Re: "Regional Airline Pilots: Welcome To The Rest Of Your Ca
what do you mean by decades? according to the aopa there has been a steady decline of the number of licensed commercial pilots while air traffic has increased. if training costs continue to increase like they are less and less people will be able to afford it or think it is a good idea to enter this market leaving more positions that need filling.
Again what do you think you should be paid for your hours, training, and ratings? not a the pay has been low so increase it, I'm talking about actual numbers.
I'm talking about a union-negotiated BASE salary. The bottom end of the scale needs to be brought up. Essentially requiring junior pilots to live like herd animals isn't cutting it.
If FO pay is based off a percentage amount of the Captain's pay scale, there is potential for the low end of the scale to dip very very low.
If FO pay was, say, 60% of Captains pay, and a Captain make $50/hr. A Captain making $50K a year ($50/hr x 1000 pay hours) equates to a $30/hr - $30K a year FO pay rate.
Now, take out deductions for taxes, insurance, etc. Where does that leave you? Making somewhere in the mid-20's. Tack on a higher cost of living due to have to eat on the road, etc, and the bills rack up. Per diem will offset some of this, sure, but not all of it. Add that to the fact that an FO might not make 1000 pay hours in a year. If you make minimum guarantee a few months, you'll see your check really dwindle fast.
In other words, in order to ensure a relatively acceptable quality of life, FO pay needs to be higher in order to ensure a more consistent earnings expectation. Companies are essentially requiring FOs to work like whipped dogs in order to make ends meet- which comes at a sacrifice to quality of life.
Considering that FOs are also the first to be furloughed, etc, the risks are much higher financially. FOs are not "Captain's assistants" - they're a required part of a
two seat aircrew. Sure, automation makes things simple enough most of the time, but there are plenty of times when a second human in the cockpit has prevented an accident, mishap, or violation.
Accepting serf-wages because we are "junior" or "entry level" is no longer an acceptable concept. I sincerely hope the airlines DO disillusion a good number of my peers. It would serve them right to feel the pain of reality.