CaptainTeezy

Anyone who doesnt instruct to 135 or ATP mins and goes straight to a regional is apart of the destruction of the airline industry. Everyone should instruct for 1000+ hours and actually LEARN SOMETHING. Then they should go put what they have learned and apply it to flying 135. Then you take your aquired knowledge and experiences you have gained as an acting PIC and apply it to a jet as a fully qualified FO that the captain doesnt have to babysit. You will be worth over $30,000 and would be a fool to leave a 135 job to go take first year pay at a regional. If everyone took this route the position of regional FO would probably start off at about $28,000.

So for those of you that did not instruct to 135/ATP mins...you have no reason to complain. You are the ones who have made the modern pilot a slightly over qualified bus driver. In fact you DESERVE your furlough. You had a lack of respect for the knowledge to be learned and the experience to be gained that comes with flying C172s and small twins.

If you want descent money fly 135. And yeah its a complete BIZICH to get those mins, long tiring days and a lot of sacrifice. In my first year of flying part 135 (leaving out my time of unemployment) I am on pace to make around $35,000. The great thing about 135 is you often get paid on experience.

Tiger2Flying

No disrespect but do you feel this strongly about the TWA pilots that were hired with zero flight time back in the mid 1900s?

byebyeairlines

Vastly different times. No one had experience then. Plus they actually paid those guys a living wage.

CaptainTeezy

Hot Rod: Not really...I have seen a lot of the lacking people that have gone to the regional airlines. There is a good portion of them that lack experience and knowledge to be a good pilot. Which is why the pay is low...this is why I made the choice early in my career to try and avoid the regionals. I instructed to ATP mins and went 135. Pay is much better. My point is that people are complaining about pay when they arent worth it in experience. What has happened is that people are trading experience for pay. Which is fine...I really dont care...but dont then turn around and complain about pay when someone steps in and continues the cycle that you helped to sustain.

BIrwin

Having flown the BE1900 in the late 90's in and out of O'Hare with brand new FO's I can relate to this sentiment. Even though I was never single-pilot typed, I might as well have been on some days. I distinctly remember providing a new FO OJT on how to use the wx radar as we were approaching some major convective activity. Not going to be much use backing up my decision making.

That being said I had the opportunity to develop and teach a CBT based turbine aircraft course at a major university flight school during my last furlough. There were several exceptional low time pilots who I would gladly fly with. My point experience is good, but it isn't everything.

WJI

Rnav

hahaha, pay going up just because people have 135/ATP mins? Isn't that what people used to have anyways when they went to the regionals? Companies aren't going to raise pay just because someone has thousands of hours and knows how the industry works and doesn't want to work at a regional.

My opinion, if you don't mind the pay, QOL issues and want to fly for a living there is nothing wrong with choosing the industry as your career. Just accept the realities of the industry. If your priorities are otherwise, keep moving along and don't schedule your introductory flight...

byebyeairlines

"Whats next pal, blacks dont make good presidents"


That still hasn't been proven yet? Just saying. I also would love to figure out how to get the wife to cook!

JoeyMeatballs

live in base, work for a good regional, if you cant make it on 50k a year, something is wrong, remember the american dream is the "Pursuit to happiness", doesn't say a thing about anyone being entitled to the good life, just the freedom to PURSUE it,

Gunga Galunga

True, which I think I'll eat those words in 3+ years but that's another day and time.

Perfect time as any to get her cooking lessons for her birthday/anniversary. Sometimes the subtle hints just dont do it!

CaptainTeezy

Its not about the regionals caring about experience...its that if you/everyone else goes somewhere else and makes $30,000 your first year you/nobody will leave to go to a regional. So if everyone persued higher paying regionals, 135, 91, or higher paying instructor jobs...the airlines would be forced to raise the wages in a normal economic enviornment. And what about when you become Capt...are you still gonna push for higher end pay/experience in the hiring dept??? Of course if you have 300 hours you have no experience or reason to ask for higher pay. But of course everyone wants to sell out and go fly the jet for less.
I agree completely with your second paragraph. I just get sick of people complaining about pay when they are apart of the problem...the regionals are a lot like a casino...the house has the odds stacked in their favor with a carrot out in front of everyone. But instead of going to the casino why not persue another route??? If you want pay to go up...leave the airlines. Dont support the system that bites you almost every time.