Where are the airline pilots going to come from?

Nice! That was the best part of the contract at USAir (in 1999) - the ability to pass on reserve. Let somebody more junior do it... meanwhile i'll look in open time and see if there isn't something more desirable than that PIT-ITH-ELM-PIT turn.
 
My philosophy is "get while the gettin's good" (ie work as much OT as you can when it's there) when you are overstaffed enough to have reserves doing nothing bid max days off or relief line with long call to try and sit home doing nothing. Back in those 2 years you never saw an 18 day off line and never once was I not used on a reserve day simply because we were so understaffed. Previously before that, I did have months of long call where I didn't work one day, and I was fine with that.

Yes, it was a lot of work (comparatively for a pilot) but I think there may be a disconnect here of complaining about pay yet bragging about trying to never work. I understand what "you" are going for, but this is America and there is no free lunch (unless you're a 1%-er). I'm not sure if any mainline guys really understand how understaffed some of these commuters were beginning in 2010.

When I upgraded and worked OT it's hard to describe what that money has done for us. Pay off student loans, buy braces, buy a new car, pay off a large percentage of the house, buy a ton of the last of the US made Craftsman tools, buy a new king bed, etc. A lot of major purchases that helped set us up for the next 10 years or so.
 
JOEFRIDAY2 said:
Almost EVERYTHING has INCREASED in price because it takes fuel to make it or transport it. We still have fuel priced at non sustainable levels. Until the fuel prices are brought in line, we are not going to get out of this mess. I still shake my head that the airlines largest expense is fuel at 30% of the ticket price. This can not last. It is not sustainable and we should have never ever gotten here in the first place.
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Disagree that oil is particularly expensive right now. It is $100/bbl, but relative to other commodities, it is pretty much in line with what it has been historically. Over the last 50 years, a barrel of oil has been about 18x the price of an ounce of gold. Which is about where it is trading now. The US dollar has lost around 95% of its value in that period, which is what makes things seem "expensive."

Oil is worth exactly what someone is willing to pay for it, and while it made my cry paying $8.50/gal for 100LL last week, I did need the gas and they had it ;)

Airline fuel costs as a percentage of revenue are higher now true. But much of that reflects the fact the labor cost is much lower - about half what it was 30 years ago.
 
AKcharger said:
But at least Airline pilots get the hot chicks! they do don't they?
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Usually involves dealing with a guy in a hilariously-colored, 20 year out of fashion leisure suit that calls himself "Slickback" but sure.
 
I've flown 2 days since Jan 1st and the way the schedule looks now I won't fly again until at least the 25th.
 
ZapBrannigan said:
Eyes on the prize fellas. He who makes the most money having worked the least (and has a little fun along the way) wins.

Work to live. Don't live to work.
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See bolded part. Repeat as necessary.

I spent 18 years doing the opposite, and burned the best parts of my 20s in work and being on call and sacrificing relationships and personal experiences and everything else for the job. And it found me burned out and unhappy. I took a pay cut but a dramatic increase in QoL and it has made all the difference - not just in my comfort, but my overall attitude. I am just a better person to be around as a result of changing life around to reflect the bold part.

And yes, I used to scoff at people who said that. I was wrong. Terribly, utterly, wrong.
 
I've flown 13 hours so far this month on reserve at XJT. Block time for last year was 138 hrs beginning in August. It looks like we're under-staffed still but I don't seem to be getting used much. I think we need Captains more than FO's though.
 
I'll whip out mine too, haven't flown in 2 weeks, bidded last out reserve this month to catch up on wedding planning and biz. Although I did have to go in today to get my stupid badge, so that's kinda work.
 
Meh. Picked up a 2 day on Monday to be a nice guy. So I'm clearly all talk and no action.
 
"Well uh I'm Russell Casse and after Nam I got into crop dusting and I have been doing it ever since. On a, uh, personal note sir, I'd just like to add, uh, that ever since I was kidnapped by aliens ten years ago, I've been dyin' for some payback. Just want you know that, uh, I won't let you down."

I'm a pilot, I can fly.
 
Compensation.

I care because one day it is going to save my butt.

The average person doesn't care because they are not getting paid enough to.

Pretty simple root cause to identify. Does the guy taking your order at McDonalds care enough to study for endless hours over the period of a few years? Didn't think so.

If you want people to live and breathe this stuff, pay them enough to live and breathe!
 
Canassis said:
My .02 pesos on this is a little more involved than just the airline industry.

1. The standards that are set for ANY student in anything today are too low. When things get tough for these students, the standards aren't held, the standard is dropped. What is the lesson? In corporate world, it's status quo. In aviation, it is potentially fatal. Or maybe disqualifying.

2. The "best" flight school have had to reduce their standards due to a massive influx of Asian, and other non-English speaking countries. If the "best" have done it, what has happened to the marginal flight schools? I'm in flight school now, and am watching kids get shoved through the pipe in order to maintain numbers. Some of these kids are at 30+ hours and are still not able to land a C172. Yet, somehow, they leave to go fly for Asiana, Korean, or China Southern with an MEII. These kids are getting selected to fly 767's after a short ground school/training/type rating.

3. For me, I'm not sure that I'd want to take $18,000. I'll stick to being a CFI that pays competitively. I think that a competitive CFI wage is protecting these qualified candidates from the shenanigans of the regionals. CFI's getting paid $25-$35 an hour, with flexible schedules, control of their time, and an endless supply of Asian pilots to train have no incentive to leave for the world of $18k a year.
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well said. I love the rich kids that come in, who have never had to perform to a standard in their entire lives. The look on their face when they get told no for the first time....

It's the small things in life folks!
 
Seems like a lot of guys in here trying to brag about how much they don't work. I'm not sure I could do it like that. Call me crazy, but I like to work. The more I fly, the more accomplished I feel. I simply can't sit around and not work. Now, if I made enough to actually do something with my time when I was off, that might be a different story. But I feel like I need to be doing something, or I go crazy.

I have flown a bunch this month so far. I have had 4 days off so far. Today I was off(so far), and I feel like a bump on a log. I just don't like it.


Ya'll who don't never work's crazy!
 
mshunter said:
Seems like a lot of guys in here trying to brag about how much they don't work. I'm not sure I could do it like that. Call me crazy, but I like to work. The more I fly, the more accomplished I feel. I simply can't sit around and not work. Now, if I made enough to actually do something with my time when I was off, that might be a different story. But I feel like I need to be doing something, or I go crazy.

I have flown a bunch this month so far. I have had 4 days off so far. Today I was off(so far), and I feel like a bump on a log. I just don't like it.

Ya'll who don't never work's crazy!
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My thoughts exactly.
 
mshunter said:
Seems like a lot of guys in here trying to brag about how much they don't work. I'm not sure I could do it like that. Call me crazy, but I like to work. The more I fly, the more accomplished I feel. I simply can't sit around and not work. Now, if I made enough to actually do something with my time when I was off, that might be a different story. But I feel like I need to be doing something, or I go crazy.

I have flown a bunch this month so far. I have had 4 days off so far. Today I was off(so far), and I feel like a bump on a log. I just don't like it.


Ya'll who don't never work's crazy!
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I attempt to work as little as possible.

I also attempt to spend as much time with my wife as possible.

I figure she's better company than any job.
 
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