Pilot shortage here?

kellwolf said:
Same here. I'd be willing to say that the top 40 guys in MEM aren't going anywhere. I flew with a CA last week that is pretty much FedEx, UPS or nothing. He even said he considered places like AirTran and Spirit a LATERAL move for him. I have to disagree since if I were flying for AirTran or Spirit, I'd be looking over my shoulder at places like Delta, Southwest and jetBlue, not worried about Mesa, Chautauqua or Skywest underbidding my company and potentially putting me on the street. There are also a LOT of guys here focused on one carrier (cough....cough...FedEx) and holding out for that call instead of looking at other opportunities. Some guys don't want to commute, so they're picky about which airline they apply to because of base choices. That's totally understandable as well. I know guys that don't want to go to SWA because of how many legs you fly in a day. They view it as "regional flying in a 737." Well, if it's "regional flying" that gets me based in MCO with a hefty paycheck, I got no problem with it.
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Wow, any pilot who wants to stay at regional hell, who has the ability to move up and out to a major or LCC, who doesn't want to must be a mascochist (sp).

Yes, at some regionals you can be making six figures as a captain but who cares if you're making six figures and have 18 days off a month if your flying could disapear to a lower bidder tomorrow.

As for being in debt, just cause you're making that big money doesn't mean you go out and buy the 08 Lexus and $250k house. More epsecially at the sub-contractor level. In this industry you need to save, save, save for that possible furlough, company strike or who knows what.

I can see some possible exceptioms to what I have stated. Companies like American Eagle, but also remember that ASA was once a whole owned of Delta, and Comair is still wholey owned and just recently had to bid on it's own flying vs. competing regionals.

Making a career at the regionals, well it ain't for me!
 
Maximillian_Jenius said:
Wow, any pilot who wants to stay at regional hell, who has the ability to move up and out to a major or LCC, who doesn't want to must be a mascochist (sp).
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Some of those guys would say the same about people that would take the pay cut to go somewhere and be back on reserve, especially if they bid in the top 50 in base and have 15 days off a month right now.

As for being in debt, just cause you're making that big money doesn't mean you go out and buy the 08 Lexus and $250k house. More epsecially at the sub-contractor level. In this industry you need to save, save, save for that possible furlough, company strike or who knows what.
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Well, there's that old saying "the more you make, the more you spend." It's tough saying "no" to yourself when you actually HAVE the money for that new flat screen TV or Xbox 360. It's easy when the money's not in the bank, though. Some people would even argue "What's the use in working so much if you're not going to enjoy yourself?" Personally, I believe in a happy medium, save some and spend some. That way you don't wind up with a large sum of money in the bank account but you've driven yourself crazy by living like you're on the poverty line. Sure, I COULD eat Ramen and mac and cheese every night to save money, but I'd go nuts doing it. I just bought a king size bed, too. Doesn't mean I'm gonna get stuck at Pinnacle. :)

Making a career at the regionals, well it ain't for me!
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Me neither, but you have to keep in mind that there are people with wives in other careers that can't move and don't want to commute. One CA I know of has put off SWA THREE times! Why the heck would he do that? His wife is a MEM center controller and makes bank doing that. Add that to the "doesn't want to commute," and you've got someone holding out for FedEx. He's also ready to walk away and be a stay at home dad if Pinnacle takes a nose dive. We've got other CAs with successful side businesses that can't take the cut in QOL reserve or fewer days off would bring if they started over at the bottom of a seniority list. It's tough to give up the lawn business that's paying the mortgage to go sit reserve in Houston or Atlanta.
 
kellwolf said:
Some of those guys would say the same about people that would take the pay cut to go somewhere and be back on reserve, especially if they bid in the top 50 in base and have 15 days off a month right now.



