$100K+ at Mesa?
 

Was speaking with an FO for Mesa the other day and he was outlining some of the Mesa benefits for me since I keep going back and forth between joining them.

He was saying that you upgrade as soon as you are able and then within about 5 or 6 years, a captain is up over $100K...

is this possible?

It's probably possible if you live in domicile, pick up as much available open time as possible and simply have no other life 'cuz you sell it to the company.

We have guys earning 6-figure salaries at AWAC, but they have been here long enough to have maxed out the salary scale and probably pick up some open time here and there. It used to be far easier when we had the BAe-146s.

100K at a regional is possible, but not easy.

..........:D :p :D

It's really easy to make loads of money at a regional without actually working. Just ask J.O., H.K., etc. :)

Of course it's possible. Why? Because 100K sucks. You guys just don't get it. This is not 1975!

have met plenty of guys over at TSA making 100k, they've all maxed out and typically are IOE check airmen...they get hazard pay for flying with 250 hr wonders. :-p

100k does not suck in the real job world.

but i do understand what you are saying. regional pilots could have been working for a major flying a regional jet making 100 in the right seat like they did years ago. They did the ole switcher oo and now pay you half that flying same routes for regional (commuter) airline.

ps- passengers should get reduced rates on flights that have a low time pilot.

Come on. Look at the payscales of 737 or A320s at the most major airlines (especially US Airways and United Airlines), and you will see that as a regional captain making $90k-$100k+, it is NOT worth it to go to a major for the first 5 years. And quite possibly so as long as you're an FO, it might even mean a PAYCUT for that entire time at the major. That's why you have plenty of Eagle captains staying put. 15 or more years at Eagle, depending on which equipment and how much you fly, can net you 90k to 100k (or even more)... for those folks, they CAN'T afford to leave to a major.

Case in point is Continental, 29.97/hr first year and roughly 55/hr on the 737 second year. Now what regional captain making 100k would want to start with Continental with such low wages?

It used to be first year wage sucked, and then 2nd year onwards was better. That's how UPS is. Suck up the 33k first year, knowing your second yr will be 100k+. That's somewhat "worth it." But not Continental.

The big difference between regionals and majors is that the QOL is much better at the major level. Also once you are at a major you may move to your domicile and not have to commute anymore burning your days off commuting because major domaciles dont change that often. It really depends on what is more important QOL or pay. If you can get both even better but I think getting on with a major is becoming more and more difficult.

The pilot that decides the risk of the short-term paycut and possible stagnation as an FO is worth the long-term reward of higher pay and improved in the future.

Really????

NO.

(extended 10 ten characters)

Nicely said

I don't know what you are talking about. Eagle guys are staying put because of job security and seniority QOL. They are the high guy and unless the company tanks they will have a good paying job with whatever schedule they like(If you were a pilot during sept11 you would be happy to just have a job -forget pay). Plus, for a while there was nowhere to go every major was furloughing.

You obviously don't know what I am talking about. The F100 a 90 seat aircraft was flown at AA. Now 90 seats are flown by regionals (CRJ900) at crap wages. Years ago if you were flying a regional jet you were with the major airlines. Now we are even going to see 100 seaters becoming regional -where does it end. There are less and less of major's to jump to.

I'm not attacking you or anything, just trying to get a point across. Read some more about what is going on in the industry.

Lol if i am a paying pax and i am taking a risk - why should i pay full fare?:eek: :D

We may be witnessing the early stages of the slow death of the majors. The "regionals" could grow to larger aircraft and replace what we now know as mainline. This first round of contract negotiations in the "recovered" airline economy will be telling as to the future. If the unions are able to negotiate pay increases for the larger equipment(doubt it will happen though), we may see a shift in the market. I haven't done the research, but what was pay at the legacy carriers of today like when they were in their infancy?

Actually I would say you don't get it. If the pilots at major airlines had not conceded flying of larger and larger jets, flying jets at these rates would not be an issue. But back in the 90s it was not a 'threat' to your livelihood. So why worry?

Don't blame the pilots who are now flying them. Most of us would love to fly larger jets for more money. But there aren't many of those jobs available.

What would you have us do?

A 19-20 year mesa CA who flies the 900 exclusively (posible depending on domicile) would make 100K if he flies 1000/year. Also check airmen get a significant overide, so they can make 100K+.

moral of the story: dont go to mesa. Make more money and have better QOL at another regional and stop the downward spiral of the industry.... or you could be a slave to mesa. if your desperate for that new jet then i doubt a bit of common sense will talk you out of it. Have fun with your worthless contract and enjoy your 8 days off a month

Sure, maybe it is possible but you will be one miserable SOB trying to get there.... trust me I used to be a 8 days off/month MEL Mesa jockey.

Why would you try to aim for this at Mesa/China Express when you could have a lot more fun doing it at ExpressJet or Republic or AWAC or Skywest. Seriously. Go for the gold at a quality carrier. ;)

I can tell you first hand 100k is BS!!

thats what i thought, looking at the payscale... maybe in 20 years with lots of overtime and including per diem

Anybody trying to talk you into Mesa isn't your friend. Do yourself a favor and go somewhere else.

To gross $100,000:

6th year CR9 CA would have to credit over 119 hours each month of that fiscal year.
6th year E145 CA would have to credit over 140 hours respectively.

