I use my per diem money for what is for. Meals and expenses. I dont complain of how little I make since Im at max pay at my regional. I eat healthy ( no fast food) and also I do treat my whole crew every week to dinner.

Since you bank 60K do you do the same with your crew?

 

No I don't take my crew out, as it's not my duty to provide for them. Why should I provide for them, when one of their exact words were "I work just the bare minimum to pay my bills." after they complained that they had no money.

And banking is not netting. What I do with my own money is my own choice. I don't need to tell you what I do with it, but I will anyways. I saved a lot of money to put down toward a home for my fiancee and I. We were able to buy a nice place with a significant chunk down, thus being able to go conventional loan and avoid paying a PMI saving us more. From our down-payment, along with increase in value, we already have $45,000 in equity from this place and it keeps going up.

I'm also saving for our wedding next year. This way we don't have to max out credit cards to have a nice wedding.

I'm also paying more toward my student loans and car payment, thus bringing that payment down faster.

So I guess trying to save money and pay down stuff now so that our [fiancee and I] kids will have a better life instead of feeding my crew makes me a bad person. I also assume that you use every dime of your per diem on food and not a penny less, penny more. Correct? Does your other crew members do the same for you?

 

You are the one bragging about 3rd yr FO making 60K.
Here are your mistakes:
1. Don't waste cash on a stupid wedding.
2. Make sure your wife/girfriend or whatever makes more than you do.
3. Dont get married.
4. Dont have kids.

 

Bragging? Sorry, no. Just stating a point that you can make more than $30k as a regional FO. And mistakes? Maybe to you, but not to me. Sorry I'm happy at life and my job as a regional FO, unlike 95% of this site that *****es and complains but refuse to do anything.

 

the topic is commuting. average personnel commuting is in the 40 percent and that is mainline, so you can believe that regionals will be in the 60+ percent.
I have been here 20+ at eagle and this is how many times I would have to move from base closures alone, bos, jfk, alb, pou, dca, rdu, bna, lax, bos (yes twice), that is about once every two years I would have to move so as to not commute. My question to those who say commuters is a choice, just how much money should one lose in the constant buying and selling of houses at the companies whim because they DONT CARE. I have left the other bases out because I lived there and don't count, just the ones closed, now add how many times you would have been displaced out of base we are talking in the realm of 15 total buying and selling a house. Sorry, commute is not a choice of preference it is a choice of survivability.

 

It's good to have plans and all that but be careful, life is all about balance and fact you're able to eke out 60k a year on a FO wage means you're doing a lot if OT which is more time away from your fiancee. Don't want to come home and find the mailman has been keeping your bed warm.

 

So it is OK to post if you only make $30K or less and beat the low wage drum; but if you happen to make a livable wage as a 3rd year FO and post what you make then it is bragging?

Why....does it mean that being a regional FO might not really be the worst occupation of all time?

 

Imagine for a moment that every pilot lived in their base. Now imagine that whenever a displacement occurred that everyone on that equipment choose not to move and found another job in there home town and the company simply hired pilots that lived in the area they moved their operation to.

I have a strong feeling (I admit, unsubstantiated) these companies depend on pilot's willingness to commute for work. I would think it would be in their interest to provide commutable trips. If living in base was a requirement, their ability to move their operations around would be severely hampered.

To the prospective regional pilot. Be prepared to move multiple times during your regional life. I advise against buying a house, getting married or having kids.

 

Ha, I actually have off, on average, 14 days a month. Then typically I work about 5 day lines so I'm home quite a bit. And if the mailman is in bed, its not too bad because the mailman is a mail woman.

Thank you. At least someone gets it.

 

Does everyone in every other line of work stay away from home 3-4 nights a week? If every other line of work is based on a 40 hour work week, their time away from home maybe 160 hours a month (maybe 200 if they are a professional). A month of 3 day trips is usually much more than that, at 250+ for a good one and 4 day trips are well into the upper 300s.

Maybe every person in every other line of work misses holidays, birthdays and other family events too.

Apples and oranges...