Star Telegram article on low-time airline pilots

http://www.star-telegram.com/business/story/322928.html

"Airline executives say recruiting less experienced pilots is necessary
because the pool of applicants is shrinking while demand for pilots grows."

"A starting pilot at Trans States, a regional airline that flies for
American under the name American Connection, earns $22 a flight hour, with
74 hours guaranteed a month, according to AirlinePilotCentral.com, which
tracks pilot salaries. That translates to an annual starting salary of
$19,500. A pilot flying 1,000 hours a year -- the most allowed under federal
rules -- would earn about $22,000."



Now...call me kookie; I don't have an MBA or anything, but when the average
starting pilot makes less per year than the average Greyhound or city bus
driver, not to mention the average airline employee--when the pilot's salary
is less than that that of the 22-year-old child care provider watching their
kid--gee, I *just can't think of any reason* why they can't find qualified
pilots anymore.

Maybe these freakin' Einsteins the airlines pay out the ass to make
executive and compensation decisions can fly the airplanes for them in order
to prove who's worth what and whether it's the pilots or executives that are
most important to airline operations.

America's corporate business community continues to reap what it sows. The
executives will make tons of money, the pilots will get their pensions
robbed or get laid off, the airlines will beg the taxpayers for bailouts,
America's best pilots will go work for overseas competitors, and passengers
will continue to bitch about airfares.

-c

Gatt wrote:
http://www.star-telegram.com/business/story/322928.html

"Airline executives say recruiting less experienced pilots is necessary
because the pool of applicants is shrinking while demand for pilots grows."

"A starting pilot at Trans States, a regional airline that flies for
American under the name American Connection, earns $22 a flight hour, with
74 hours guaranteed a month, according to AirlinePilotCentral.com, which
tracks pilot salaries. That translates to an annual starting salary of
$19,500. A pilot flying 1,000 hours a year -- the most allowed under federal
rules -- would earn about $22,000."



Now...call me kookie; I don't have an MBA or anything, but when the average
starting pilot makes less per year than the average Greyhound or city bus
driver, not to mention the average airline employee--when the pilot's salary
is less than that that of the 22-year-old child care provider watching their
kid--gee, I *just can't think of any reason* why they can't find qualified
pilots anymore.

Maybe these freakin' Einsteins the airlines pay out the ass to make
executive and compensation decisions can fly the airplanes for them in order
to prove who's worth what and whether it's the pilots or executives that are
most important to airline operations.

America's corporate business community continues to reap what it sows. The
executives will make tons of money, the pilots will get their pensions
robbed or get laid off, the airlines will beg the taxpayers for bailouts,
America's best pilots will go work for overseas competitors, and passengers
will continue to bitch about airfares.

-c


Are these airline management people NUTS? 22K based on a simple 40 hr
work week at Mac Donald's comes out to $9.61 an hr. Hell, even
MacDonald's pays the guy who bags the French Fries batter than this!!
(The "batter" was a typo but I liked the pun :-)

And the airline CEO's up in the front office are making WHAT???

Hell...... this makes me want to come out of retirement and start flying
again....and I mean TODAY!!! WHAT A DEAL!!!!

--
Dudley Henriques

"Dudley Henriques" wrote in message
...


And the airline CEO's up in the front office are making WHAT???

Well, Dudley, you might not want to start a new career in aviation
management because according to Forbes, they're "relative paupers":

"For proof, take a look at the airline sector, where CEOs are relative
paupers. Southwest Airlines CEO James Parker, AMR CEO Gerald Arpey and UAL
CEO Glenn Tilton each earned less than $1 million in 2003"

They earned less than a million in 2003, and if it wasn't for those guys,
those planes would never get off the ground. ...oh, wait.

-c

Gatt wrote:
"Dudley Henriques" wrote in message
...


And the airline CEO's up in the front office are making WHAT???

Well, Dudley, you might not want to start a new career in aviation
management because according to Forbes, they're "relative paupers":

"For proof, take a look at the airline sector, where CEOs are relative
paupers. Southwest Airlines CEO James Parker, AMR CEO Gerald Arpey and UAL
CEO Glenn Tilton each earned less than $1 million in 2003"

They earned less than a million in 2003, and if it wasn't for those guys,
those planes would never get off the ground. ...oh, wait.

-c




Fortunately for me, my career in aviation went another route away from
the majors and I never had to deal with these issues.
I did however have a student of mine call me one day to announce he had
just gotten a left seat ride for United. He told me what the salary was
and I can tell you for sure it was a whole lot better than 22K a year.
But like a lot of other big money boys, he also is "retired now".


