I hate to spoil the ending for you guys but the legacy carriers are merging and shrinking. Wages and benefits are being cut dramatically. All the while the regionals are growing because management has learned that you guys will work for half a mailman's wage.

It is not going to get any better. This is your reality. My generation and I became pilots so that we could support our families. We made great sacrifices so that we could live a better life than that of a mailman.

If you guys are here merely for the "love" of the job then that is all that you will get. Just know that the next generation of incubating pilots will hit the job market in ten years willing to pay for the privilege.

I am not pointing fingers at anyone but to point out how ridiculous the situation is. Only in America can this kind of thing happen. Workers who are so dismissive of the realities of making a living that they are willing to blow a small fortune on training and education to pursue a career that they know will not produce a return that is even worthy of the initial investment let alone the realities of making a living.

No plumber or garbage man would show up for work unless they were paid a just wage. They live in the real world. You guys are paying for the companies profit margin. Your wage cuts are going straight into the CEO's bonus check. You are letting your "love" of the profession enslave you. Mailman have more self respect.

As for myself I have a family to support and a life to live. I need to make a living. If I wanted to have fun every day then I would stay at home and play COD Black OPS !!

Skyhigh

 

This approach will not solve anything because you are blaming the individual when the problem is the system. People will go where there are jobs regardless of how well they're paid. It's like blaming illegals for coming into this country, take away the opportunity and they won't come and displace you.

 

Americans are so well off that their youth are willing to work fantasy careers. Most people have hard realities of what their profession needs to provide. They would not accept "love" as a form of compensation.

It seems to me that as a country the latest generation is far removed from the realities of what it takes to pay for yourself. Many regional pilots that I know have parents who are silently funding their kids personal lives so that they can go and play airline pilot.

Easy to get loans and trust funds make it easy to get into aviation. If the information age can not dissuade the masses with the cold reality then what will? People are wiling to work for self gratification and little else.

I guess if they are willing to sacrifice their standard of living so that others can save $10 on the cost of a ticket to Disney Land then who am I to complain. Hey maybe you would like to fix my car for free too?

This situation is all about the individual. Are you willing to work for noting or aren't you? If more people were to take a hard look at the profession and make realistic evaluations then there would not be a flood of the willing.

Skyhigh

 

Skyhigh
You seem to believe that the younger generation of pilots somehow caused this system of hoops we are forced to jump through. I'd be personally interested to see how you made it through the maze to find yourself in the position you are in now. I'm certain you sacrificed quite a bit and if you didn't than you were handed a silver spoon and thus have no right to even comment on how the system works today. I can assure you regionals have been handing out crappy paychecks long before you were raising and lowering gear. Yeah the system is messed up and we are all aware of it, so maybe bring a thought or suggestion on how to help instead of attacking one person.

 

And how do most pilots get to the majors?

Regional pilots are actually getting paid better (still an unacceptable wage) than 15 years ago. How about major airlines pilots...are they getting paid better than they were 15 years ago?

Now I'm not a regional pilot. I fly the Van, I just think it's unfair to hear major guys blaming regional pilots for everything that is wrong in the industry. Grow a pair a fight your fight!

 

Skyhigh
If thats your mentality on the industry why don't you go to any SWA forum and b*tch about how most went out and got 737 types out of pocket. I'm sure you can remember a time when airlines paid for your training! Though I'm sure you wouldn't fly for an airline like that cause they corrupt the system. Yeah right...

 

NO airline pays for your training. YOU do. Just look at any of the ones listed here on APC, look at first and second year pay. Training contracts, blah, blah. They only want to recoup what they "pay" for if you leave before your first year is up. If you do, then that means that you paid for it twice. Low pay AND contract! Some of the younger folks on here need to look at old posts to see where some of us more "mature" guys are coming from. My .02. See ya.

 

No kidding! I can't believe pilots are still convinced that an airline pays for your training when the first year pay is $22/hr. If you do the math, that's at least $10k the company saves in order to pay for your training bill. In the case of Trans States, second year pay gives them an additional $8k towards your initial training.

I guess if you want to feel better about yourself you can think of it as a loan the company gives you during initial training and you can pay it back as you go. Either way... you still pay.

 

Bingo. First year pay goes not only toward paying for their training, but also to higher payrates and benes for senior pilots. Its so obvious, how do people not see that.
I agree, leave early and company pays twice ( training and contract)

 

Kermitbobo,

The difference now is that most of you know that you have little chance of making it to something better yet you come anyway. It demonstrates that you are making a conscious choice to advance in spite of the fact that there is little chance of earning back your initial investment. You guys are here for the "love" of the profession and that makes you hobby pilots.

It proves that there is no chance of conditions getting better. My generation was here to make a living and if you did not pay then we would not fly. I can understand working for less for a short while until moving up but now the misery is open ended and more just keep on coming.

Skyhigh