This article is worth its own thread. Maybe a Laker can back me up, but isn't this the same airline that wouldn't even pay the delivery charge to have a couch delivered to the pilot lounge, after fighting for months to even put one in the lounge in the first place. The same airline that pays its pilots about $16,000/year? What a joke.

Great Lakes faces shortage of pilots - Wyoming Tribune Eagle Online

New law requiring more experience for first officers is making finding and retaining pilots more difficult for the local carrier

By James Chilton
[email protected]

CHEYENNE -- A new law upping the number of hours a person has to fly before they can be hired as an airline pilot is causing headaches for Great Lakes Airlines.

Management can reap what they sow...

Boohoo so sad. Looks like its time to pony up the pay or die.

Hey 15k per year is some serious $$$$ in Wolf Point, Montana!

“We’re hoping that the majors will increase their requirements for number of hours … and (stop) taking all the 1,500-hour guys off the street, which are the guys we need now too,” she said.

Where do you get your pictures and gifs? I cannot keep up with you!

This article failed to mention the real issue with their pilot retention problem. Have they thought about paying more? Treating employees better? The regional airline industry is bad, we all know this, but this airline is just sad. I'm actually surprized and very happy that the FAA is making it hard for them to try and circumnavigate the 1500 rule with their 135 idea. As long as pilots are willing to fly for airlines as crappy as Great Lakes this downward race will continue. We are our wost enemies!

Oh c'mon. We all know Lakes is right at "industry standard", amirite? Just ask their management.

“All the majors are trying to grab all the guys that have at least 1,500 hours, and they always pick out of the pot of Great Lakes because we have a great training program,” Taylor-Lee said. “So we are experiencing a pretty severe pilot shortage at the moment.”

OMG

Exactly right...because the original crew room furniture was involved in a severe bed bug infestation; in the words of the exterminator, "one of the worst bed bug infestations I have ever seen."