Some majors avoid pilots with more than 6000tt... There is more to hiring a pilot than total time...

Having that 1000TPIC will get you interviews faster than having that 5000 TSIC. Statistically, sooner interviews = sooner you'll land a job.

 

And GL has given many commuter pilots jobs when they were thrown out on the streets... hmmm... You're right, probably not too many people will come to Lakes who have more than 1500 hrs... I did. Why? Quick upgrade at a 121 operator. If Lakes can't find any pilot's (again doubt that will happen) then they will be forced to find ways too attract. Flying skydivers in a BE1900 is not the same as flying in a 121 environment, sorry. Anybody who is on a hiring board realizes that is the case. I'm not sure how you even can compare the two? A wise man makes choices that pay off in the long run and doesn't look into the immediate payoffs... if anyone wants to be stuck as an FO for 6+ yrs and make "good money"... don't come to Lakes.

 

[QUOTE=As they attempt to renegotiate their leases again and have aircraft taken back, they are the poster-child for a business that should simply "go away". I'm sure HB didn't default on their payments and go into bankruptcy "because of GL", but again, dragging down the entire industry and having to renegotiate, I have to wonder if it didn't help put some of the nails in the coffin, as GL has simply been pumped up by non-EAS government pork as much of their business. I never want people to lose their jobs, but this is one that makes it worse for everyone else out there, it's not that they earn 1 or 2 dollars less per hour, it's the 13K...I mean seriously, how do you even defend that? That's less than half of what I started out at. That's pretty blatant "one regional worse than the others". How much worse can it get?[/QUOTE]

Once again, what are you talking about all this aircraft stuff? What planes are getting taken away? Lakes is getting planes back to cover new flying...
You won't find any Laker who defends 15K/ yr... so where do you get that from? Nobody comes to Lakes for the pay. You have to understand that we are fighting for a pay increase right now. Nobody cares what you started out at and I would never use your pay as a benchmark for my life. All I know is that since I survived on Lakes pay that I can survive working anywhere. Pretty good LIFE lesson don't you think? You don't see Lakers whining about the pay because we learn to live with it for now. We don't need you telling the world how bad it is because you have no idea what it's like. I can tell you how to survive living on 15K. No government assistance, no kids, no help from mommy and daddy.

 

Meet the mins, then get a buddy to walk your stuff in. It's all who you know, not what you know. Nobody really cares what you flew. Tp or jet, nobody gives a shi+. They want to make sure they can spend 4 days with you and not want to strangle you by the end. Those of you arguing that rj time is better... You better get used to it, because you are most likely not going to get hired by a major because you are a cocky punk/ Chuck Yeager wannabe.

 

Math seems a little off being that 2nd year pay is 40hr. . All kidding aside, everyone has to make a decision for themselves. Could I survive pay rates at GLA as an FO or CA, he'll no! But that's not to say someone who lives in a base can't. I don't care what I fly as long as I have great people to work with, good pay and work rules with a decent management team backing us up. Now just waiting for the so called hiring boom

 

Tell that to the 3 guys who were just hired on at Alaska! Or the guys who were hired at Sprit, Allegient, Kallitta, Southern and so on! Most of them have been here maybe 4 years (some even less) and are moving on! You're lucky to upgrade at 4 years at your own regional! While it might not be United or Delta, at least it's getting out of the regional industry! So I call BS on your 7000TT crap!

 

Nothing to do with AS Chief Pilot John Hornibrook being a former Great Lakes pilot?

 

What does that matter, Its all about who you know!

 

I am just wondering how one can live off of 13,000 a year?
$13,000/52=$250/40=$6.25
Federal minimum wage is 7.25

 

Here is the breakdown for my budget... is this what I am worth? Heck NO! But this is what an average FO at Lakes will make...

$16.24 X 75 HR guarantee = $1218 (per month) X 12 = $14616 / yr

Average per diem (for me) = $400 (per month) X 12 = $4800 / yr

Guarantee + Per diem = $19416 / yr ... before taxes (mind you per diem is tax free)

This is what I budget for and I live within that budget. If I had children or student loans I was paying off then this would definitely be a stretch. Not for everybody.

This salary is unacceptable for someone with a 4 year degree and 3500 hrs TT. It's what I signed up for and don't plan on being at Lakes longer than what I came here to do.