And that's pretty much the definition of the Stockholm Syndrome.

Just because it's not the worst - doesn't make it acceptable.

How long are we going to accept that we're doing the exact same job as a major airline pilot - but for a very small percentage of their wages?

How long will we allow the unions to get away with this?

As I stated before, we are losing years (in many cases, decades) of PROFESSIONAL airline pilot wages while we sit in this self-inflicted waiting room called the regionals. When I started at my first airline, the typical airline pilot career was worth between $7 million and $8 million. That was when it was assumed that one would only spend a couple of years at a regional (or commuter airline, as they were called then). Every time I talk to a captain who says, "I think that I'm compensated fairly" . . . I want to punch him in the face.

When the captain in the 737 at the next gate is making 300K per year, I've got news for you Mr. Regional Captain . . .

you're NOT being compensated fairly.

You're leaving a ton of money on the table - in exchange for what?

Job security? Gimme a break.

If we'd all lose the inherent selfishness that's now the norm in our industry, we'd be MUCH, MUCH better off

And your grand solution for Capitalism is?

It would be way better if the regionals went away or didn't exist. The rise of the regionals can be attributed to the failures in the late 80s and 90s to institute "B Scale" pay. That and the fact that no self respecting "Airline pilot" would fly a propeller driven airplane. Regional airlines are basically B scale. It's only when they started flying larger jets that the mainline unions got involved and created "Scope" clauses to keep flying in house. They should NEVER give on scope. Taking the regionals in house (which will eventually come - but only with lower B scale wages) is the ultimate "solution". The economic reality though is what we see. The majors make a TON of money off the regionals and how they feed their mainline flying.

You make a good point.

Mesa is really three different airlines... The E-jet, PHX, and everywhere else. PHX is running the show, those guys care about one thing only, keeping the door open. Everything else is a threat to that.
Once you understand this, you shouldn't be surprised.

The same solution that has ALWAYS worked - don't accept these wages.

If enough regional pilots simply walked away from their career, do you really think they would just find someone else to fill your shoes? There IS nobody else. As an example, I just looked up the starting salary for Assistant Manager at any Home Depot - it's 60K per year. That's just one of many examples.

Short of filing a major class-action suit against ALPA for misrepresentation (which should have happened years ago), regional pilots have to just walk away from these pathetic wages, schedules, and benefits. Every day a regional pilot shows up for work, it's another day that we allow our masters to shave millions from our career earnings.

I flew with a manager recently. He told me AA and UA contact Mesa almost on a daily basis - wanting to know one thing.

"How do the recruiting numbers look today?"

Now why would they want to know this? I've seen the projected retirement numbers for AA, UA, Delta, SWA, etc for the next few years. I've also seen the airframe orders. Do you REALLY think you won't get a phone call?

The longer the regionals exist, the longer the legacies won't have to re-align their domestic markets with their own airframes and their own pilots.

One question, where do YOU currently work?

Went back to bartending - I'm walking the walk.

I've spent too many years in this industry to watch them embarrass pilots like this. This is beyond humiliating.

Follow me if you want - or don't, that's your choice. I made mine.

If they actually start paying professional wages, I might jump back in. For now, I'm happy.

One thing's for damn sure . . . I refuse to prostitute my professional skills and experience for Starbucks wages. If we would all do this, things would change dramatically.

One thing is for sure, you won't make the big bucks in aviation if you're not in it. Which begs the question, how valuable are those professional skills to you right now? When Mesa was handing out 300% pay like candy, my friends were making as much as I was at Kalitta.
Best of luck to you, there's never going to be a better time to get back into aviation as right now.

" When Mesa was handing out 300% pay like candy, my friends were making as much as I was at Kalitta. "

You're NOT @ Kalitta anymore?

And how much were you making there?

I've been hearing that for twenty years.

In fact, if I had a dollar for every time I've been told that, I wouldn't need a job