Well, there's that old saying "the more you make, the more you spend." It's tough saying "no" to yourself when you actually HAVE the money for that new flat screen TV or Xbox 360. It's easy when the money's not in the bank, though. Some people would even argue "What's the use in working so much if you're not going to enjoy yourself?" Personally, I believe in a happy medium, save some and spend some. That way you don't wind up with a large sum of money in the bank account but you've driven yourself crazy by living like you're on the poverty line. Sure, I COULD eat Ramen and mac and cheese every night to save money, but I'd go nuts doing it. I just bought a king size bed, too. Doesn't mean I'm gonna get stuck at Pinnacle. :)



Me neither, but you have to keep in mind that there are people with wives in other careers that can't move and don't want to commute. One CA I know of has put off SWA THREE times! Why the heck would he do that? His wife is a MEM center controller and makes bank doing that. Add that to the "doesn't want to commute," and you've got someone holding out for FedEx. He's also ready to walk away and be a stay at home dad if Pinnacle takes a nose dive. We've got other CAs with successful side businesses that can't take the cut in QOL reserve or fewer days off would bring if they started over at the bottom of a seniority list. It's tough to give up the lawn business that's paying the mortgage to go sit reserve in Houston or Atlanta.
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Good points. Everyone has their priorities in life, more power to them. Being a lifer stuck in RFP hell ain't it for me, not by any measure.

I say cool to all those who have high seniority and good QOL at regional XXX and want to make a carer of it.

Less competition for me!
 
Maximillian_Jenius said:
As for being in debt, just cause you're making that big money doesn't mean you go out and buy the 08 Lexus and $250k house. More epsecially at the sub-contractor level. In this industry you need to save, save, save for that possible furlough, company strike or who knows what.
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Very much easier said than done. Case in point are people on this board that are changing careers. The majority have to minimize their expenses in order to pay for flight training, etc. I for one know that once you make pretty good money, then expenses have to be minimized on a large scale, you are more inclined to live well below your income.
I can bet that if your income jumped 10 or 20 grand a year, you'd be living a higher lifestyle.
 
Sprint100 said:
Very much easier said than done. Case in point are people on this board that are changing careers. The majority have to minimize their expenses in order to pay for flight training, etc. I for one know that once you make pretty good money, then expenses have to be minimized on a large scale, you are more inclined to live well below your income.
I can bet that if your income jumped 10 or 20 grand a year, you'd be living a higher lifestyle.
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Well, I was more talking about being free & clear of debt, but running it up because you can afford to buy more now.

As for me, my W2's said that I earned $45k last year. I eat ramen and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches often as snacks.

Hardly eat out, and cook one big meal on Sunday that will last me all week instead of eating something new everynight M-F for dinner.

Of my $45k earned last year only $25k of it is necessary for me to live off of comfortably. That being rent, car, utilities, food etc.

I do splurge on clothes but rarely and I live pretty cheaply. I nearly #### a brick Sunday when everything that I bought for my beef stew for this week added up to $33.57! I debated taking it back!!!

I think that I'll do well as a regional pilot. :)
 
Maximillian_Jenius said:
Well, I was more talking about being free & clear of debt, but running it up because you can afford to buy more now.

As for me, my W2's said that I earned $45k last year. I eat ramen and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches often as snacks.

Hardly eat out, and cook one big meal on Sunday that will last me all week instead of eating something new everynight M-F for dinner.

Of my $45k earned last year only $25k of it is necessary for me to live off of comfortably. That being rent, car, utilities, food etc.

I do splurge on clothes but rarely and I live pretty cheaply. I nearly #### a brick Sunday when everything that I bought for my beef stew for this week added up to $33.57! I debated taking it back!!!

I think that I'll do well as a regional pilot. :)
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I know where you and others in your situation are coming from. It is entirely a different story when you think you are set in a career, etc. When goals are set it is much easier to sacrifice and live more frugal to attain that goal.
When I was thinking I'll be in IT forever, we lived a very well-to-do/care-free lifestyle. Once I decided to start flying again with the goal of pro pilot in mind we cut alot of mess out.
 
