Newty

Easy to say if you're not stuck in the right seat of a 30 seat Brazilldo I actually make 28 and hour wchich is pretty close to a buck a seat and it is NOWHERE near enough.

Herb Flemmming

I guess the only question is underfolder or fixed?

Lowlevel

Deleted for those that are politically correct

CaptainTeezy

I hate to say this because people get all emotionally unstable...brand new FOs are not worth more than what the company is paying them...it is called capitalism. Here is the deal... guys with 250 hours were going straight to the airlines with NO CFI experience, NO commercial experience, NO PIC experience. NO EXPERIENCE at all. They are unproven and untested in making their own decisions. You cant emulate leadership...IE watching the Captain. for 1,000 hours and then expect to be a capable leader when the Shizzle begins to Fizzle.

Now if you get guys with 135 experience and ATP mins and maybe around 500 ME PIC...then yeah...he is worth more...I would say easily 30k first year.

But it would be wrong to pay someone who is untested and unproven 30k plus the first year...so those with experience either go somewhere else or they have to suck up low pay.

My opinion...you shouldnt be allowed to be a 121 FO unless you have 900 hours. 1500=ATP 1200=135 and 900=121 FO.

robthree

Captain T.

My cousin has just graduated from Boston University. Aerospace Engineer. Really, really smart kid. In his Sophmore summer he got an internship at one of the major firms (can't remember which one - doesn't matter). His internship paid $25 an hour, full time.

Now, as I said Nick is a really smart kid. But he was being paid more to be a gopher than first year pilots make at a Legacy, much less a regional. With NO EXPERIENCE. None.

Thirty grand is not nearly enough for a brand new first officer anywhere, on any equipment. It will not support a family, period.

I agree that at 300 hours you've got no business sitting in the right seat of an airliner. I personally think an ATP ought to be required for every 135/121 pilot.

But anyone in that seat must be properly compensated. And it is the job we are doing, not what we used to do that ought to determine our pay.

RJSAviator76

Cap'n T... what about the unfortunate souls who were laid off when their airlines downsized or went under.... and only regionals were hiring? In other words, a former ATA 757 captain or former Aloha 737NG captain. What should they make?

TBucket

Actually, you are completely wrong. It would be capitalism if it were unrestricted. Thanks to the RLA, it's about as far from "what they're worth" as one can get. When you have no leverage to negotiate, you get basically what management wants to pay you. Obviously, this is not what you're "worth". This is what they want to give you. Repeal the RLA and then let's see what pilots are "worth". Negotiations would change drastically if you could go on strike the day your contract expires, rather than maybe 4-5 YEARS later. (If the government decides to let you)

boilerpilot

Bingo, especially when the arbitrators are decidedly pro-management. That being said, we're not a truly capitalistic society, nor could we ever truly be one. A purely capitalistic society HAS no regulation. In this example (the airlines), safety would be completely dependent on the airlines self regulating their own safety, in the interest of competition. "Don't fly airline A, they only inspect their engines every three years. Fly Airline B, where we inspect our engines more than any other airline out there!" I can guarantee you that safety would not be nearly what it is today if left in the hands of the airlines. I'm not advocating complete reregulation, but clearly the airlines have not demonstrated the ability to self regulate themselves when balancing safety vs cost. Why should the last and most important line of defense, the pilots, be the ONLY thing left unprotected from management?

Lowlevel

Crazy talk! I left a truck driving job, where I was home every day at 4pm and was making $60K to come to a regional and make $18K. Yes, it was by choice, but since when should anyone with up to 76 lives in their hands make $18K a year? When I came to the airlines, I had 2200 hours, many of which were Part 135 cargo in the Northeast, at night. So, should I have made more than other FO's without that experience? Yes! But then, if you are a union, you work for the same wages as everyone else with the same seniority. You have to admit, $346 a week to fly a plane ($18K a year)is insane! That is a $8.65 an hour, 40 hour week job!! Can you say "Would you like fries with that?"

milky

That doesn't sound like something to brag about. That kind of shows a lack of intelligence on those that have gone that route...