Per hr amt to leave a non flying job to fly?
 

Like many others I do not think there is a pilot shortage, there is only a shortage of pilots who won't fly for what is offered.

45$ an hour to start is my number that I would consider risking everything you read in these forums and the horrible QoL one has to endure to go fly.

Until then I just fly for a hobby.

Just curious what are others magic $ number to leave a decent job for a regional?

1800 hrs 110 multi. Comm Inst.
private rotorcraft
ATP written, FEX written

This thread is a management trolls' dream...

Have you actually worked as a regional pilot?

No I have never flown for a regional.

You're gonna be waiting a very long time for that $45/hr starting pay.

Or you can suck it up for a couple years to get there, like everyone else.

You and gzsg should exchange pm's

I remember when we thought it was going to be "just a couple years" before we'd get on with the "big guys". Good times. Thanks for the memories.

Forget changing the pay RATE. Keep what we have.

How about you pay me when I'm on duty. If you want me to sit 8 hours of ready reserve, pay me 8 hours, not 4. 14 hour duty day? Sure!

We need some serious change in this pathetic industry...

I'm embarrassed to post the number I just figured out ... but despite that income I think several times a week about returning to my former career.

Does this forum even allow posts with that many zeros?;)

Delta + $1 :D

This. Pay me my hourly rate at duty time. If i'm required to be at work, pay me for it.

We have FA's that make LESS than federal minimum wage when you calculate their duty hours for ready reserve + flying duty for the month. I don't know how this is not illegal. Pilots aren't much above that..

We should at least be paid federal minimum wage for every hour we are "required" to be on duty sitting at the airport + flight pay. I don't know how a crappy contract gets around the basic laws and rights of every other US citizen.

Why should he sick it up? He asked what is your price. See he is smart he had a job that pays he see's his family etc. We all took this job and have had sit in return. So why should he sick it up? Because you did?

I apologize for the terrible auto correct on this post!

In reality $45/hr translates into $25/hr if you include the actual work you do when the door is open.

25 isn't much for a college grad with 6 figures worth of education.

Per hr amt to leave a non flying job to fly?
 

I've been in a non-flying job since early 2011 and make pretty close to that $25 /hr. No yearly increases other than COLA, 4 weeks PTO every year (after you've been at the company for more than 3 years), good 401K match, insurance runs me about $370 per check, no travel, home every night, get to coach kid's sports, work out in the same gym every night and no airport food.

To put up with commuting, gone on the holidays, and all the other BS that goes along with it (not to mention that I'm not as young as I think I am anymore), and I'm not sure there's a dollar amount that would bring me back to a regional. I'd jump at a legacy or LCC, but no way I'm headed back to a regional. I do miss flying, but it just isn't worth it.

Hmmmm, I say it'd take a lot.

I'd love to see the unions fight to get you compensated for ALL the time you're working...that's a start in the right direction.

Sadly, I don't think I'd be able to make the jump anymore...as the $$ + family time can't be beat. I've been out since '09, make $45/hour with 6 weeks off a year and a great company matched 401k that's been rocking...it's not all peaches and sunshine, I miss flying and only scratch the itch in a skyhawk instructing on the weekends...still get nostalgic when I hear Waterski on the radio - but not nostalgic enough to go back...even for $45/hour first year pay at a regional, it'd be a tossup.

Or wait a little longer, see nothing change then have to fork out 15k to 20 to retake your atp written and probably some more to actually have your atp to even be considered for a regional.

How much more will you make if you stay? Suck it up and fly and you have the chance to make a heck of a lot more that 25 an hour. You can make the equivalent of that just as a regional FO. Obviously not at first...

If he makes 25 and hour at a non flying job he probably makes $50K a year - vs - 25K max at a flying job.

It would be at least a one if not two year run to make captains pay which would top that.

So there is some money to re-coup, 401k contributions lost, and Qol issues, threat of layoff, start overs if he changes companies...

Now pop that rate up to 45 and hour and I bet there won't be a pilot shortage.

