If you think "they" (assuming "they" is airline management) are flying turbojets at the regionals to give young pilots a better experience, you need to do some more reading. Bottom line, airlines are businesses that exist to create wealth for their shareholders(or stakeholders if privately held). Don't ever think a business will do something just to help out their employees. They do it b/c it improves the productivity. Pilots are flying turbojets at the regional level b/c its more cost effective to pay dirt wages to us new pilots than to pay mainline wages. They take advantage of the itinerant pilot groups who suck it up to make their bottom line better.

The best airplane to fly is the one you are currently flying, provided the pay is reasonable. The only motivation for moving to bigger airplanes in the past was that pay was related to weight and pax. Frankly, an E170 or 190 flying domestic trips for the same pay as a 777 across the pond is a lot more appealing to a lot of people when it comes down to QOL.

 

Here we go again,

Thank you for your suggestions. Again, Shareholder/Stakeholders whoever they are the're not my business. My job is to work and get the heck out of their ASAP!

Maybe I need to make myself more clear. You as a pilot, you need to take advantage of flying these airplanes (E175, 190 etc). You are correct management is not going to do anything unless it serves their bottom line. However, I also know that you are satisfied with the QOL where you are that is o.k . The pay sucks going from Airbus to E190. The guy I am talking about he did not like it, but he had no choice. So, the question then is: What are you looking for? QOL, less pay, more pay, experience take your pick!

 

On your point about the Airbus to E190 paycut, I agree that its crap to accept that pay. This is where we can make efforts at the regional level to improve the industry. If the regional E170 crews are making decent wages, mainline management will have a hard time selling wages to the union that look like regional pay.

I agree that all of our goals are to move up the food chain as quickly as possible. What I see as a problem though is that our "generation" of pilots will probably be staying longer at the regional level than those in the past especially if Age 65 becomes reality. I do not relish the idea of being an E170 FO for 5+ years at the current pay rates. That's where I see the problem. If advancement continues at the current rate, we'll all be doing pretty well in 5-10 years. If say for example, the current growth spurt is not sustainable and we end up on the street or stuck at a regional, we have a vested interest in making sure we fight for pay that is fair for the work we perform. If not for us, then for those who follow us. Besides, you never know when you'll be furloughed from mainline and back at your regional. You should always do your best to leave your last job better than when you started. Those are the resume bullets that get the big bucks down the road. When everyone has 1000 turbine PIC, you need something to distinguish you.

Bottom line, I'd fly a Cessna 152 my whole career if they paid me $200/hr with 18 days off a month. If the pay and QOL is the same, type only matters when it comes to mine is bigger than yours fights.

 

CBIRE880,

Now you're talking. I find you're reasoning on this last thread very mature and worthy of discussion; I am not saying that you are not mature!!!

That is the reasonn why I left instructing, simply because I was getting crap of pay and wasting my energy to people who thought that I had to do the learning for them.

I would too, do it in a heartbeat would I have a 172 job that pays me decent wages then being junior manned while getting a pay equivalent to assistant manager at a gas station, maybe!

Another thing, remember that these regionals they also want to survive in the industry as well. If they were to pay you and I 30 or 35 bucks an hour surely it would help some of us, but in the process this could take these guys out of business in the long run. I am not advocating lower wages, but hoping that we can be reasonable and yet assertive for what we want as pay.

I am not afraid of age 65 even if it slows the attrition. Not everyone wants to fly past 60! Be assured that there will always be something out there for us.

 

PSA, from what I hear, isn't really that bad. My sim partner came from PSA and said that their contract is pretty good, as is QOL. He only left because he was tired of his commute.

 

Had a PSA J4J captain in the jumpseat yesterday...he said PSA had a record in sick calls this past weekend. Also said they have 2 airplanes down for heavy check, 2 parked for lack of crews, and 2 more slated to be parked for lack of crews.

Additionally, he said there is somebody in class now with a PVT/Multi who will get his commercial license during his PC and SIC type ride. That sounded a little bit over the top...

He *did* say the new CP is a good guy and is being put in a tough spot by the higher-ups.

 

NO WAY!!! NO FREAKING WAY!!. They hired a guy w/ a PVT/MULTI and I can't get a call back with COMM/MULTI 541/25?!?!? Who is that CP??!? I need to email him!

 

Disregard. Thought the J4J was referring to Jetstreams. Not the Jets For Jobs......

 

I don't know if that was true or not.

It was a "jumpseat rumor"...you'll learn fast to take those with more than just a grain of salt.

PSA used to fly Dork props...they switched to all CRJs sometime between 2002-2004 I believe and accepted Jets For Jobs to gain the CRJ 200 and 700. Most if not all of the mainline furloughs are captains there and have "slotted bidding". I think they are (were?) paid off their mainline longevity. This jumpseater also said PSA is holding most of these J4J guys for 9 months, preventing them from accepting recall put paying them up to 76 hours worth of 767 FO pay.

 

That would really suck if true, but I'd bet the guy is a gal and knows someone in management. I'd also bet they don't have much if any single engine time. 50-100 multi is the key dude.