Originally Posted by BYUFlyr (Post 123219)

I disagree with some of the comments about putting their family through horrendous "livable wages", but I'm pretty new to the whole regional industry.

The way I look at it is: my friend's wife and kids have to put up with "livable" wages while head of household finishes up medical school and does residency. They don't see it as abuse from their husband, but as her husband progressing in his career to one day be able to financially support his family without having a second income from a full-time mom. Right now they're just getting by. I don't consider my situation much different. From the time I began training to the time I will upgrade at a regional won't be much longer than my friend's journey through a bachelor's degree, medical school, and residency. Both careers have a high earning POTENTIAL. I don't plan on making a career out of a regional job, but I see it as a necessary step in my career progression, which my family willingly supports me in. Is it a sacrifice? Maybe, but in my family's opinion the future benefits outweigh the sacrifice in both cases (my friend in med school and my aviation career).

Each family has different needs and challenges. In now way does my family's decision reflect what "the right thing to do" is for anyone else and their respective family. Just my .02

Originally Posted by ANPBird (Post 123221)

By your standards nobody that has kids or a family should be a pilot. I guess there will be a shortage of pilots because 70% of the workforce just quit!

Originally Posted by Uncle Bose (Post 123234)

Once you've made the choice to start a family, you give up the choice to become a pilot. It's different if you're established in the career with some seniority and earning power and THEN choose to start a family.



No you won't. With a family to feed, idealism goes out the window. You'll be punching your card for a paycheck just like everyone else.

Originally Posted by sflpilot (Post 123249)

Ah NO, pay during residency is about two to three times the starting regional salary, although more hours. I have personal experience with this situation in my family.

Originally Posted by PinnacleFO (Post 122736)

This has gotten completely out of hand. There are too many regionals and way to many regional jets. Right now, Republic holdings cant even staff the continental planes they have plus they are getting frontier flying, Skywest has to hire 70 per month to even staff the planes they have (let alone the planes they have ordered) Pinnacle and ASA have people leaving to the majors at record past and are way short on pilots, Mesaba is hiring again, ExpressJet is starting their own airline, American Eagle is even upgrading again, and now there is Compass forming.

Managements of Airlines are going to cause the public to become furious becuase of cancelled flights. They wouldnt pay their pilots to fly 76 + jets and now they are farming them all out. With the majors starting to hire, there will be MASS EXODUS at the regionals within the next 2 years. Not only is this a safety hazard with all the low time pilots we will have, but it just doesn't make sense.


A good solution would have been to keep all flying 76 and above at mainline, which would have brought back every furlough and then some new hires. This also would have kept the regionals better staffed. All of these airlines try to be as cheap as they can and now they are going to pay the ultimate price by farming out all of this flying to all of us.

Originally Posted by JetJock16 (Post 122751)

Funny how we all think we have the answers. As if there's something that we all know, that they don't.

Bottom line, the industry is up in the air and where it will all fall, who really knows? Mistakes are bound to be made, by both the airlines and their employees.

BUT bitching and moaning like a broken record while we all continue to beat the dead horse is really getting ridicules.

No offense, I’m sure that this thread will go 5-6 pages deep with posters who are still willing to pile on your Soap Box with you.

Like I said, no offense!

Originally Posted by sflpilot (Post 122967)

The majors will continue to put aircraft of increasing size at the regionals. It is simply a cost issue, the regionals can do the same job for less. The jobs of the future are at the "regionals," although they will be flying mainline routes. Remember, many of the pilots leaving are not going to majors but rather leaving the airlines completely. Of course they are having to try to hire 60+ per month at most companies. Not as many people want the job anymore; I wonder why. If they can't staff the equipment then they will just cancel flights, end of story. The sky is not falling, nothing will change, not the pay, not the QOL, nothing.

Originally Posted by ANPBird (Post 122970)

Don't hate me just because I am poor and I am doing what I love!

Originally Posted by Uncle Bose (Post 123181)

I wouldn't want to subject my family to "livable" wages and me being gone all the time just because I want to dick around in the sky. It's selfish.

Originally Posted by ANPBird (Post 123221)

How much will I be gone from home then? I will have more days off at a regional than I do now.......... work less hours, even with a commute to a base I live by. I will be taking a pay cut for a year, by second year I will make more than I do now and even make up the pay from the first. So if making more money over the next 5 years (at a regional) than what I will make now, spending more time with my family than I currently do makes me irresponsible, then I guess I am.
Would you be a better family man if you:
a). Work at a job you didn't want to even be at?
b). Was happy working at a job you loved?

What kind of person doesn't want to work and live where they have always wanted too. Do you tell your kids they cant grow up to what they want to be? By your standards nobody that has kids or a family should be a pilot. I guess there will be a shortage of pilots because 70% of the workforce just quit! I will go to work, be happy, and do what I can everyday to help raise the state of the regional industry while I am there.