Yes. Apples to apples. Your pay rates at GL on the Brasilia were subsidizing the 1900 pay rates. At ASA, your Brasilia pay rates were subsidized by the CRJ-200 and ATR. Skywest is the same as ASA, Brasilia pay is subsidized by revenue from other aircraft in the fleet.

Are you suggesting that George and John weren't?

I'm not trying to rationalize or justify pay rates or managements. I'm just trying to point out the cold hard truth of math, and the math really sucks. I get that. I just see way too many people on this forum think a magic wand can be waved and everything would be better. At the end of the day, the math and accounting have to work.

Hmm, pass the blunt!

Skywest Brasilia rates aren't subsidized by the CRJ, we make money on the plane. If we didn't make money on it, we wouldn't fly it.

I never said Skywest doesn't make money flying the Brasilia.

You said the Brasilia was "subsidized by other aircraft in the fleet"! So how does your "subsidy theory" work when SkyWest only had SA-226's, SA-227's and Brasilias, and still paid $10 to $15.00 an hour more on it than Lakes does now?

If I remember right, I heard something like the breakeven point for the Brasilia is around 10-15 revenue passengers per flight for Skywest.

I was doing some "fuzzy" math, using all pilots on 6th year pay, and theoretical numbers of 10 pilots per plane and I calculated a total compensation cost to the company of $10.5 Million / year. This was based on 1200 hours of credit time/year. If that was the case, the company could double pilot compensation, essentially becoming the best paid regional airlines in the business and it would cost them $10.5 Million out of their $138 million annual profits?

Essentially, the company nets $128 million in profits, you instantly have the happiest pilot workforce in the regional industry, and people start banging on your door for the opportunity to make $32,000 / year starting salary flying around in a Beech 1900...sounds kind of like a win/win. Might even provide some major healing for the airline industry, or at least a step in the right direction.

PS - my math could be off, and I might not be thinking of the term "profits" correctly with regards to the $138 million.

The $138M is total revenue. Their profits are less than $1.5M.

First off, PA31 was suggesting that I said that the Brasilia program was being subsidized as a business. I never said that. I'm talking pay rates.

I think it's safe to say that 20+ years ago, the airline cost/revenue picture was very different than it is today.

Why is everyone so defensive? Oh, wait... It's airline pilots.

I'm only suggesting that revenue carried by larger aircraft is used to help pay pilot's salaries on smaller aircraft. That doesn't seem to be a big stretch to me.

What you've just said is one of the most insanely idiotic things I have ever heard. At no point in your rambling, incoherent response were you even close to anything that could be considered a rational thought. Everyone in this room is now dumber for having listened to it. I award you no points, and may God have mercy on your soul.