American Eagle: A Career Airline

Firebird2XC said:
I saw a sheet dated from about a year ago or so, with the age 65 change. About 7000 pilots are due to reach mandatory retirement age at AA in the next 10 years.
Click to expand...

Yeah I'm not sure I believe in the "pilot shortage" thing, but there are some indications that there will be a lot of open positions in the upcoming future.
 
Airdale said:
Yeah I'm not sure I believe in the "pilot shortage" thing, but there are some indications that there will be a lot of open positions in the upcoming future.
Click to expand...


Yeah. It won't be carnage in the streets kind of shortage, but it'll be a huge generational turn over.

Some of us will move onward, upward, or just elsewhere. Ultimately we've got make sure we're not poisoning the well for others behind us as we progress forward.

Lack of concern for that is how we all got ourselves into this mess in the first place.

That's what paying it forward means to me, anyways.
 
Rocketman99 said:
I can't say I necessarily care about the kind of plane I'm flying but I certainly do care about what kind of flying I'm doing. For me as a career, being pigeonholed into nothing but crap domestic turns will not cut it. Even if you paid me $200K+ to do it I still wouldn't be happy. I need to be flying outside of the US, and preferably not as an ex-pat for some foreign airline.
Click to expand...


And this is a GOOD thing. I'm the opposite. Pay me enough and give me enough days off that my family doesn't forget who I am, and I'll fly just about anything. Hence the reason SWA is at the top of my list. AirTran, jetBlue and Allegiant aren't far behind. Yeah, I know you won't get rich at Allegiant, but it's that second requirement that just about makes up for it. Then again, you won't get rich anywhere right now.....
 
Eagle is a career airline. If you guys seriously think that you'll have a chance with RJ SIC then you're in denial. RJ SIC time is worthless.
 
The issue at the commuters isn't captain pay it's f/o pay. Captain pay is good by any means of the imagination. F/O pay is livable once you've got some years in but you're not comfortable by any means.
 
wheelsup said:
The issue at the commuters isn't captain pay it's f/o pay. Captain pay is good by any means of the imagination. F/O pay is livable once you've got some years in but you're not comfortable by any means.
Click to expand...

Actually CA regional pay is very low for what the job requires, like complete sacrifice. But if you're comparing it to a post man then yes I guess it is pretty good.....
 
Socal321 said:
Actually CA regional pay is very low for what the job requires, like complete sacrifice. But if you're comparing it to a post man then yes I guess it is pretty good.....
Click to expand...

I don't think you realize just how much business travelers, well, travel. My BIL and soon to be SIL routinely work on the road 4-5 days a week. There was one time before Xmas where my BIL slept at work for days at a time to get a project done. I wouldn't call 12-16 days off a month "sacrificing". What exactly are you sacrificing that you didn't know going into the game?
 
wheelsup said:
I wouldn't call 12-16 days off a month "sacrificing". What exactly are you sacrificing that you didn't know going into the game?
Click to expand...

huh?? 12 to 16 days off? The average is around 10.5 off. Even with 15 days off you're still gone the other half, a post man that makes the same as you is at home very night! A post man does not have to worry about 16 hour days, weather, delays, fatigue, shortened life span, death, time away from home, possibility of losing your job every 6 to 12 months, missed xmas, missed b-days, missed holidays, divorces, not being able to have a normal life due to the fact that you're gone and on and on. I'm not saying people don't know the game but it's just amazing that people are happy out there with the level of compensation. 60K, average regional CA pay, is good money but think about what you're doing, you're not exactly sitting in an airconditioned office 5 days a week pushing papers.
 
Socal321 said:
huh?? 12 to 16 days off? The average is around 10.5 off. Even with 15 days off you're still gone the other half, a post man that makes the same as you is at home very night! A post man does not have to worry about 16 hour days, weather, delays, fatigue, shortened life span, death, time away from home, possibility of losing your job every 6 to 12 months, missed xmas, missed b-days, missed holidays, divorces, not being able to have a normal life due to the fact that you're gone and on and on. I'm not saying people don't know the game but it's just amazing that people are happy out there with the level of compensation. 60K, average regional CA pay, is good money but think about what you're doing, you're not exactly sitting in an airconditioned office 5 days a week pushing papers.
Click to expand...
Give me a break. :crazy: A little overdramatic don't you think?

Just to counter... Have you ever heard of day trips or two day back-to-backs?
 
Socal321 said:
huh?? 12 to 16 days off? The average is around 10.5 off. Even with 15 days off you're still gone the other half, a post man that makes the same as you is at home very night! A post man does not have to worry about 16 hour days, weather, delays, fatigue, shortened life span, death, time away from home, possibility of losing your job every 6 to 12 months, missed xmas, missed b-days, missed holidays, divorces, not being able to have a normal life due to the fact that you're gone and on and on. I'm not saying people don't know the game but it's just amazing that people are happy out there with the level of compensation. 60K, average regional CA pay, is good money but think about what you're doing, you're not exactly sitting in an airconditioned office 5 days a week pushing papers.
Click to expand...