Sprint100 said:
I know where you and others in your situation are coming from. It is entirely a different story when you think you are set in a career, etc. When goals are set it is much easier to sacrifice and live more frugal to attain that goal.
When I was thinking I'll be in IT forever, we lived a very well-to-do/care-free lifestyle. Once I decided to start flying again with the goal of pro pilot in mind we cut alot of mess out.
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Well in my case my mother was always very wise and frugal so that is the image that I grew up with.

Debt sucks my friend, at Chase I saw indivduals who wiped out their debt completely with a refi, and only in a matter of months were back in debit up to their eyeballs.

I think in any career field it is smarter to save more than you spend. More especially in this industry. Why, because you never know when the rug will be pulled from under you.

Now, I'm very suburban and I do love expensive things. More especially clothes and cars. My dream home is a 2 story five bedroom home in the range of $300-600k with a three car garage and a big backyard.

I hope to one day own a home like that or something near in value but it isn't at all a priority. I was taught to live within means and save for a rainy day. I'd hope that when I do start making more money that I retain living within or under my means and not live the stupid life of american excess.
 
Maximillian_Jenius said:
Well in my case my mother was always very wise and frugal so that is the image that I grew up with.

Debt sucks my friend, at Chase I saw indivduals who wiped out their debt completely with a refi, and only in a matter of months were back in debit up to their eyeballs.

I think in any career field it is smarter to save more than you spend. More especially in this industry. Why, because you never know when the rug will be pulled from under you.

Now, I'm very suburban and I do love expensive things. More especially clothes and cars. My dream home is a 2 story five bedroom home in the range of $300-600k with a three car garage and a big backyard.

I hope to one day own a home like that or something near in value but it isn't at all a priority. I was taught to live within means and save for a rainy day. I'd hope that when I do start making more money that I retain living within or under my means and not live the stupid life of american excess.
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OK. Just keep in mind that the majority of us have known about saving, etc. since college, seen horror stories firsthand, and have had frugal parents. Thing is, is that for whatever reason things happen and alot of the things that happen are under our control but the debt can creep up on you. Honestly, you couldn't say what you're going to do until the money is in your hands:)
With more money lots of stuff can and will change. You thought B.I.G. was jokin' when he said Mo' Money, Mo' Problems:rotfl: My main point is that you really don't know what anybody is going to do when money is thrown into the mix. It's one of those things you have to be in the midst of and be set in your career already.
 
The thing about being a DPE is, they don't give it to you out of flight school. It takes years of experience in the biz to get noticed for such a gig. As it should be. Last I heard, Champcar was still in the flight school phase. Noting wrong with that. But it ain't gonna come anywhere close to you getting a DPE job.

Try sticking with a CFI job. Becoming a chief CFI at a 141. Gold seal and all that.

In my view, the DPE is much a harder gig to get into that regional Capt. Regional Capts are a dime a dozen. DPE gigs are pretty rare and you don't get one unless you, seriously, pay your dues.


Good luck....
 
I hate to burst your bubble, but most DPE will tell you that the you don't become a DPE because of the money because for the hassle and money you have to put into it you won't make money for 65% of the DPE's. Granted a couple who do the max. of two checkrides a day for 300 days a year do make a lot of money but most do it for love of the industry.
 
There are pros and cons both ways to the moon with the legacy/regional world. For folks like myself, by the time I would get hired on at a regional (about 40 years old) the possiblity of going on to a legacy is next to none.

A fella that flys for ASA outta KATL has been flying with them
since at least '91 and obviously does WHAT HE WANTS when he wants. He has flown for many more years than I have been alive and could have been hired at a legacy MANY years ago, but his QOL is superb and has been for a while and he just didn't want to start at the bottom.

As for the stability of the legacy airlines: Eastern, Braniff, Pan Am, TWA (OK, so TWA was absorbed, but after THREE bankruptcies)...the only thing that is certain in the airline industry is that there is no certainty!!! :rolleyes:

Oh yeah, you do know why the grass is greener on the other side, right? Yeah because there is more sh** over there!!!
 
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