navyman_tx

B.S.
We don't even make minimum wage, and on top of it, I could make more cleaning shi$%ers. What Gives.

And give me a break about having to pay your dues. Even while flipping burgers and paying your dues, at least you get minimum wage nd a life!

I have worked mny, many hard and horrible jobs. Picked cotton, cut grain, washed dishes, cleaned, worked lumber, delivered lumber, roofing, general labor, apartment manager, married. They all payed something better than what I make for the first few years as a proffesional Pilot.

Let's revolt and get the big chiefs to spread the money a little better to the indians.

All of this is creating a big hate for the industry. As a kid and even as an adult I have always loved flying and watching aircraft. but this is just rediculous.

Oh well, what the hell!! Just deal they say! B.S.

navyman_tx

I have never worked for free so much in my life, and I just started. At least when I volunteer my time, they appreciate it!

Everybosy's excuse, "Oh, but sir, you need to build time to get anywhere. And we do that for you here. (As a flight instructor) And, you don't have to pay a thing for it, the customer does. But we will need you to be on duty so many times a month, and we have all of this administrative stuff for you to do, and we also need you to be at our becken call. And we love having you here." Again B.S.

This whole mess is screwed up.

navyman_tx

All of the above mentioned "extra duties", well you do it for free!

I don't even have enough customers yet to get me back home everyday as far as gasoline goes.

navyman_tx

Anybody else with me on this? Or am I the only one who feels like somebody's BIT$%!

CL65driver

Yeah, it was a little screwed up to make $10/hr as a CFI, while the sleazy owner of the flight school was whoring you out for $45 an hour, all while convienently "forgetting" everyone's paychecks at home almost all the time. God, those were bad days.


Eh... whatcha gonna do?

navyman_tx

Yeah, the guy I work for; well, he is going to the islands this weekend in his Knig Air. Hey guys, hold down the fort for me! And, MAKE ME THAT MONEY!!!!

supersix-4

Yes that sounds familliar. but I dont think I'm telling you something you dont already know when I say This business is extremely cutthroat. If you walk out today. There will be several others willing to kiss-a$$ , wash planes, work for free for flight time. The guys who pimp you out know it very well too and you, me Heck we all get used that way somewhere along the path of our careers. I cannot count the free time I have given in order to add another hour into my logbook, or in order to say "Yeah I've flown one of them".

Go have a beer and rent Office space. You'll be fine.

CL65driver

Hey supersix! You nailed that one right on the head. The guy I was instructing for got a few Cessna 172s with G1000s. He then got the bright idea that in order for us to get checked out, we had to fly with him for atleast 10 hours to get a checkout. Now, mind you- that's $140/hr for the plane and $45/hr for his time. Almost all of us flipped him the bird, walked out and never looked back. Though there were two or three brown nosers who stuck around and proceded to become "Assistant Chief Pilots", whatever the heck that means.

A good place to be is a flight school that treats you as an independent contractor. You keep almost all of what you charge for instruction, and can work your schedule to your liking. I used to charge $35/hr. for instruction, the club kept like $5/hr for use of their facilities and equipment. It worked out pretty well. No benefits, but who cares.... it was a side job while doing load control at JAL.

navyman_tx

I just can't believe the way things are carried out in this proffesion. There is no way in hell that any other industry would ever get away with these practices. They are damn lucky that most of us love this job(flying that is) so much. Sometimes I just wish I could slap em up with the backside up my hand like they do to me.
P.S. The backside is the pimp ***** slapping side. FYI
Where I work now, they have rediculous rules and minimums to fly as an instructor in some of their A/C. And the, I could rent the same damn plane there with far less mins. Just does not make sense. But hey man, you got a good deal going. At least that's what they try to portray.
I just am itching to reach any mins and get the hell out of flight instructing for these very reasons. Even though i know that I won't make much more, at least I can get paid some kind of min every month.
Damn, what's a brotha goin to do?

SkyHigh

Man it is a sad truth. They got us by the ba--s. We love to fly and they know it. I wish I could say that it gets better.

SkyHigh