Yep won't it just give you a nice warm fuzzy when you walk onto a plane and see these guys are your pilots?
That's crazy!! School bus drivers make more than that!
I don’t believe this ....the source is their union.
As the US standard of living declines, the number of air miles for leisure likely will also. Doesn’t bode well for the industry.
Aside from the TSA issues I have one reason I stopped flying was the Vietnam era pilots all retired. The new guys aren’t really good at flying the plane as much as they are programming the autopilot.
Yep won't it just give you a nice warm fuzzy when you walk onto a plane and see these guys are your pilots?
The truth of the argument on wages is not being taught to the American worker.
There are two points on the wage line that everyone must consider. Those two points are simply this:
- you will never be paid less than what you are willing to work for.
- you will never be paid more than what it costs to replace you.
$22,000 average salary for an average of 10 hours of flying a week as co-pilot with an instructor pilot. It is literally on the job training, which all things considered, is a pretty good salary for that type of position. The regular pilots for regionals average far closer to $60,000. Which is the other group the unions really want to bleed for the money, as these are also the same qualified pilots who step up to the bat when the pilots union goes on strike.
Always the same song and dance - pick someone who might gain some sympathy from the public, imply that they are something more than what they are, with the end goal of giving more money and power to the union.
That has always been the case. Most pilots work 10-15 years before they make a decent living.
After decades of being too many pilots, there is a huge international demand for them.
All these kids go into debt learning to fly in Florida. Then they get beginner jobs. It was always their dream to fly.
I do not want to fly with a pilot who makes $22,000 a year.
That would be because so many people want to be pilots, and have the qualifications and certifications. You can do most of it on simulators these days.
Its called SUPPLY AND DEMAND
There are MANY people who would love an opportunity to be a pilot.
If there were only a few who wanted the job, the pay would be higher.
I would work for free if they would let me fly planes
A truly hilarious story.
Airlines can’t find enough qualified pilots because they pay such low salaries.
Somewhere out there in financial principles land there is an answer to this dilemma.
Wait, wait, don’t push me, it will come to me...
It’s possible that these “low” starting salaries are actually far too high.
Part of the cost of a pilot is the risk that he will incur liability for his employer (such as by crashing the plane, or a PR disaster landing at the wrong airport, etc.).
These pilots are paid presumably so they can have a subsistence living until they are actually economically profitable enough to overcome all the costs of entrusting them with the aircraft and passengers. That, because the airline needs the trained pilot down the road.
If pay was based on who is truly receiving net benefits, the young pilots would probably be paying the airline for a few years.
Why? This is old news.
Don't you remember the Continental Connection plane crash in Buffalo?
The media has covered the problem since then. Go watch the PBS Frontline show, "Flying Cheap"
I dunno. What does a “starting pilot” do? Watch the actual pilot, and do gopher tasks? OJT?
Next question is, what do the pilots get paid when they become actually responsible for the flight?
if demand for pilots exist... and demand for flights exist... then salaries for pilots would be up.
if salaries are down, yet supply is short, then profitability must be very low.
of course, the individual pilot can only impact the profit generated by the single plane he/she is on at the time. payment for all members of the crew along with maintenance and overhead, would have to come out of the passengers on that one plane.