Pilot shortage?

Doug Taylor said:
Why in the heck should a pilot pay for Jepps?
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Didn't want it coming across as me thinking that was a good thing, I was really suprised to hear that some companies make you pay for that. I was just trying to get clarification of the "sarcasm" thing.

Heck, the place I CFI'd had the bright idea to make us pay for our own charts, the instructors wouldn't have anything to do with it and it got shot down quick-like.
 
averyrm said:
Didn't want it coming across as me thinking that was a good thing, I was really suprised to hear that some companies make you pay for that. I was just trying to get clarification of the "sarcasm" thing.

Heck, the place I CFI'd had the bright idea to make us pay for our own charts, the instructors wouldn't have anything to do with it and it got shot down quick-like.
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Ahh! :)
 
Doug Taylor said:
If the industry collectively improved work rules and offered respectable compensation at all levels and they couldn't find candidates, yes, that would maybe qualify as a shortage.

But "We can't find anyone to work for this!" isn't a shortage, it's a hint.
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Amen to that. :)
 
jtrain609 said:
Ameriflight does NOT make you pay for Jepps. They can't in fact, the FAR's say that the company needs to furnish you with the plates you're going to be using. Hence, Ameriflight makes you pay for it outta pocket and they chunk of part of your paycheck to pay for Jepps and uniforms.

Do you ever see that chunk? No, but that's how accounting does it so they technically say you're not paying for your uniform or your Jepps, but you have to throw the cash money down up front.
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Downside to that? The guys coming from a CFI job now have to pony up for Jepps and a uniform when they could be buying food. Don't know about everyone else, but it was sorta slim between my last CFI check and my first airline check. The last thing I'd want to do is shell out $500 for Jepps and a uniform and just get reimbursed later.....
 
kellwolf said:
Downside to that? The guys coming from a CFI job now have to pony up for Jepps and a uniform when they could be buying food. Don't know about everyone else, but it was sorta slim between my last CFI check and my first airline check. The last thing I'd want to do is shell out $500 for Jepps and a uniform and just get reimbursed later.....
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Oh no doubt it sucks, but if you've got the means to bridge the gap the paycheck at the end of the training period is well worth it.

Honestly I had A LOT harder time when I was intervewing for my first job after instructing. As you know, you can get starved out during that period and that's exactly what happened to me. It's not like it was anybody's fault either, I just wouldn't take on students when I knew I could be gone in a few weeks. That was MUCh harder because I had rent to pay, where now I'm living in a hotel on the company dime during initial.
 
jtrain609 said:
Oh no doubt it sucks, but if you've got the means to bridge the gap the paycheck at the end of the training period is well worth it.
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Pretty big "if," IMO. PCL paid for the Jepps and half the uniforms. Rest is payroll deducted over several month, but they still give us $20 a month in "uniform upkeep." But, ya know, regionals suck......
 
kellwolf said:
Pretty big "if," IMO. PCL paid for the Jepps and half the uniforms. Rest is payroll deducted over several month, but they still give us $20 a month in "uniform upkeep." But, ya know, regionals suck......
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If you have the money upfront, can you pay 'em your 50% of uniform cost, and tell 'em not to payroll deduct over several months?
 
Probably. I didn't, so the payroll deduction works out for me. It's only like $15 a paycheck, but I get $20 for uniform upkeep on the second check. So, I'm actually paying $10 a month in the end.....
 
killbilly said:
The binders, the uniforms, and everything else you have to pay for which is work-related...those are all tax-deductible, no?
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Unreimbursed employment-related expenses are deductible, but only to the extent that they exceed 2% of your income (or something like that) and only if you itemize.
 
Why is it so hard to just say you guys are getting hosed, Steve? You guys don't get paid NEARLY enough for flying bigger equipment than me and Marshall and you have more responsibility than either of us. But we're flying equipment that weighs in some cases 11.5 times LESS than some RJ operators and we get paid as much or more. You've been on reserve, mostly
in Detroit, for how many months (Which would work GREAT for me, but your home is in Memphis)? You guys get hosed, and deserve more. The following breakdown doesn't make ANY sense.

Base rates:

3rd year Colgan pay
2nd year Pinnacle pay
4th year Skyway pay
4th year Mesa pay

equals

Flying equipment that is in some cases weighs 11.5 times less and having to throw up some cash for your Jepps while upgrading to turbine PIC in 6 months.

The regionals are a screw job for pilots, and it's sad that we have to compare how 135 freight operators pay more than jet operators.

BTW When you gonna come out here and kick it with me, Austin and Kelvin?
 
jtrain609 said:
Why is it so hard to just say you guys are getting hosed, Steve?
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I'll agree that we get hosed on some things, but when are you gonna stop just comparing $$$? There's plenty of stuff that goes along on the QoL scale that I prefer in airlines to freight. We've already established that you make way more than me, but living in BUR balances it out to where after bills, taxes, gas, etc we've got the same in the end.

You've been on reserve, mostly
in Detroit, for how many months (Which would work GREAT for me, but your home is in Memphis)?
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Trip technically starts in MEM, but DH to DTW. I've only had one trip where I wound up sitting in a hotel room for 5 days, and that was in MSP my first week on the line. Most of my DTW stuff, I'm in the hotel room b/c they've got me on a line built for someone based in DTW, so that person would be at home instead of the hotel. The past month I've been getting mostly MEM trips now that DTW is starting to get some reserves of their own.

Flying equipment that is in some cases weighs 11.5 times less and having to throw up some cash for your Jepps while upgrading to turbine PIC in 6 months.
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6 months ago, if I had said the regional made you pay for your uniform and your Jepps, you're exact words would have been "F that." Now, it's cool b/c you get a quick upgrade at a freight carrier? What if it was a B1900 at Mesa and a CA slot? Would it still be okay for you to have to pay for the Jepps and uniform?

BTW When you gonna come out here and kick it with me, Austin and Kelvin?
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Who knows, man. I'd love to take a vacation anywhere, but having a kid kinda slows that down, ya know? :)
 
Oh don't get me wrong, I think it sucks. I've already said that, but I think it sucks less to be in my own bed every night, have weekends off, get paid more and I still get to fly the airplane. And dude you were eyeing freight when Pinnacle called you. Funny that I was eyeing the regionals when a freight company called me.
 
a freight vs. regional debate and you didn't invite me????? WTF????

p.s. I wouldn't count "lack of people willing to do the job" as a 'shortage' :D
 
jtrain609 said:
And dude you were eyeing freight when Pinnacle called you. Funny that I was eyeing the regionals when a freight company called me.
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I wouldn't exactly say "eyeing" freight. It was something I was considering, but given my background, I've always preferred regionals. Ask Brad, Stu, Ryan or the other guys at Skymates. I was one of the few gunning for the regionals. They all thought/think I'm nuts! :)
 
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