When I lived in Monterey, CA I sailed with a guy who did own his own outfit. He had been a USMC helo stud, but ended up going civilian (can't remember the reason why, but I think the end of the Vietnam War was a big factor). He took his helo skills and ended up starting an helo agricultural spraying business when few people where doing this. Since then, his business kind expanded and he became a pretty decent authority in his field. It also helps that he was located out of Salinas by all the lettuce fields. Not sure how much he clears, but he lives in Monterey and owns a sailboat, so I think he's doing all right.
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Sully agrees with A4s . . .
- Thread starter nittany03
- Start date
When I lived in Monterey, CA I sailed with a guy who did own his own outfit. He had been a USMC helo stud, but ended up going civilian (can't remember the reason why, but I think the end of the Vietnam War was a big factor). He took his helo skills and ended up starting an helo agricultural spraying business when few people where doing this. Since then, his business kind expanded and he became a pretty decent authority in his field. It also helps that he was located out of Salinas by all the lettuce fields. Not sure how much he clears, but he lives in Monterey and owns a sailboat, so I think he's doing all right.
FlyingSquidz
New Member
so if the good pilots are not going commercial because of the low pay, then where are they going?
MB, it's 6 years for us after pinning the Silver Wings on. With the VN guys getting up there, most current Warrants are done with 2 or more 12-15 month deployments, and looking to avoid a stop-loss and get that civilian job, including off-shore work.
I fly part 135 and flight instruct and did it part time for most of my adult life because I couldn't support my family doing it full time. Kids from my first marriage are grown and Trophy Wife makes good money. A few years ago she encouraged me to fly full time and leave Corporate America. I know I'm making more money than regional pilots, but couldn't do it if I was trying to live on my own wage. I've had students with just a few hundred hours end up flying regional, then tell me they hate it because of how they're treated. It's unfortunate that the industry has reached this point. I still think the worst thing that has happened to the airline industry was deregulation of the airlines years ago. Too capital intensive for low budget business models to work, so budget cuts have to come from somewhere. I'm not big on unions as a rule, but I think they are justified for airline pilots/mechanics, etc.
mtsupilot09
"We lookin fo you. We gon find you!"
I have no desire to fly for a regional. For me it's fly in the military or probably don't fly at all. There's nothing exciting about being treated like garbage (I understand paying your dues, but the junior FOs are really put through unnecessary hell) flying RJs or Saabs, being on the road a LOT and all for about $20k/year. No thanks. The military is much much more attractive than that. Granted the 'on the road a lot' part still stands, I'd rather be on the road in places like Guam, Fallon, Italy, Japan, the Gulf, Pensacola, a boat, etc. than places like MSP, Detriot, O'Hare, ATL, etc.
Your sense of service is an inspiration to us all.
This is close to pure awesome.
I did 'em both ... military & civilian ... and they were both great.
Never say never ... and never pass up a "good deal".
You mean it takes a dumb ass kid that would fly for free if it would get him into a nice shiny jet.
Adjusted for inflation, regional pilots flying 50-90 set jets today make less money than those flying 20-30 seat turboprops in the 1980s. Why? I blame it on the aviation school/college hype and salesmanship. They pumped so many wanna-be airline pilots into the industry that the pilot glut at that level made it easy for the regionals to pay next to nothing and get more applicants than needed. These guys graduate with their licenses having never really supported themselves and think "Wow - I'm an airline pilot and they're paying me!" Then they find out they can't live on the pay and bitch about it. Yet they refuse to stand up come contract time and demand more pay.
Between these guys lowering the pay bar for the instant gratification of flying a RJ and management's greed - the standard of living for airline pilots continually drops.
The last few paragraphs of this article is Sully saying more about this: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090224/ap_on_go_co/plane_splashdown_hearing
I spent 5 years furloughed from Hawaiian and could have been flying at a regional the entire time. I refused to work for that little money even though it would have been a steady job. My skills and experience were worth more. Heck, unemployment even paid more than first year regional pay. Yet somehow when one flying job ended I managed to find another flying job with an appropriate level of compensation. If I could do it when so many major airline pilots were furloughed and competing against me, these dumb ass should be able to also. There is no good reason to accept that kind of pay.
"Sulley" is finally getting the word out, good man. Like others have said it is sad that it takes a near tragedy to bring the truth to light. Nearly any physician makes a 6 figure income right out of med-school, while a pilot who is responsible for the lives of hundreds at a time might not see that much thier entire career. Hell, truck drivers make more than a lot of pilots. Lucky for the airlines there are those of us who just have a passion to fly, but the nasty drop in standards keeps getting worse. Even those of us who have a passion need to put food on the table. Unless you're into living in a busted down trailer and eating ramen noodles there is no way someone could support a family off of the wages made when starting at the airlines.
While I would like to kick the pilots who accept these low wages in the balls at times I realize that a lot of the time there is no leverage for doing any better and a union is not always an option. There will always be a lower time pilot willing to work for less peanuts. There is a 135 operator near where I live that actually gets students fresh out of the college to pay for FO time. Now that is f^$ked up.
Hopefully Sulley keeps getting the word out while he has the attention and stops this disease before it kills what was once such a great career.
While I would like to kick the pilots who accept these low wages in the balls at times I realize that a lot of the time there is no leverage for doing any better and a union is not always an option. There will always be a lower time pilot willing to work for less peanuts. There is a 135 operator near where I live that actually gets students fresh out of the college to pay for FO time. Now that is f^$ked up.
Hopefully Sulley keeps getting the word out while he has the attention and stops this disease before it kills what was once such a great career.
MasterBates
Well-Known Member
I live in said trailer but am eating oatmeal for breakfast. And yeah, even if my alimony went away, I'd have a hard time living in said trailer at Regional pay. And I OWN the trailer.
It's the market at work to a point, but I have seen some chuckleheads driving regional puddle jumpers I wouldn't trust to deliver my mail. Guys I knew from the airport when I was flying commercial, and I wouldn't trust them with a C-172 or a R-22.
Clux4
Banned
What is it, career or passion?
What is everyone suggesting? Government intervention (legislation) or ..........
How do we control a free market and not infringe on the attributes of said market?
It was, once upon a time, both.
No market should be truly free. Or else the first guy to hit it big will screw everyone else. Government exists to protect the rights of the governed. In an economic sense, this means to correct for negative externalities, keep greed in check, and bust up monopolies.
Pretty much everything it didn't do for the past 8 years, and is about to overdo now . . .
"It's the market at work to a point, but I have seen some chuckleheads driving regional puddle jumpers I wouldn't trust to deliver my mail. Guys I knew from the airport when I was flying commercial, and I wouldn't trust them with a C-172 or a R-22." -Masterbates
I hear you, I guess this is capt. sulley's point about the diminishing safety of our industry.
I hear you, I guess this is capt. sulley's point about the diminishing safety of our industry.