Better push the first or second year out a ways. Four years at US airways will get you $75/hr. Yeah, I know we suck. To top it off I'm trying for Alaska so I can make $35/hr my first year. Wa hoooooooo!

 

I don't remember any of my calculus but I am haunted by the memory of my statistics classes.

Take a standard distribution. On the std symetric bell curve, the mean and the median are equal and bisect the hump of the curve. The area contained beneath the graph is equal on both sides of the median. Stretch the curve in one direction or the other and the mean follows the extremes more than the median.

If asked this question on a test: Given a population of whiney pilots, paid between $20k a year and $400k a year with a government provided median value of $135k a year, is the mean value less or more than $135? You honestly don't have the data to answer the question without a doubt. However, in any kind of statistical distribution that didn't exhibit the dreaded "double hump!" the mean will tend towards the extreme values.

If you are thinking about some double-humped distribution, then the mean can be anything. I don't think this is possible considering that there's really not that many pilots on the very low end of the scale and that for every regional F.O. on food stamps, there's a Captain sitting right next to him who is making twice his income, meaning there's probably not a sharp spike on the left side of the population.

 

Perhaps we should group pilot wages into $5k blocks and then just report the mode of the block data. That might be the most meaningful data presentation--'the biggest group of pilots make this much $'
I think you'd most likely find that the mode would fall between the median and the mean and therefore put an nail in the coffin of this endless tennis-match of an argument.

 

I notice that not all regional airlines are listed.

Heck, I know of 5 just in Alaska that aren't listed, and that's only considering "serious" airlines for Alaska. Frontier Flying, PenAir, Hageland, Bering Air, Grant Aviation.

Others here in AK such as Warbelos aren't listed either. These are all companies offering scheduled airline service. Frontier and PenAir are 121 and I believe Bering is as well. The others are 135 but Hageland and Warbelos have 1900s (ok, Warbelos only has one at this point). Warbelos and Grant are trying to get 121 status. Everts (see below) is trying to get passenger 121 (already 121 cargo). I think Hageland has given up on 121.

Cargo carriers up here such as ACE (Alaska Central Express), Everts (Everts pays fairly well, starting pay as a flight engineer is more than what many F/Os make at regionals), NAC, and Brooks fuel aren't listed either. Don't forget Desert Air... still think it's funny that Desert Air operates in Alaska.


Some regionals have really high turnovers and thus you are more likely to find junior guys as well.

Honestly, to actually have the *answer* we'd have to have every pilot's salary.

 

Thank you Mike! An explanation of your 15 percent reference is all I really asked for. Somehow you thought it was necessary to set me up and make assumptions about me because of my comment about the NY Times. Courtesy and decorum are things I wish there were more of on the anonymous internet.

This is off subject so I apologize. You are correct about my leaning right (I used to be a Dem). Just as I would never ask my 96 year old grandmother to vote for a Republican (she is still in the Depression with her political beliefs) I would not disparage her either. I do find it confusing that she is against abortion and other liberal causes but votes Democrat in all elections. My family is all Democrat except for my father and I. My Aunt hates Bush so much that she said she wouldn't take a tour of the White House while he is in office. We have interesting conversations as you can imagine. I did vote for Bush (I also voted for Gore many years ago) and I can tell you I am pretty disappointed in how he is handling things. You can argue back and forth about whether we should have been in Iraq in the first place and I won't even begin that now. I would say that your comment on health care and other "social" issues would be in conflict with my ideas but I will not resort to name calling (Socialist is a description of ones beliefs) or somehow suggest that your flying abilities are to be questioned because of your political beliefs.

I will always fall back on one thing I have said for years. Pilots are know-it-alls, but usually are experts at nothing. Including myself.

 

I counted the big mainline airlines with about 51500 pilots. Then aLL the regionals listed on APC only add up to 22,000 appoximatly. So of course they are going to be alot of small outfits all over the states.... but still wouldnt overcome that 20,000 pilot gap

 

I read your post again and i missed that point the first time. I agree with you on it.