A year ago, Skywest paid $24/hr. Last July it went up to $30/hr. The day Republic declared bankruptcy, first year pay went up to $36.50. A first year pilot at Skywest can gross $40,000 their first year, but that's working a lot.

 

I credited just over 900 hours my first year and made about $21,000. Second year had almost the same exact hours but made about $35k Block hours for both years was around mid 500. Not much open time to pick up in those days and not much flying done on reserve days.

First year pay is now higher than what my 2nd year pay was but about $1.50, so you would probably be close to $40k without having to fly too much.

 

Thanx 4 the correction...other poster incorrect...

Namaste

 

I was just looking over the mandatory retirement numbers and it looks like they won't really peak until the early to mid 2020s. JetBlue just released their Gateway Select program, regionals are struggling to fill classes and raising their hourly rates. I have read over and over on here that more pilots will retire than are at the regionals at the moment. So if this is really the case that the regionals will almost certainly not be able to fill classes in the future why are they so slow to take corrective action? It seems to me that offering a $10,000 signing bonus and a guaranteed interview is not going to get it done. Do you guys think there will be any regionals left when the major airlines really start to face a large amount of retirements if they don't do something drastic to fix this situation they are facing at the regional level?

 

Primarily because regionals are on a fixed income. They would have to renegotiate their CPA and the majors have been unwilling to do so.

 

Even if they offered a 30k signing bonus pilots would still leave for the big leagues at the first opportunity. I'm sure the regionals are aware of that fact. Dramatically increasing your costs to try to stave off future attrition probably isn't a good plan. Long term the regionals are screwed unless something changes. Good riddance in my opinion. Hopefully the Legacies decide to bring the majority of the flying in house.

 

The regionals (and indirectly majors) are really still in denial phase, they've had no worries with low timers beating down the doors for so long. With that said I don't see a long term fix at the regional level that doesn't come from the mainline. There is no money at the regional and no pricing power with the CPA lowest bidder contracts. This whole regional sham might be over sooner rather then later, for only one reason, the pilots stopped showing up.

 

Only an opinion, but.... I don't see the regionals going anywhere. The mainline pilots have been fighting for years to limit the regional contracts because they know that if the company could, they would have the regionals flying much more for them than they do. It is a cost vs. cost savings game. It is much cheaper, and profits higher, to have the "little guys" doing the work. Especially now, since there is very little difference between the narrow body mainline aircraft and a regional aircraft.... really just number of seats. They aren't flying Saabs and 1900s anymore. Just my opinion and wouldn't be butt hurt to be corrected.

 

Good post. I think this is the answer. Would I go to a regional knowing if I spent my life there, I might top out around $100K/year? No way.

But I would go to a major, fly the exact same equipment and make $50,000 first year, knowing that there is upward mobility within the seniority list and knowing that the promise of someday making $300K is within reach.

All those ERJs and CRJs need to be absorbed by mainline carriers and they can adjust the pay rates accordingly. Let pilots build hours as CFIs and/or working Part 135/91 and when they meet ATP mins, they can apply (and be hired by) the majors.

 

This ^^^. As someone just now starting flight training and looking to join the industry, I can only see myself going to a regional that offers a guaranteed interview, flow through or $50,000 first year salary. As the pool dries up I don't see how the regionals without at least one of these can possibly hire enough pilots to keep their planes in the sky..