Yea, I know its ridiculous but we sure as hell arent going to get to the pilot shortage everyone has been predicting for 30 years, and our unions are getting weaker by the day.

Well, we are not privileged enough to be "PIC", so until then, we will continue to complain about living in poverty. Deal with it, or don't post.

The low salaries has more to do with the deregulation of the aviation industry allowing to race to the bottom when it comes to ticket prices so that (yehaaaa!!) everyone can afford to fly...............@#$?!

We are paying same price for flying than 30 years ago while the money is worth a part of what it was worth back then.

We as pilots are now paying for everyones right to use the airplanes as a greyhound. What use to be luxury is now considered everyones right and prices are kept at a bottom because of that.

The industry went from producing a luxury product for them who could pay to a cheap product for all................

People (other than pilots) makes several times more than 30 years ago. That is why even Joe from the trailer park can afford to fly if he needs it instead of maybe buying the weekly beer amount.

There has always been more pilots than needed so talk about a demand /supply situation is wrong.

We are actually at a time when the least of Commercial pilots are being produced in aviation schools around the US. That has been a fact since 9/11.

There was such a shortage just 2 years ago that a pilot with a fresh commercial was getting hired into a jet. (Not seen very often before)

The shortage would be immediately back if the economi turns and aviation is known for suden spikes up and down.

Deregualition together with bankrupcy for most of the big majors erroded the pilot salary. The old boys at the Majors together with ALPA gave up pieces time after time after 9/11 to "save the Majors" instead of demanding the CEO's and other executives to give up their million dollar salaries.

Now that Major pilot salaries are less than 40% of what they use to be people claim it is demand and supply. Funny...............

There has always been a big difference between what Regionals paid and what Majors paid so if the Major pilot gives up 40% of his salary the Regionals will get away by paying way less to their starting pilots.

The Major pilots claim it is the Regional pilot destroying everything because they accept low salaries. At the same time these Major big shot pilots have accepted to work for 40% less payment since 9/11 just to keep the tickets at lowest levels ever and the CEOs salaries at the same high levels as always...........


There is much less difference now than what it used to be between what Regionals pay and what the lowest paying Majors pays a pilot the first year.

With the shortage of pilots 2 years ago it was easy and fast to become an airline pilot and that with the combination of the erroded salaries has taking down the pride for the job to lowest levels ever.

Major Pilots destroyed the salaries for everyone below them by giving up what took decades to get. That is why Regionals pay so low.

If a Major pays a starting FO 27k-35K to fly a 737 is it strange that a Regional can get away by paying 21K for a 50 Seat jet FO? That is pretty good pay per seat comparing with the Major. So who has been and is destroying the pilot salary?

I started in the early 90s and nobody would look at you if you had less than 1500 and 500 multi. It took me 3 years of building time after getting my CPL-ME before I could land my first job flying cargo in small planes and 10 years to get to a Jet. There was way more supply of unemployed pilots (thousends for every job available) but the salaries at the Majors or any other company did not go down because of that. Everything started going bad after 9/11.

Supply of unemployed pilots is low today comparing with the early 90s and it would be even lower if the change to 65 years for retirement that stoped most of 5 years retirement since it was implemented would not be a fact.

It was huge groups predicted to retire and the age was changed because the goverment the FAA and the aviation industry knew that it would be impossible to keep operating. The production of Commercial pilots was just a fraction of what was needed.

That situation will be a fact again in a couple of years.

You may or may not have done much better being a car mechanic at a dealership (depending on if your dealership closes down now)

The beer is too cold, my daiquiri's too fruitiful, the skies are too blue, life's so easy today...

we did get there, and then they cowtowed to the industry and got them a 5 year extension with age 65

So if that is what you want to do, go fill out an application, I think that they are hiring. Now, back to reality. Are you working where you are for there starting pay, or for the potential to advance your career at some point. Flipping burgers doesn't have near the potential that you do.

rotfl! you're defending it. that is absolutely hilarious.

the "PIC" referred to single pilot night cargo. if you consider making $13.47/duty hour, sitting airport reserve 7p-5a, M-F privileged, well..........

Oh forte, we are kings with the PIC pay! Ever since I got your spot in DPA life has been golden. I give you props for being braver than I to go to the regionals right now. Being that you are going from 36K guaranteed to what is it 20K guaranteed? Still, you gotta get that jet time somewhere and you and I arent gonna get that at USC. Might as well go for it, cause if the economy goes up and you can move up...You chose wisely. If the economy keeps going down we will probably both need new careers so we both chose stupidly.

Agreed. We're subsidizing the system.
Good point.