12 to 16 days off on average yes. If you've got only 10.5 days off a month you're picking up trips. Even as a reserve, the first month back I have made almost 10k. I'll take that for a sacrifice of commuting and working all my reserve days and flying a couple trips of OT.

Go be a postman. I'll continue working as a pilot, it pays good once you hit the left seat and you get a significant amount of freedom on how you operate. I never once felt my job was in jeopardy in terms of getting tested, in fact I feel the union helps protect me and keeps me employed. I'm on RR next month, I'll get paid to show up to the airport and sleep. What kind of job will pay you as much money as we make to sleep?

As far as your downsides go, I would bet a postman is subject to getting killed on the road at a higher rate than we are subject to getting killed in a plane crash.
 
Socal321 said:
You just don't get it. You are the reason why we make 30 and 60K respectively instead of 50 to 100.

People used to make 100-200k flying DC9s and 737s remember? And that was in 80s and 90s money.
Click to expand...

I guess I don't. Are you a commuter pilot now? I don't fly a DC9 or 737, do you?
 
Like I said before, the F/O pay rates are seriously lacking but in reality what hurt us was the lack of movement. It used to be the norm to go to a commuter for 2-3 years and then hit a major. Now that just isn't very likely or possible. There has been zero growth and in fact a major shrinkage of jobs at the major level.
 
wheelsup said:
12 to 16 days off on average yes. If you've got only 10.5 days off a month you're picking up trips.
Click to expand...

Er....no. I don't even get 10.5. Right now, I'm doing good to get 10. I normally burn my one contractual extension refusual sometime in the first half of the month, then they'll tag me on one of my other days off the rest of the month.

I'm on RR next month, I'll get paid to show up to the airport and sleep. What kind of job will pay you as much money as we make to sleep?
Click to expand...

Sure, if that's how you look at it. I look at RR as time I could be spent either flying or at home with the family. I'd rather be flying than sititng since that would actually go towards guarantee. On months that I'll break guarantee (which has been every month since Oct) RR is essentially 9 hours of sitting around for free since there's no pay credit attached.

As for the two day trips and day trips.....well, you'll have to hold on till your in the top 10% to bid the decent ones. It's also a kick in the nuts to see guys at the majors making twice what I make, but if people are happy at the regionals, I guess more power to them. I'm looking to get out ASAP.
 
Socal321 said:
People have completely lost sight of what it means to be a pro pilot and the level of compensation that is expected for one.
Click to expand...
I guess I appreciate what I have versus complaining about what I don't have. I never got into flying with the goal of making $200K/yr flying heavies on international routes. In fact, I prefer short legs... I find being in cruise for more that 1 1/2 to 2 hours too boring for me.
 
kellwolf said:
Er....no. I don't even get 10.5. Right now, I'm doing good to get 10. I normally burn my one contractual extension refusual sometime in the first half of the month, then they'll tag me on one of my other days off the rest of the month.
Click to expand...

Downside of being junior at a company with an old contract. Upside is you upgraded in what, 2 years? Also I would hardly suggest you are the average commuter captain.


Sure, if that's how you look at it. I look at RR as time I could be spent either flying or at home with the family. I'd rather be flying than sititng since that would actually go towards guarantee. On months that I'll break guarantee (which has been every month since Oct) RR is essentially 9 hours of sitting around for free since there's no pay credit attached.
Click to expand...


Depends on if you are based where you live and how your contract is set up. Here RR is basically a line because it pays 4:00 per day (2:1 duty rig) and anything time spent on duty above 8:00 per day goes on top of your line guarantee.
 
subpilot said:
I guess I appreciate what I have versus complaining about what I don't have. I never got into flying with the goal of making $200K/yr flying heavies on international routes. In fact, I prefer short legs... I find being in cruise for more that 1 1/2 to 2 hours too boring for me.
Click to expand...

Why is it that the company guys take any sort of concern as complaint? Would you rather have your pay cut in half, since you're only in it for the view?
 
Socal321 said:
Why is it that the company guys take any sort of concern as complaint? Would you rather have your pay cut in half, since you're only in it for the view?
Click to expand...
So now I have become a SJSer who is willing to fly for the view? I also don't get the company guy comment but that is fine even though I am not even at Eagle right now mostly because I couldn't support my family on the FO wages. My goal in aviation from day one has been to provide for my family and nothing else. I don't care if I am flying a Cessna or a Boeing in the big picture. All I have said from the beginning is that long-term I (personal opinion) would be quite happy if Eagle was were I retired from. I also am still always open to moving to greener patures but the deciding factor will always be what is best for my family and in today's economy I place more stock in being (hypothetically) in the top 30-40% of the seniority list at a good, stable company (<--Eagle) rather than risk the move to a major and be back on the bottom of a very slow moving seniority list. My silly aviation goal is to never be furloughed and so if I were to make the jump it would have to be looking very safe to me (ie. big hiring wave, expansion, strong economy, etc). I don't understand why my personal decision about my career bothers you? I don't care what you do with yours and I promise to never call your decisions pathetic.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top