And that passion most of us share for flying is precisely what airlines like lakes prey upon. They know we do this because we love it and they take full advantage of it. Its up to us to not allow it by not working for companies like them.

I am sure all the pilots at lakes are great people and pilots. But they are shooting pilots as a whole in the foot by accepting such **** poor working conditions

 

This thread is worthless...Lets make it more interesting. I saw some side boob today...

 

Lighten up Francis. Btw, we have all flown with deferred auto pilot, FMS, etc. And not at 170kt but mach .74

 

After dropping their pants to fly at lakes I would hope they would at least land a great flying job after putting up with that. All im trying to say is there are better ways to get to the majors and keep our dignity as pilots. It is professional job and deserves to be paid at least a livable wage to start.

 

You, chaser918, are an example of whats ruining the industry and you need a little dose of reality. You publicly say in other threads that a dream of yours is to fly for Eagle. Eagle, Republic, Skywest, Pinnacle, etc. etc. and their pilots are more than willing to fly their regional jets on mainline routes for fractions of the amount that a mainline pilot would. This industry is going the way of the career regional pilot/regional jet, domestically anyhow, because people like you would gladly take what would otherwise be a mainline pilots work and fly it for much less. What's worse is that these airlines are becoming career places because of people like you are willing to accept reduced pay/qol for life. At least the vast majority of Lakers are there as a short term means to an end. Before you attack the likes of a pilot from Great Lakes, realize that they have never flown a mainline route for dimes on the dollar and have never taken a job from a mainline pilot. The same cannot be said of those at your dream job, Eagle.

Skypilot35, Thanks for the post, as a GLA alumni who started my airline career there less than 9 short years ago and is currently within 3 months of the left seat at my current major, I can say that while the pay and QOL did suck, I would absolutely do it all over at Lakes again in a heartbeat. I honestly do not think I'd be where I'm at, as fast as I got here without my Laker experience.

 

Classy dude. You are wishing for 300 pilots to be out on the streets not to mention ground crew, flight attendants, and others.

Yeah, we get it, the pay sucks. But I flew 100 hours last month and was only gone 12 nights. Flew 85 hours in March and was gone 8 nights, 85 in Feb and gone 10 nights. We all have our reasons, money isn't everything.

We fly Beech's to the middle of butt crack nowhere, how are we a problem for the industry? No one at Lakes has crossed a picket line, no one at Lakes is stealing flying from anyone else. Never heard any mainline pilot complain about Lakes flying from Denver to Liberal, Hays, Great Bend, North Platte, Chadron, Cortez, Worland, Alliance, Scottsbluff, et. al. Just because you can't get hired straight from a pipe line job to Southwest doesn't mean you need to hate on people willing to put the work in.

Get over yourself dude.

 

Sims have no lavs!

 

Tell that to the Mountain Dew bottle I filled as a new hire in the Brasilia sim

 

Great Lakes will most likely not survive too far in the future. With ATP mins being required of all 121 pilots, the pool is already drying up and only the best paying and best QOL regionals will survive and be able to attract the very limited applicants.

 

First of all, Great Lakes is not destroying the pilot career.

This career is being eroded by high oil prices, over competition, airline deregulation, and a massive increase in regional jet flying. Our careers are not being hurt by a Beech 1900 being flown to Worland, WY.

When a 70-90 seat regional jet is being flown between two major cities, by an FO that makes a few bucks more than a Great Lakes pilots; our careers are being hurt.

Great Lakes never stole any flying away from the job that you actually want. No one made a career goal flying a small turbo prop to central Wyoming. Don't bash Great Lakes pilots.

Secondly, with regard to the pay that other regional airline pilots make, I really don't think that Great Lakes pay is used as leverage in contract negotiations. When Pinnacle took concessions, I really doubt Great Lakes payscale was brought up....

Lastly, Great Lakes is a very different choice from an airline like American Eagle. Yes, the pay is less, but the upgrade time is far shorter. By the time an Eagle pilot is upgrading, a Great Lakes pilots is probably a LCA. The quality of life at Lakes is not the best, but the upgrade time is. Our FO pay scale is pathetic, but lately people haven't even been on it for a full year. We have numerous Captains with less than one full year of seniority.

With regard to our pay, our union is working very hard to get us a better contract. The NMB hasn't exactly made the process very quick, but our Union is doing their best, just like every other airline. Our pilots have voted strongly in favor of a strike to help demand a better contract, if the NMB were to allow it.

Its a different airline from the typical, large RJ operator, no doubt. However, our pilot group can actually fly. We have no autopilot, and we fly long, hard days that require true focus and discipline. Most of our FOs don't even have flight directors. These guys know how to fly.

Great Lakes is a stepping stone, just like all the regional airline should be. The difference is, you won't be on this stepping stone for 10 years. We have had Lakes pilots get hired at United, Hawaiian, US Air, Alaska, Spirit, Virgin, Omni, Frontier, Allegiant and XO Jet (all in the last couple years). And Every one of them had been here less than the upgrade time at Eagle.

I don't know the future of Great Lakes. What I do know is that is has been a great stepping stone to the majors for pilots for a long time. You come here, upgrade quick, get some TPIC time and move on. Simple as that.