SkyHigh

When I was a boy all the agricultural labor in my home town came from the established local people. Over time competition in the apple market held wages down to a point where local workers wouldn't accept the compensation offered. The news papers declared that there was a labor shortage and that farmers were desperate for help. There of course wasn't really a shortage of labor, rather a shortage of workers who were willing to preform the job for what was being offered.

The local workers pressed the farmers into raising wages however the vacuum in labor drew in migrant farm workers from the south. These new workers were very happy with the levels of compensation since their expectations were less than that of the previous group of local workers. Discouraged the local workers eventually moved on to other professions or took to drinking and a welfare lifestyle. The apples were harvested and the consumer was satisfied with a quality product at a reduced price.

Legacy airline pilots are experiencing a similar situation in regards to competition from new groups of workers with reduced expectations. Regionals and LCC airlines are rapidly filling the gap by providing a quality service to the consumer at a reduced price. As a result the legacy pilot groups have responded by agreeing to pay cuts and a reduction in working conditions in order to match the threat.

Traditional migrant farm worker groups are beginning to get nervous. Two years ago before the borders began to close down new groups from even farther south were beginning to appear to fill the vacuum created by the now dissatisfied migrant farm workers who are demanding pay raises. It only takes a few minutes to train someone how to pick an apple. You don't even need to speak the same language.

The skills set once required to sit in the front office of an airliner are not difficult to come by anymore. At one time pilot wages were set by a true scarcity of people with the required abilities. Today there is a shortage of pilots who are willing to do the job for the compensation offered. In six months once news hits of renewed hiring a next generation of aviators will hit the flight schools and within six month and $45,000 later we will have a new flood of workers who are willing to the job today for much less.

SkyHigh

de727ups

"The skills set once required to sit in the front office of an airliner are not difficult to come by anymore"

I don't buy it. 12 years on the 727, which was around about the time you were born, and 4 years on the 757/767, the high tech machine, and I'll tell ya it's not that different from the standpoint of needing quality operaters in the front seats.

The job may not be, today, what you expected it to be....what you needed it to be. I'll agree that things have gone downhill and the bar was lowered. I just don't agree that downhill slide will continue into lowly busdriverdom. It can still be a six figure job working half the month. The majors are starting to recall and hire. Labor wants it's share of the upswing. Time will tell but I still have hope for the future.

I'm just not ready to write it off as a wasted career yet nor willing to discourage folks from pursuing it...so long as they are educated as to the ups and downs.

Qman

Well said. These young guys come in wanting a silver spoon put in their mouth based on what was happening pre 911. The industry is going through a long long correction and the economics will dictate that pay must start going up across the board. I do this job because I love it and I hope to take home a pretyy good paycheck like the next guy. Remember though that in the 90's with all the strikes and contract negotiations, look what happened to US Air, which then became US Airways, and was then merged with America West. The $40/hr ramp workers eliminated, the $300,000 CA working a few days week gone, etc. Now we have the other extreme of rampees getting $10/hr and crew taking huge paycuts to get these companies back on track otherwise everyone's job would be gone and some low cost carrier would step in a gobble up the left overs! For those pilots who want the world on a platter right now, be careful of what you ask for, long term job security is more important than short term greed.

SkyHigh

These days a new pilot can literally go from zero to sitting in the right seat of a Mesa RJ within a year. Commonly pilots are getting hired at the regionals with only a few hundred hours. Soon people will be able to enter self funded airline pilot cadet programs and direct entry into an airline position. (say don't they already do that someplace?) Flying an RJ can't be much different than flying a 757 in regards to complexity. The next generation of jets I am sure will be even easier to operate.

I am sure that as hiring heats up some pilot groups will be thrown a bone and wages will come up a little, however the increase will hardly cover inflation and most of the increases will go to buying off the senior guys. In a few years the hard times will return and wages will ratchet down another few notches. My estimation is that the bottom for major airline captain wages lies someplace between urban police officer and city bus driver.

My generation sacrificed a lot to get where we are and expected to earn a very good living when we got there. The RJ kids today spend a small fortune at a six month pilot factory and are simply hoping to earn enough to pay their share of the rent and to have a little extra for top ramen.

SKyHigh

Booker

Correct me if I'm wrong, but wasn't there a time when airlines were hiring private pilots off the street--commercial certificate to be provided in training?

JoeyMeatballs

Ok well I am not one of the "Zero to Hero" in 6 month types, and a lot of those guys after making 20k a year and poor QOL who expected to be in a 757 a year or two later, are finding this Airline thing isnt what they imagined and leave the industry.

Airsupport

Yes this is true. They would hire anyone with a private pilots license, and give you the commercial cert. It was in the 50's-60's.

SkyHigh

Back in the 60's there was a for real "pilot Shortage". My own father was approached as a newly graduated aerospace engineer with private pilots license and offered full training with pay to fly for a major airline. Guys with as little as 250 hours flew as FE and never spent one hour as a CFI.

The difference today is that back in the 1960's there was a real shortage of college educated pilots. Now every community college and mail order university is cranking out degrees by the boatload. Student loans have made financing flight training easy. It only takes a few scribbles of the pen and an ill informed co-signer.

In addition the fully automated flight deck world has made it so that even real flight skills are not all that necessary anymore. All that is required is the ability to learn through rote memorisation and basic computer skills.

SkyHigh

SkyHigh

Sure, I agree. Most do leave after a few years, however what does that say about those who remain in a career that offers low wages and daily abuse?

SkyHigh

de727ups

"In addition the fully automated flight deck world has made it so that even real flight skills are not all that necessary anymore"

Again, not true (I agree with some of your other points, though). A 757 with the FMC's deferred or the autopilot inop (I've seen both) is a lot like a 727. You can dumb the airplane down and it's just a jet. The flight crew should have the experience/background to get the job done in that mode as well as with all the magic working. Now, does the MAPDer or direct track guy with 300 hours bring enough to the game? I highly think not. But I just can't agree with you that new technology is making the airline pilot job one that can be done by any burger flipper and, therefore, is doomed to eventually equal burger flipper wages.