Well paid and happy????
I remember a CEO of an airmedical operation commenting "I'd rather see that than to see him broke and unhappy"
Someone had told him that one of the pilots had a second job. (he already had a reasonably well paid full time job)
That CEO was smart.
It was not necessary to have a second job with that organisation (I know, I worked there) but this man obviously wanted more. As long as the fatigue factor was managed there was no problem.
There were no part time employees there, and there was a lot of standby time.
Before that I had "gone bush" because there were hardly any full time flying jobs in the city, and part time "freelance" or contract flying was not paying very well.
Working for "pay by the flying hour" was not working.
Many years later I was on the other side of the fence and emloyed pilots and filled gaps by hiring casual pilots paid by the flying hour as stipulated in the pilots (GA) award. Soon I found that this was not working very well either. Casual pilots could not rely on a regular income from regular flying, and I could not rely on the availability of pilots when I needed them.
Casual pilots are, too often "broke and unhappy" and the smart ones are soon gone. But the "obscene lottery" that airline recruiting has become keeps amny of them trying, even though they are angry and unhappy. You just need to read Prune to see that.
In today's climate, full time GA jobs are not common, even out bush. Most are paid by the hour. So happy GA pilots are not common. It seems that happy regional airline pilots are not common.
And this is now affecting regional airlines, and sneaking into the major airlines. There is not really a difference. Flying is flying, and ALL commercial flying including most Australian GA needs stable, reliable, well paid, happy pilots who work long and hard at making things better. You do not get this with temporary pilots, who are paid by the hour (sometimes), or are paying to fly.
I believe we have already paid a very high price in human lives for not treating small aeroplanes as seriously as we should.
People are talking about a pilot shortage, and there will be some movement soon. But our flying schools can train newbies much faster than they are needed, and there are many waiting in the pool of potential airline pilots. So the shortage if there is one will be of experienced prop pilots, and there will be another flood of young hopefuls.
That does not fix the problem. We need a change in how the airlines recruit and train thier new pilots.
I hope some of those who have been waiting for years will get to be well paid and happy.