Yes you do, you still haven't named a comparison that requires everyone in that job to perform to the same standards.

 

That's absolutely not a fair comparison. If a top coach, doctor, salesman, etc. is dissatisfied with his employer or his employer goes under, that top performer with years of experience doesn't thave to start over at the competition at minimum wage. He may even get picked up with a pay increase.

Also...there is nothing in our system that requires or indicates that a senior captain at a major airline earning a six figure salary is any more competent or deserving than a regional first officer earning $22 hour who has a similar background and experience. Most likely though, that second guy will just quit aviation and all his experience is lost to some other endeavor.

IMO there is nothing wrong with paying a low time pilot intern level wages until he/she has proven experience and can land the plane consistently without making the captain break a sweat. The problem is that everyone being hired at any airline in our country is lumped into that same category regardless of experience.

And btw...other professions, doctors, lawyers, salesmen, coaches, etc. also have seniority in their workplace....it's just not the single driving factor that determines their pay and status within the company.

I'm guessing that most airline pilots have never worked seriously outside the airline industry and simply don't know any better.

Get rid of entitlement pay, entitlement transition and upgrades... Get rid of hiring only at entry level... It will fix this broken system and pay will begin to stabilize across the board and even go up at the high end.

 

You are expected to perform to a standard that brings the airplane home safely. One of the problems with our industry is that better pilots are not recognized and rewarded accordingly. Everyone is expected to perform to a high standard.

In general the bigger the hole created by an accident the more the pay. Like it or not, RJ flying is an entry level job. It doesn't matter that you do be same job in more demanding conditions. I used to fly unpressurized, hot, noisy, turbo props 8 legs a day without an autopilot too. Oh wait, you're flying a jet. Nevermind, my starting job sucked too.

The bottom line is you have not been able to move on beyond your entry level job. It may be because of your making or conditions beyond your control. It doesn't matter. Until you get a job flying something bigger your pay will always be on on the low end of the scale.

 

Well said.

 

You make a lot of good points. If somehow every passenger was informed about how little their pilots are making and how little experience some have before they boarded their flight, the CEOs of all the majors and ALPA (or any union for that matter) would have a PR nightmare on their hands. Not implying that only experienced and well paid, well rested pilots are good pilots, but it does help. And having a good contract fulfills a lot of these requirements even if your starting with a new carrier. Passengers are either ignorant or don't care because of the herd mentality as well as the excellent safety record of the industry.

 

None of this is true, pay was based off padding your pension, and regional flying was sold to plug the pension funding hole.

 

Ha ha ha rotflmao. D you know what that means?

 

Do you actually believe that flying as a captain on a large jet transport category aircraft with 50-74 seats is an "entry level job?"

Do you actually believe that a B737 or A320 first officer needs more experience to do his or her job effectively and safely than a regional jet captain does?

Do you actually believe that a veteran RJ pilot who hasn't landed a job at a major is obviously flawed in some way and deserving of less pay?

If that's true....there's your problem right there!

 

Of course it is. Many pilots first airline job is the right seat of an RJ. What planet are you from? I didn't say it should be. I said it is.

Of course not. Who said that? It just is what it is.

Of course not. Circumstances in last 10 years have made moving on tougher than usual but that hasn't stopped many from doing so. And it's not a question of FAIR. You don't get what's fair in life. You get what you negotiate or what someone else negotiated on your behalf. (Thank you ALPA volunteers and staff and the thousands that sacrificed before me.)

 

Entry level jobs have little to no responsibility. You have hundreds of lives in your hands as an RJ pilot, just as many as mainline. The ONLY reason bigger planes pay more, is because the union decided it that way. The Constiution and by laws should extend equal, and protected rights to all pilots, democracy doesn't work as we have seen.