Great point, funny how mgt. would probably try and make you fly 140 hrs. a month if they could. Is mesa 121 legal times or exempted to part 135 allowed hrs. a month?

I also just recalled that Mesa pays average block, not block or better. I just dont see how any Mesa employee could realistically credit 100+

The correct answer is 100k is chump change! News flash you have to finance your retirement nowadays. So out of the 100k that you won’t make, 30k will go to the gov as income tax, now you have 70k. To fund your retirement you need to contribute the max of 15k to your 401k, now you have 55k. 55/12= 4583 per month so, a avg house will run you about 2000(assuming you want to live in a relatively safe area) of your 4583, now you have 2583, figure about 500 for gas, 200 for car insurance, 500 for car payments, 200 for utilities, 150 for cell phones, 500 for food, student loans 300, and 250 on whatever else. Now you are out of money until next month.

My father-in-law said his gas bill was 2800 dollars last month alone. He said he needs at least 10k a month just to get by, and he is pretty tight with his cash and lives in a modest house and drives avg vehicles.

Your parents could get by on 60k because they bought their house in 1980 for 70k and ad pay a 500 dollar a month mortgage.

My point is, that with a family 100k is just getting by.

Wow! You guys spend a lot.

No kidding.

I have a wife and 4 girls under age 10. We are living off of 2000 a month

400 - rent
325 - car
300 - gas
300 - electricity
500 - necessities (food, pampers, liquor, cigarettes :D)
200 - extra stuff.

We work for a school district, so our retirement is automatically taken out.

I figures since i is educated and i work, i should afford a normal life style and not have to live in a two bedroom apt and have no retirement.

I agree with bla bla bla. Any of us can buy 12 packs of ramen a day for a family of 6. Two healthy ramen meals a day costing $200 a month(not including drink) unless it's water every single day... $700 for everything besides car, utilities, and rent... give me a break! That's $20 a day for gods sake, 6 people??? $1 per meal per family member...with nothing else to spare... for some reason I don't think your telling the complete truth.?.?

im still not convinced 100k is getting by.
Today the average person pays a lot for the lifestyle we have...
Most people don't eat a home anymore which costs more,
Most people now travel all the time (for fun) which costs more,
Most people now get to live where they want and not where they have to work which costs more,
Most people now lease or buy new cars every few years,
Most people now own more than one car,
Most people buy what they want when they want,
Most people now pay for the lawn to get mowed,
Most people don't know how to fix anything they own anymore,
it all adds up.

Point is, you can save a lot of money if you really wanted to. Sure life is not cheap but 100k is a good amount of money and you are doing pretty darn good. I don't know what you guys think people make? On Long Island NY, one of the most expensive areas, the average HOUSEHOLD income is about 80k. Check it out on the gov websites.

Truth is people are spending a lot more for the better lifestyle they don't realize they have over families 30+ years ago.

G-D man where the fark do you live? You and your family seriously need to get on a Dave Ramsey diet because unless you are in the NE or on the left coast those numbers seem awfully, awfully high.

Depending on where you are, you can get by on 100k (or gasp! - less) just fine. Doesn't mean we as pilots should be content with that level of compensation...but it also doesn't mean we should be spending just as much as we are earning.

I think you're expenses are whack, but I wish more at Skywest would have your attitude toward fighting for higher compensation.

Quoted for truth; many folks these days cannot accept any lower standard of living than what they know and are going broke (or worse) in a feeble attempt to maintain that lifestyle.

Actually, we do eat some Ramen . . . mostly me though. My family as a whole eat good meals, and go out to eat at least once a week. Sometimes my checks are a bit more, so we have a bit more extra money.

My 3 year old, my wife, and I eat: Breakfast - a taco and drink
Lunch - Sandwiches (ham and cheese, grilled cheese, BLT, PB&J), chips, and a drink
Dinner - An item from the meat, vegetable, starch, and grain foodgroups, and a drink.

My oldest is 9, and second oldest is 4. Breakfast - At school
Lunch - At school
After school snack - Yogurt, fruit, sometimes cookies or brownies
Dinner same as the rest of the family

My 10 month old eats baby food and formula.

If you know how to spend your money, budget, and look for deals, you can do it.

So call me a liar. Whatever.

My wife and I make $13.05 an hour at a base of 20 hours per week as school bus drivers. I get a bit more because I take field trips and she does not. So I usually have an extra 10-20 hours a month. It comes out to a bit over $2000 per month before taxes. After taxes, it is just over $2000.

DO you wanna see a copy of my last pay stub? lol

PAYYYY FRIGGEN THETIC that some of you out there would foot 40K plus for your flight credentials and then subject your family, including young children, to malnutrition, future health problems and stress all because you are going to chase airplanes to the poor house on 2000 a month.

Rest assured that I definatly do not want someone that stupid making decisions for my family when they ride in the back of your RJ.

Re-read his post.. He is an ACTUAL, REAL Bus driver. No airplanes.

Want to know where he lives though to get by on that.

I'm beginning to think my 8 month-old is eating the best out of our family of four...that formula is friggin' expensive!!

Where I live

ANd that is correct.

I am a REAL SCHOOL BUS DRIVER. I just started my PPL. I have flown 4 hours.

+1

I agree. Never have I seen so many people driving status mobiles. I could afford a status mobile but I like putting my money in the bank and not having to mortgage one.