Originally Posted by
Transition Layer
I actually agree, which shows how much our industry is screwed, and was even before COVID.
Stood down pilots though are seeing what is out there in the broader economy. $150k ish to command an E Jet just doesn’t cut the mustard for the requirements and responsibilities involved. Heck you can get work on a mine for $110k driving a truck!!!
I’ve always said airline pilots and unions needed to be concentrating on the entry level parts of the industry, to ensure conditions there were good enough and career paths into airlines more definite so pilots wouldn’t be racing out of GA into jets as soon as possible. Alas pilots at the top only seem to be interested in feathering their own nests as much as possible, but then scratch their heads wondering why when pilots at the bottom on far worse conditions take jet jobs at lower pay than them.
Especially with what has happened in a particular union yesterday (deserves a thread of it’s own so I won’t say much in this one) I can’t see this situation changing.
Stood down airline pilots with a job to eventually return to may scoff at those conditions, but for a recently redundant GA pilot (how about one of many flying instructors who’ve been recently laid off due to the decimation of flight training in this country) would crawl over broken glass to get into a jet earning almost double their previous salary. Alliance will have no problems finding qualified pilots to fly these jets.
If they still have issues then they use Academy graduates. Every other nation puts 250hr pilots into jets without an issue, it’s even happened in Australia quite frequently over time. $106k plus bonus and allowances for an entry level job that doesn’t require a university degree (that will progress to a 35% payrise when taking command and more when flying widebodies, which sets it apart from truck driving in mines) is something that very few industries can offer, despite some at the top of this industry thinking that’s underpaid.