--
Dudley Henriques

On Nov 26, 11:09 am, Dudley Henriques wrote:


Are these airline management people NUTS? 22K based on a simple 40 hr
work week at Mac Donald's comes out to $9.61 an hr. Hell, even
MacDonald's pays the guy who bags the French Fries batter than this!!
(The "batter" was a typo but I liked the pun :-)

You and Gatt hit the nail with this one.20 years ago at the commuters
it was the same situation. NASA did a survey
and found that 20% of airline pilots under the age of 40 were
planning to leave the industry. It is fun to joke but we do have to
wonder what it will be like when the airlines stop attracting
dedicated people.

And the airline CEO's up in the front office are making WHAT???

1500% more since 1990.

F Baum

"Dudley Henriques" wrote in message
...

I did however have a student of mine call me one day to announce he had
just gotten a left seat ride for United. He told me what the salary was
and I can tell you for sure it was a whole lot better than 22K a year.
But like a lot of other big money boys, he also is "retired now".

I hope they didn't plunder his pension like they did my dad's. He worked
for UAL for 24 years...was UAL-PDX employee of the year something like three
times...before they "furloughed" him forever.

('Course, my dad was making more than 22K a year in 1980 making sure Grannie
Pax got her special diabetic in-flight meal.)

-c

Dudley Henriques wrote:
Fortunately for me, my career in aviation went another route away from
the majors and I never had to deal with these issues.
I did however have a student of mine call me one day to announce he had
just gotten a left seat ride for United. He told me what the salary was
and I can tell you for sure it was a whole lot better than 22K a year.
But like a lot of other big money boys, he also is "retired now".


When people ask me about the money available to pilots, I always explain it in
terms of professional baseball. Every kid on the corner dreams of the glory and
the money of being a professional player with the attending money and perks.
Unfortunately there are only so many teams and so many slots on those teams.
And for everybody who makes it, there are a 1000 guys left in the sandlot.

Even if you do make it to the majors, you have to survive the minors to get
there.... years of required high performance with very little reward. Back when
I came closest to achieving the dream, the most money I ever made was
$1000/month paid under the table to work as a freight dog flying five days a
week in any weather in equipment not certified for icing conditions. I loved
the flying most days. Sometimes I was terrified. But I always starved.

For the guys who make it, it's great. Everybody else suffers. It's good to
know the present generation is getting screwed over as well as the past one was.



--
Mortimer Schnerd, RN
mschnerdatcarolina.rr.com

Gatt wrote:
"Dudley Henriques" wrote in message
...
I did however have a student of mine call me one day to announce he had
just gotten a left seat ride for United. He told me what the salary was
and I can tell you for sure it was a whole lot better than 22K a year.
But like a lot of other big money boys, he also is "retired now".

I hope they didn't plunder his pension like they did my dad's. He worked
for UAL for 24 years...was UAL-PDX employee of the year something like three
times...before they "furloughed" him forever.

('Course, my dad was making more than 22K a year in 1980 making sure Grannie
Pax got her special diabetic in-flight meal.)

-c


He got something out of it but we don't discuss it much, especially when
his wife's around. She definitely didn't like the deal :-)

--
Dudley Henriques

"Gatt" wrote in
:

http://www.star-telegram.com/business/story/322928.html

"Airline executives say recruiting less experienced pilots is
necessary because the pool of applicants is shrinking while demand for
pilots grows."



That's because you spend umptee tens of thousands on a licence that is
rapidly becomng about as valuable as a french frying licence.


I advise people against getting into aviation as a profession these days.
WTF for? so you can eat lettuce burgers and hope Pan Am returns?

Bertie

"F. Baum" wrote in news:4020d212-e1ad-4daa-856d-
:

On Nov 26, 11:09 am, Dudley Henriques wrote:


Are these airline management people NUTS? 22K based on a simple 40 hr
work week at Mac Donald's comes out to $9.61 an hr. Hell, even
MacDonald's pays the guy who bags the French Fries batter than this!!
(The "batter" was a typo but I liked the pun :-)

You and Gatt hit the nail with this one.20 years ago at the commuters
it was the same situation. NASA did a survey
and found that 20% of airline pilots under the age of 40 were
planning to leave the industry. It is fun to joke but we do have to
wonder what it will be like when the airlines stop attracting
dedicated people.



The day's already here for some airlines, unfortuately.


Bertie