I guess the way that I said it made it sound like the consequences were all sequential. They are not. They are all individual consequences. However, if professionalism goes up, people WILL be willing to pay for what they know they are getting...

Also, while higher pay is a likely by-product of this bill, it is not the main point. The point is that we will not have 300 hour wonders getting basic education and maturing experience in a regional jet while responsible for 50 lives...

Overtime? What the heck is overtime? I think I heard someone talking about that once. It's kind of like that extra pay some people get when they work on special days that happen once a year when most people such as your family are at home enjoying the special occasion. Been so long........

Be careful man, you might give the airlines and schools a new idea on that rating thing. Next thing they'll doing is trying to sell you an ATP add on to your Commercial license. Ohhhh loop holes...........got love em.

Just kidding around guys.

While I want this to pass and want pilot pay to go up, if I had to bet on it, I would say pay will remain the same. Airlines have been cutting pay for years and I don't think this will stop them for too long. Managers spend their entire working day trying to cut costs and I am sure some young go getter will get a bonus for developing a new way to get even ATP pilots to accept low wage jobs. I also wouldn't be surprised if pilots who had to instruct for years to build 1500 hours don't jump at the chance to move up in their career no matter how little it pays.

Lets get this passed because it will increase safety and decrease supply. If wages go up as a result, it is a bonus.

more professional=better product, then demand will go up

Again, When is the vote? Thanks.

Well, thanks for the compliment.

One thing that gets lost in my argument is I really don't have a problem with hard and fast requirements, but that's in the abstract. I know some will point to the fact certificates require minimum times, but certificates are lisenced activities by the government. Airline flying, unless there is some form of massive re-regulation, is not a government lisenced activity.

Much like the age 65 retirement rule, I think setting minimum qualifications for hiring at 121 operators is a good thing. Unfortunately and much like the timing of the age 65 rule, I think the ATP requirement could not come at a worse time. The foundation of the industry is essentially quicksand and I don't think we should make the ground more unsettled.

Now if the government were to drop the issue but come back in three or four years once the industry has greatly recovered, that would be a whole different thing. I just think imposing new and punantive requirments, as it relates to regional airlines, in the time of a terrible recession is not the way to improve things.

While most are arguing this from a safety/pay point of view, I'm arguing it from an economic view which is the ultimate factor for better and higher pay.

The tuition at riddle is now $53000 a year, am I reading that right? That has to limit the supply right?

If this is written into the regs, it will have a very interesting consequences. Age 65 retirements will start picking up in a few years, not to mention the economy should be markedly improved. Add to that, the new duty flight time limits the FAA is 'rewriting', and that would create a demand for crews that has not been seen in this industry in quite a while.

Companies like Great Lakes and Colgan will be very hard-pressed to hire 1500 hour pilots at their ridiculous wages.

You'll probably see hiring bonuses and student loan repayment plans as part of a very active recruiting departments in the near future (3-5 years).

Is there going to be exemptions for bridge-programs? or graduates from a credited aviation program?

I have heard the FAA will be making exemptions for the big flight schools. It sucks but at least they will be putting some sort of requirements.

Whacker,
I understand that you are making this argument from an economic standpoint, and although I would like to see RJ pay to go up as well, it is not a necessity in my view. The argument I am making is that we as an industry, need to have a minimum acceptable level of experience to operate a comercial airliner as an airline transport pilot. One needs to hold an Airline Transport Pilot rating to meet that acceptable level of experience in our cockpits. IF pay happens to go up, or down, because of this implementation, so be it.
-Aloha