Well, if I "suck it up and fly", I can't pay my bills while on first year pay. Second year and subsequent pay matters not if I'm in bankruptcy from not paying my bills for a year.

No, I can't make the equivalent of that as a regional FO. I make $26.78 at the moment, plus another 10K / year in bonuses. $65,700 before taxes. No regional is paying me that in the right seat. Some aren't going to pay me that in the left seat. Obviously getting on with a legacy / LCC would top that, but with the amount of qualified guys at the regionals I'm not going to get the call from an airline I can afford to work for. If it was just a matter of sucking up first year pay, it might be doable. In my case though, it's more like sucking up 3 or more years of regional flying (no turbine PIC).

Just south of 40 with a family is no time to hop (back) into the airlines. I'd be much better off going back to school and working on a masters degree than starting over in the airline business. Or, I can wait for my NJA recall and see what happens. That's also a dead end at the moment, however. It's just a good paying dead end.

My number is simple 100k! You cant get me to go back to spending 3/4 of my life in a roach hotel wondering when I'll get home. Anything under that and thats just chain gang work. Plus have to worry and medical/training/stress away from family. This is a kids game today. Your 22 years old running around wearing the uniform to get laid at poverty wages. this isn't a job. How can you call a profession job that pays poverty wages a career. It's a smoke screen to get laid. you give me 100k I will go back but not a penny less. Even if I did go back I dont think I would last very long. sitting in ICT at some dumb could be my breaking point back to corp america, where I can make the same wage and have a normal schedule.

Stbloc - thanks, that's why I started the thread...

I am on the fence as to fly because I like to..

Right now I have a decent job. As long as that holds out I can't see giving it up, but the allure is strong, real strong.

Just not 22k strong...

But if my current gig flamed out I would have to probably change my tune as flying is about all else I know. So i am trying to to get a grip on the job.

I also maintain there are easily a 1000 guys like me who are qualified but not at 22k.

Thanks for all the input.

Have a great 4th everyone.

I'm with the OP on this. >1800 hrs w/ ATP with a chunk of it heavy mil flying currently. On average I can make (take home) double what I would make 1st year at a regional just flying trips in my reserve unit. There is no incentive for me to take a job with such low wages. I'll continue to build my time in my unit. With that said 45-50/hr and I would do it, otherwise not a chance. But I agree, because I know there are quite a few folks like myself who are qualified for regional flying but just wont do it based on wages.

I need about $80/hour to leave my job for a flying job.

I am seriously thinking about doing a citation rating this year for the ATP ride.

Keep my job until when and if there is a change.

And every year I don't leave to fly do another type rating. The types are not that expensive out of Miami and Texas (7000 for 727, dc9, I think 8000 747) Don't know how good the training is but ***.

If I never fly for a regional maybe I'll make some new friends and have some fun.

GoFlyNow,

There was a similar thread a while back. I replied: six figures, home based or a permanent base where I live.

IF I had stayed with my last employer, and IF I had not been down graded, I would have been making 70-80k commuting up east (about 2000 per year on hotels and losing 2-4 days off in the commute). Luckily I found a 135 job that gives me 15 days off each month, base pay is 62k (and 1500-3000 for good behavior). Realistically I expect to make at least 64k with no extra days. Home every night I don't time out (about once a month), and flying 250 hours per year (I do have collateral duties within my duty period, but nothing ridiculous).

So again, to go back to 121, it would take six figures and home based (or not commuting).

Thats the old Republic logo - I got some time in the back of those birds - DC9-10 was my favorite they flew.

Lots of time - learned to fly Bell 47's at DTW in the middle of runway 3 left and right ;)

How do you get home most nights on 135?

thanks

I remember riding in the back of a Northwest DC-9-10 many years ago. 8 first class seats, 75 coach. Pretty close to those CRJ-900s that kids trip over themselves to fly for $25 an hour. Piedmont had F-28s back then with even fewer seats.

Empire had them too, man I loved riding on those back then. I always thought they'd make a cool bizjet.