M20EPilot

Two years into skywest and the QOL is very nice. > 50% days off, without using vacation time. 17 off next month. Gross somewhere between 50-55K. I don't pick up extra flying unless I can get rid of some.

HOWEVER, that will all go bye-bye if and when I get the opportunity to upgrade to further the career. The pay will get better but it will take many years to achieve similar seniority in the left seat here - 10 years or so like Utah said above. If you can afford FO pay, and don't care about career progression (TPIC) I'd say it can be very nice.

But this is all theoretical and conjecture. No one knows what the future holds, and the key to a nice lifestyle at any airline is seniority in seat and living in base. The hiring wheels have to continue turning to achieve seniority, and the base is always a crap-shoot. Here's hoping to no big calamity anytime soon.

ArcherDvr

If everyone could achieve that level, it wouldn't be so bad. Not surprising though since Skywest is one of the better regionals out there. If PSA and PDT pay rates and contracts are going to be the standard, I think that QOL is going to be hard to get. Granted they have the flow and if the movement continues that's great but I wouldn't want to stagnate there.

Nantonaku

Either you are greatly exaggerating your pay or this pay chart is 20K off:

SkyWest | AirlinePilotCentral.com

You'd have to work every one of your days off to get close to what you claim you are making and even then you'd come up 10K short, 5K short when you add in per diem.

IFLYPLANEZBRO

im a 2nd year FO for Skywest. I'm going to gross more than 50k this year. I work about 15-17 days a month and credit 100+. Skywest has quite a lot of high paying trips. Most 3 day trips are 18-20 hrs most 4 days are 22-26. Throw in a couple good trips and you make what hes talking about.

M20EPilot

I'm on 3rd year pay. 90/month + 250 TAFB works out to just shy of 49K. A typical line award is 85-90 hrs, and legs that are over historical credit pay the greater of the two; that adds several hours a month. So I average somewhere between 90-100hrs credit/month. That is all flying the 200. The 7/9 and E175 pay a couple dollars more. Add in the other bennies: performance bonus, pilot profit sharing, holiday & training pay, 401k match, and some other stuff I am forgetting, and that adds another 4-5grand. If you dont want to count per diem as pay that is your prerogative, but I take food to work, rather than buy airport or hotel food... my cost of living does not differ much between being at home and at work.

But again this is all about relative seniority and whose crystal ball is accurate: If the wheels stop turning and you're stuck at the bottom on reserve, well, that is not pleasant no matter where you work. If I take first upgrade to CA it will probably not be a huge pay bump, going back to 75hrs a month, less TAFB, and more abuse, and it will stay that way for a long time.

BIueSideUp

I want to be this guy. Great attitude, man. If you all hate your jobs so much then do something else. Anybody who picked a flying career for the money and posh lifestyle was either misinformed or retarded. We all know what this job is about, so how about we quit complaining about lousy TAs and how the industry is doomed. It's not "I could enjoy it if...". There could always be more to be had. Oh sure if you could make the 500k you deserve for moving a gear lever up and down, maybe it would be bearable.

Love it for what it is or leave it for what it's not.

IFLYPLANEZBRO

dude but why would you move out of your parent place? They are the greatest, they clean your room, cook you dinner, wipe your ass. All things I miss dearly on trips. Oh thats right I forgot old timer I'm dragging down the industry choosing to fly with these pay rates. How much was your starting pay as an FO again? hmmm I'm gonna take a wild guess and say it was less than 22 an hour. BUT OH YEAH FO rates should be 60-70k. but wait isnt that not enough to pay your bills? You cant make it on 75k a year right?

In all seriousness, regional pilots are under paid. I wasn't commenting on that, I was letting you know you are in trouble if you cant live on 75 a year. If you said 25k, yeah ok, maybe up to 40k its tough to live. But past that point thats on you... If you cant live on 75k then you cant live on 100k either, or 150k. You spend too much money old man. Just trying to give you a heads up.

Dhood84

Finally someone who doesn't have their head jammed up their ass. Good post my friend.

DH

SkyHigh

In my experience ones attitude in regards to life at the regionals is improved greatly by living at your base, being largely debt free, and from having an outside source of income such as a retirement from a previous career, wealthy spouse, business, or inheritance. Other factors that help are a child free lifestyle and a lot of luck. Career satisfaction can change rapidly with alterations in family status, base or employer change, economic depression. Happiness with life at the regionals is relative to ones needs at that time in your life. If one has student loans and there are financial requirements trying to subsist exclusively from income provided from the regionals can be very painful. If family needs require more control over your personal life flying for the regionals can be a huge bummer.

Skyhigh

slough

Right on...been a decent run for the last few years. Seems like the single guys living in base have the most fun.