Fuel, believe it or not, adjusted for inflation really hasn't increased since the 70's. Sadly, it is about where it should be, inflation adjusted of course.

I'm with Lear 31, it is hard to understand why so many pilots are so accepting of the horrible pay at regionals. I don't blame the majors, they essentially had their current rates rammed down their throats in bankruptcy court. I think many of the pilots who think 60k a year is a lot of money must live in rural America because on the west coast and the northeast, say Virginia to Boston and north, that 60k is dog****! In many of those areas, a 450k home is a beat up 3 bedroom that needs work. Without a trust fund or some sort of inheritance, how long will it take you to come up with the 100k in cash you need to pay 20% down, avoid PMI and pay closing and moving costs? All while making 60k, 65k, 68k, year on year.

Mr. I.

Mr. I.

 

When I was working outside NYC a lot of folks commuted from PA into the city because of the COL. 2+ hours of driving every day. That was in 2003, I really feel for them now w/ gas prices doubling. These people were making $50k, $60k+/year.

If you want to live in a part of the country with half million dollar homes on your income alone you should find a job that will pay you what you need. Working for a regional isn't going to allow you to live in a large city comfortably. It never has, although the pay is a lot better now than it was in the past.

Pilots have the luxury of either commuting long distances or driving to work. If you drive 2-3 hours outside most domiciles you can get a darn good place to live on $60k/yr. Luckily you only have to do this once every 4 days, unlike most professions.

I agree, $60k isn't a lot of money, but for those of us who worked up the ranks it is a lot of money. It's 4x what I made my first year instructing.