ian
Well-Known Member
And he doesnt like disney
In your experience, why are some pilots are regionals “lifers?”
- Thread starter BaronPete
- Start date
Autothrust Blue
Welcome aboard the Washington State Ferries
It’s worth pointing out that regionals are one of a few places left in American society where you can clear six figures with a high school education and some ground school, too.
At many of them, you’re going to W O R K for that money (especially when compared to us lazy Airbus sloth, and particularly if the words “CRJ 200” or “Dash 8” are involved) but the fact remains.
So, -shrug-.
I hope for the day where there is no outsourcing, but I think that will be very difficult to accomplish. Short of holding major airlines accountable for their branded operations, that is. But I’m also pretty sure everyone has figured that you want ALL the airplanes flown by pilots on YOUR list, even if it is a frisbee.
At many of them, you’re going to W O R K for that money (especially when compared to us lazy Airbus sloth, and particularly if the words “CRJ 200” or “Dash 8” are involved) but the fact remains.
So, -shrug-.
I hope for the day where there is no outsourcing, but I think that will be very difficult to accomplish. Short of holding major airlines accountable for their branded operations, that is. But I’m also pretty sure everyone has figured that you want ALL the airplanes flown by pilots on YOUR list, even if it is a frisbee.
EIR
It's 5 o'clock somewhere
Not to thread drift, but congrats!
ASpilot2be
Qbicle seat warmer
Don’t even get me started.
They’re not.
What pains me are the guys that want to get out, but are a few (and I mean a few) credit short of the degree requirement that say “Well, there’s going to be a shortage so I’ll just wait”.
And in the 15 years they’ve been waiting for the shortage, they could have gotten those few classes done and probably be a mid-seniority mainline captain.
Cloud Surfer
All Roads lead to Trantor
There will never be a shortage. The regional airlines' training classes are mostly full - let alone mainline. Aviation universities report record enrollments.
chrisreedrules
Master Blaster
Honestly, and I haven’t read back through the 8 pages of this thread so it may have been said already, but a lot of it is timing...
The “lost decade” after 9/11 combined with age 65 created endless stagnation for quite some time industry-wide. People aren’t going to put their life on hold for this job/industry nor should they. And people also forget that it wasn’t too long ago that starting FO pay at the legacies was a pay cut for a few years for most pilots.
Many pilots have kids they’re putting through school and simply can’t afford the pay cut (back then... The disparagement is far less now). Many of those I’ve talked with have money or retirement outside of their airline careers and simply either don’t care or don’t want to give up their quality of life.
The “lost decade” after 9/11 combined with age 65 created endless stagnation for quite some time industry-wide. People aren’t going to put their life on hold for this job/industry nor should they. And people also forget that it wasn’t too long ago that starting FO pay at the legacies was a pay cut for a few years for most pilots.
Many pilots have kids they’re putting through school and simply can’t afford the pay cut (back then... The disparagement is far less now). Many of those I’ve talked with have money or retirement outside of their airline careers and simply either don’t care or don’t want to give up their quality of life.
GypsyPilot
Mohawk Town
I think most of us understand that. It’s only annoying when those same people complain about not moving on while not putting effort into actually trying to be competitive (or even fill out an app/update logbooks!).
Nark
Macho Superpilot
@ASpilot2be You gotta change your screen name..... Congrats dude! I too gambled years ago, and it has paid off, literally, very well.
@Autothrust Blue I'd like to add my two cents: There are many blue collar jobs that if you hustle, as much as an RJ captain, they too can gross (maybe clear) 6 figures. Mike Rowe has an excellent opinion on the matter of college vs trades education.
@Autothrust Blue I'd like to add my two cents: There are many blue collar jobs that if you hustle, as much as an RJ captain, they too can gross (maybe clear) 6 figures. Mike Rowe has an excellent opinion on the matter of college vs trades education.
ASpilot2be
Qbicle seat warmer
Hahahaha. Thanks! AS will always hold a special place for me, but I think I am gonna love it at the new shop.
ClarkGriswold
Non Nutritive Cereal Varnish Engineer
GypsyPilot
Mohawk Town
Very true. I have two good friends that make well into six figures as blue collar workers. One is a welder, the other is an auto mechanic. They work MUCH harder and put a lot more stress on their bodies than an RJ pilot though. Absolutely no comparison how much harder they work.
My welder friend also has to be recertified every six months, and my mechanic friend is always taking refresher classes. Both deal with several forms of BS too, just like every job.
Roger Roger
Bottom of the list
This is yet another reason why, though I love working on aircraft, I don’t have any interest in taking the career route in it. All the career dudes seem to have multiple back and knee surgeries, and a scary number of them kick off early due to cancer, probably something to do with decades of night shift and the chemical exposure.
JDean3204
Well-Known Member
What Percent Are You?
Are you the 1% or the 99%? How about among millennials? Or high-school dropouts? Here’s how your income compares with your fellow Americans.
This is a decent chart to play with if you want to see where you fall within Americans income, it breaks it into different sub categories as well. It is eye opening to know that yes, even at a place like a regional that I and many others may fling poo at will still get you into the top 10% of income earners in the nation. Now my argument is, it’s a big nation. Unless you want to commute your probably living in a base that requires significantly higher than the US average, at least that’s what I’m finding out here in Portland. The chart is from 2014 data collected as well, so five years behind.
AAPalmTree
Well-Known Member
Do yourself a favor.. make that your only 737 experience.
Cherokee_Cruiser
Bronteroc
milleR
Well-Known Member
I have quite a few people that work for me that can attest to this truth. A few of them can put a “2” as the first digit as well.
Richman
JC’s Resident Curmudgeon
I’ve never seen a business where people intentially put themselves in a category where they have a MUCH smaller chance of getting hired.
Had this conversation the other day with a guy who’s kid was “too smart for college”. Same deal for the CFI thing.
Them: “Well, X was hiring in 1968 with no college and they paid for your MEL”....
Me: ....
Anyway, the lifer thing is absolutely nothing new. When I was at PDT in the mid 90’s, there was a much higher than median number there due to the relatively better contract. Most of them had been there through at least one major hiring cycle. There were a lot of military guys that had mustered out in ORF and JAX and wanted to be at home. They had their mil retirement and life was good enough.
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Cherokee_Cruiser
Bronteroc
How do you respond to the “I’m good enough to fly their express/connection passengers, but not mainline.”
I mean from a purely customer service standpoint, they got a point.
I mean from a purely customer service standpoint, they got a point.
Reminds me of a “too smart for college” story from Scottsdale a few years ago.
The local news was all aglow about a local family who, instead of sending his kid to ASU WITH a scholarship, they just invested $100,000 into a business for their son because he was going to be the “Next Steve Jobs” who also didn’t graduate from college. High burn rate and the business lasted about 20 months. Now the building is vacant.
You can’t teach entrepreneurship in college, but you can certainly teach accounting and marketing.