Well Folks, I have finally registered to take part in this forum, so I can now wade into the 'No-SO-should-be-paid-more-than-an-FO' debate.
A little bit of education is needed here.
Firstly, QF Second Officers are not PAID more than their FO counterparts. I know that might be difficult to get through to some, but that is the fact. They might EARN more, but they certainly are not PAID more. FO hourly rate is higher than an equivalent incremental SO rate. In comparing the gross annual salaries of FO to SO one has to take into account the differences in divisor (i.e. the number of credited hours worked in each 8 week bid period). Over the last few years the divisor for QF B744 SO has been averaging around 170-175 hours. At the current bid period it is 165 hours. From my recollection the divisor of 767 FO sits around 160 hours. So at the end of the year the B744 SO may GROSS more salary because he/she has ended up WORKING more credited hours. Throw in the overtime factor and it is not too hard to GROSS more than a 767 FO.
You cannot compare B744 SO salary to that of a 737 FO because they are working to different contracts. End of story. Anyone who goes to the Shorthaul fleet and bleats about their salary only has themselves to blame.
Now - onto that 'promotion' issue. There is a contract (the Longhaul Certified Agreement) which permits individuals the right to volunteer for advertised positions when and where they see fit to do so. SO's are not the only people who choose to exercise this option in that manner. THere are any number of Captains who do not take up positions on larger aircraft because, I assume, it doesn't suit their LIFESTYLE.
As for being difficult to train after 5 years - that is a matter of personal opinion, and my opinion is that it is a crock. I imagine it must have been soooooo difficult to train all the current Captains who endured, through no fault of their own, lengthy periods as SO.
I have been a SO for over four years now. I throughly enjoy the job, and I do not get worked up about whether or not I am a 'real pilot' because I don't take off/land. I will look for a promotion to FO in due course, probaby in the next two years depending upon what is on offer. The fact that I might take home more money than an equivalent 767 FO is amusing and highlights an inequity in the system. I don't give a toss about the differential between mine and a 737 FO salary. Different ballgame alltogether.
To all of you bleaters out there - if you don't like what is happening with SO's then go and change the Contract. Simple. It is not the fault of the individuals. I am the first to admit that the salary situation could be improved. But I don't see anyone attempting to do that.
Mediocre? I don't think so. I consider myself to be an integral part of a longhaul crew who is exercising choices afforded to him under the Contract . The backseat crewmember (as you lot put it) is just as important as the control seat occupants.