the problem is that it you DONT need a lot of training and a college education to be a pilot. Sorry to break it to you, but we are easily replaceable. sure today the training is considered extensive, and almost all places require a degree, but tomorrow it wont be the case.

nobody will have sympathy for any of us. this drastic demolition of our profession is not unique to us. it spans all of labor in the united states. once again, sorry to break it to you, this is our future.

we all used to think we'd fall neatly in the middle class and live comfortably. Now the choice is yours to make and the future is limited to the following: upper class or lower class. Plan your future accordingly and youll end up in one of those 2.

My best bud's wife only been an RN for one year, and is already making more than him (A 9 year capt. at XJT), less than full time, and is home every night. It has me, at 32, even considering it! But I don't know, like I said I don't mind the job of being a pilot so much, it's the lifestyle I'm completely sick of. I'm an extremely active person who lives through my hobbies and interests, most of which I don't have time to pursue anymore. Being an RN sounds like it's got some really, really nasty parts, but I'd be able to live in my home city, not have to commute, and actually double my home time each month. <flips a coin>....

And furthermore !
 

Flying is different from other things. I believe it attracts people who love doing it, and are just plain willing to put up with a certain amount of pain because most of us want to fly more than we can afford to do as a hobby. Or we are infected with SJS, and want to fly a plane we can’t afford to fly unless it’s owned by someone else who pays us to fly it. I really don’t see how you can get around this simply by trying to organize pilots of all different stripes into a unified bloc that refuses to work for less than wage X…never mind the difficulty of agreeing on what X should be. That is not the same as saying we SHOULD accept crappy pay in this profession; every pilot should be trying to elevate the profession, but understand that there are a million different definitions of "acceptable" out there.

I would have to accept a 70-80% pay cut to go to a professional flying career – regional, fractional, part 135, whatever – and even so, I want to get into professional flying because its the only way I can fly 500-800 hours a year. I got jumped on in another thread for saying that no one should get into a career solely for the money or because other people might think what you do is cool, but since the king of cool started this thread maybe I can say it here without being decapitated. You should only get into a flying career if you love everything that happens from wheels up to touchdown, and your other options don’t allow you the time and money to feed your jones.

I'm still undecided on how to fly as much as I want to (I have a measly 650 TT since starting my PPL in 1991), but I hereby pledge not to go to Mesa :D

This is a joke right? Name one regional that requires a college degree. These days all you need is 90 days and $50,000.

I honestly can't say I know a single regional pilot without a degree.

Rn, Resp Therapy, Physical Therapy, M.D., D.O.-the list is ENDLESS. If you already have a degree-your over halfway there, turn that into something that will mean $$$ to you and your family-I did.

May be ridiculous-but its TRUE.

I have flown with plenty captains that do not have college degrees. Can you name me one regional that requires a college degree? And who do you fly for again?

I know several CA's at RAH without degrees......and its probably why they still are there.

A college degree is just one more way for the Major's to sort the stack of resumes.