a crap table and putting all your money on a one roll bet. Not smart unless you hit.
02-10-2013 | 08:46 AM
#79
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Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 122
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From: 737 CA
They're not cheap. My dad is a Gulfstream pilot and he tells me that they pay something like $65,000 for a full G4/G5 initial type course. It would be extremely hard to go pay for a type with no time in type and hope to make it as an independent contractor.
02-10-2013 | 09:08 AM
#80
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From: Reclined
There used to be career progression. There hasn't been for many since 2001. I'm out in a few more years and will gladly give my left seat view to the next guy. That said, FO wages need serious improvement.
I also never understood why Top Step FO pay was worse than 1st year CA pay. When we upgrade, we slide over to the CA pay rate even with our seniority. The only way to have a 1st step CA rate would be to be street hired as one which doesn't happen. This artificially deflates FO pay. Besides, I'm sorry but a 12 year FO should get more than a first year street hired CA on the same equipment.
But what do I know. I just work here
I also never understood why Top Step FO pay was worse than 1st year CA pay. When we upgrade, we slide over to the CA pay rate even with our seniority. The only way to have a 1st step CA rate would be to be street hired as one which doesn't happen. This artificially deflates FO pay. Besides, I'm sorry but a 12 year FO should get more than a first year street hired CA on the same equipment.
But what do I know. I just work here
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