vtailpilot

Just for the record you don't graduate, get the license, then roll the big bucks immediately. In healthcare the magic number is 2 years. For 2 years you'll make (using my exact pay at the time) 18.00 hourly + 3.00 extra for nightshift and 3.00 for a weekend or 6.00 for a weekend night. If you like night shift thats great because you'll be on it for years, I never worked a dayshift in 8 years. After you have 2 years of Full time experience then your in better shape, I was raised up to 26.00 hourly base which is about 60,000 yearly. Thats 4 years of college + 2 years experience and add a year for passing state boards and finding a job and you have 7 years invested easily. I'm assuming so please don't slam me if I'm wrong a regional guy would be making at least that after 7 years seniority. Again I'm sorry if I'm way off I'm just guessing here.

vtailpilot

Yep I'm single and childless and only child so not a huge family either. About the researching the difference in regionals I am lost there. What am I looking for? Are bases important? PSA has a base locally which is why they appeal to me but what else am I missing that is important. I'm not wanting to start a fire by putting one regional down or another just wondering what basic items a guy should consider that doesn't know anything about the technical side of the operations. Thanks for the info

Purpleanga

I'm having a hard time understanding. So after all of the above and even after reaching 60K!, you are willing to erase all that, start at the bottom and do redo another 7 years so that you can make 60K again? I'm sorry it's not as if you're someone coming out of the ARMY or someone that has been a janitor or a secretary at a random office that wants to become a pilot, that would be a step up. You are a professional and already have a career going for you and have actually invested time and money in what you are doing.

rickair7777

A huge quality of Life (QOL) factor is living in domicile vice commuting. If a regional has a JUNIOR base in your home town or a town you would enjoy living in, that is huge.

Otherwise you have to live where you don't want to or commute to work...this is where you try to jumpseat or fly standby (nonrev) to and from work each week. This can be quite painful if the flights are full, there are few flights, it is a long flight, or there are multiple legs required. It can take 24 hours to get to work. A junior pilot who is on reserve will probably work 5-6 days each week...add a commute to that and you are home just long enough to do your laundry.

Some regionals have very poor work rules, will ignore labor contracts and FAA safety regs, and will cheat employees on their paycheck...the devil is truly in the details, do your homework! For example, there is a big difference between 8 and 12 days off each month, over the course of a year that is 48 days off!

Rnav

Or you can wash it in the hotel sink. LOL

Back on topic. Your asking the right questions for someone who doesn't know the industry. But seriously, do you notice how many people are telling you to stay in the medical field and fly on the side? Sure there are people on the medical forums probably *****ing about their careers. But what about their personal lives? Do they get to sleep in their own beds nightly? Do they have to live out of a 26" rollerboard for days on end? What about eating? I'm not sure the last time you ate airport food but its a slow expensive death. Imagine doing that days on end. And the icing on the cake is that money your talking about after 6-7 years may be there. But it can be taken away in one fell swoop if the company furloughs or tanks. Now your back on the bottom...

But, I think your still hell bent on doing it so good luck. Seriously. You actually sound like a nice guy and people like that who ask questions and take input do well during training. Stubborness, ignorance and a Mr. know-all-attitude will make groundschool a tough ride...

vtailpilot

Thanks for the info, good advice for someone who doesn't know what their looking for in the basics. Is this info easy to find or any particular place to look that is recommended?

vtailpilot

Honestly, I was 18 when I started the B.S. in CPS program had no idea what I wanted to do other than be a pilot but was told by many pilots to get a degree in something else and fight the urge to go to ERAU that I dreamed of at the time. So flipping through the college catalog I see Bachelor of Science in Cardio-Pulmonary Science sounded really important and fancy then it said you would be a Respiratory Care Practioner sounded fancy to an 18 year old, so there I went. I only done it at the time to have a BS to go to the airlines someday and thought it would be a good backup if I didn't make it. I feel the time has come to attempt to follow my initial plans, I find myself at 28, single, laid off, no kids and basically no major responsibilities at the time. I have paid my debt off for school and my plane which parents paid half when I bought it so that helped, I've not made a fortune in my hospital time, However, I have seen many people in their last days and heard all the things they never got to do but always wanted to do and I always thought of this for me. I would think the same things you were saying about the money and starting all over and the if's and buts and actually was convinced I would never get this chance til now. I can always go back to sticking tubes down peoples throat but I may never be in this situation again. I think all of you could agree that if you had not done it then you would always wonder what it was like and if you would like it, even if you dislike it now and regret it you would not have done the hard work to get where you are. Hope you understand[/quote]

rickair7777

Pilots pay, schedule, vacation, equipment, domicile, and seat (Captain or First Officer) is all determined by RELATIVE seniority at THAT airline.

It doesn't matter how long you have worked there (you usually get a small raise each year)...if you were the last guy hired and business has been slow, you will stuck at the bottom until they hire again or someone retires, quits, or dies.

If you end up on the street and have to start all over at another airline, you start at ZERO seniority. A 747 Captain could be making $300K...but if his company shut down or he got fired, he would have to start at $20-40K. Right now, only a couple of regional are hiring, so it would be closer to $20K.

It is vital that an entry-level pilot select an airline which will be successful and continue to grow for the next 30-40 years. You will need a fully-functional crystal ball.

Lowlevel

1. The healthcare industry is one of the few stable careers right now, so stay there!
2. Get used to Ramen Noodles and PB&J
3. Plan on the huge paycut (first year 18K to 20K is HARD, unless you have another source of income)
4. Plan on selling your plane, you won't be able to buy gas for it.
5. Flying freight at night helped immensely with my transition to an airline, the IFR and night flying in harsh Northeast weather is great, if you can stand the stress of single pilot IFR at night. If you don't want to fly freight, go out and fly some hard IFR, it will help (take someone with you though, for safety purposes)
6. Plan on learning how to file for unemployment. I just got furloughed two days before I would be making third year FO pay. It's not if you will get furloughed, it's when....in the airline business.
7. One thing some people have a hard time with is working as a crew with another pilot (too many years flying solo). Work on that.
8. Systems will need to be learned anywhere you go. If you move on to a major, you will have to learn all new systems. It's an ever learning experience (aviation).
9. If and when you get hired, spend lots of time learning your flows. Any time you have a few minutes, practice them.
10. Remain positive, which is hard at a regional nowadays when everyone is being furloughed, quitting, or treated like crap.

vtailpilot

I'm not sure how the quote thing got messed up, I'm sure its my fault tho. Thats interesting info anyway because I'm used to the exact opposite I have worked at 5 different hospitals in 8 years. In the hospital world you find who is needing help call and offer to work for more money and they usually soy ok then you tell your boss you want x amount to stay or your leaving and if their short staffed then you just got a fat raise. Its a mean game you have to play in healthcare to get good raises tho. That would really be upsetting to lose a 757 job and start at new hire pay

By the Way you guys are the best Crystal Ball I have right now