Regional Airlines & other
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Regional Airlines & other
Hey all,
I have a few questions that i would greatly appreciate any feed back on;
I'm currently a dual rated Australian Commercial Pilot CPL(A) & CPL(H).
I read quite a bit about F/O positions with the regional airlines ?
What are the min. requirements and who are the best ones to talk to ?
Any info would be extremely appreciated as I'm contemplating moving over and looking at an F/O position or Helicopter position.... Although I know very little about the U.S industry and where to look.
Feel free to PM me any details.
Cheers,
JF
I have a few questions that i would greatly appreciate any feed back on;
I'm currently a dual rated Australian Commercial Pilot CPL(A) & CPL(H).
I read quite a bit about F/O positions with the regional airlines ?
What are the min. requirements and who are the best ones to talk to ?
Any info would be extremely appreciated as I'm contemplating moving over and looking at an F/O position or Helicopter position.... Although I know very little about the U.S industry and where to look.
Feel free to PM me any details.
Cheers,
JF
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All Regionals in the us are desperate for pilots and they are hiring 500 hour folks left and right. Can you legally work in the US? If you can, go to one of the Airinc jobs fair (you will find information on their site) In some cases they are interviewing on the spot.
you know you are not going to make any money right?, just checking
you know you are not going to make any money right?, just checking
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Take a look at this then calculate how much it will cost you to live at a Hub city.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RayMaswju1A
Good Luck
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RayMaswju1A
Good Luck
The Dominican's advice is very valuable.
Also be aware of 'alleged' problems in some regional airline training departments. A Check Airmen at a regional affiliate told me in person that most of the pilots who left ACA with about two years in the RJ never made it through training at another CRJ airline! Also, he refuses to do any more Line Training and was not willing to fly almost solo any more. The airline offered him extra pay at 150% to give IOE but he said no. Those were his words.
One of our recalled pilots (from furlough) told me this spring that he was shocked at problems with Chattauqua's CRJ training (different than the one described above..) , after he was laid off and went to work there. I can't remember if it was the type or amount of FMC training, or the general syllabus etc.
Commander1: I can not answer that, but an English guy who worked as a US Army helicopter Crew Chief then became a pilot (now flies RJs) told me on the airport shuttle that despite higher pay as a regional FO in Britain, the much higher taxes and costs leave you with less money to live on, than here in the US. His comments surprised me.
He compared living in the UK mostly to the lower costs in southern states. Living costs and taxes in GA, AL, TN, AR and Texas are generally much less than in the Upper Midwest in MN, WI, MI (IN or OH?) etc. Never mind the major metro areas in CA, or much of the east in VA (near DC), PA, NY, CT and MA. But many very high-cost cities ARE typically the junior crewbases and brand-new pilots must begin there in many cases. Some larger cities in southern Florida might be fairly high cost.
Airline pilot salaries are XX/hour, no matter where you live.
Good luck over here. If you have the hours, you might want to focus on COEX or Horizon, maybe others...
Also be aware of 'alleged' problems in some regional airline training departments. A Check Airmen at a regional affiliate told me in person that most of the pilots who left ACA with about two years in the RJ never made it through training at another CRJ airline! Also, he refuses to do any more Line Training and was not willing to fly almost solo any more. The airline offered him extra pay at 150% to give IOE but he said no. Those were his words.
One of our recalled pilots (from furlough) told me this spring that he was shocked at problems with Chattauqua's CRJ training (different than the one described above..) , after he was laid off and went to work there. I can't remember if it was the type or amount of FMC training, or the general syllabus etc.
Commander1: I can not answer that, but an English guy who worked as a US Army helicopter Crew Chief then became a pilot (now flies RJs) told me on the airport shuttle that despite higher pay as a regional FO in Britain, the much higher taxes and costs leave you with less money to live on, than here in the US. His comments surprised me.
He compared living in the UK mostly to the lower costs in southern states. Living costs and taxes in GA, AL, TN, AR and Texas are generally much less than in the Upper Midwest in MN, WI, MI (IN or OH?) etc. Never mind the major metro areas in CA, or much of the east in VA (near DC), PA, NY, CT and MA. But many very high-cost cities ARE typically the junior crewbases and brand-new pilots must begin there in many cases. Some larger cities in southern Florida might be fairly high cost.
Airline pilot salaries are XX/hour, no matter where you live.
Good luck over here. If you have the hours, you might want to focus on COEX or Horizon, maybe others...
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Yes, the US regionals are desperate... I work for one of them and we can't fill our classes. Pilot shortage is hitting us. Couple this with the very low salaries and something's gonna have to give.
Quality of training depends very much on which regional... CHQ is going to be getting rid of their CRJs and they never had the proper training facilities for them... in fact they were buying time from other regional sims in other locations. The regional I work for has one of the best training departments in the US hands down and has the reputation to support it. Still pays horribly... but it's a decent start having been a CFI for 2 years before that.
Requirements for working in the US... you're going to need a work visa or Green Card... however all that works, I'm not sure.
Either way, regionals are good experience but poor pay in typically expensive locations (I commute to save money but it's a big hassle)
Questions? PM me...
Quality of training depends very much on which regional... CHQ is going to be getting rid of their CRJs and they never had the proper training facilities for them... in fact they were buying time from other regional sims in other locations. The regional I work for has one of the best training departments in the US hands down and has the reputation to support it. Still pays horribly... but it's a decent start having been a CFI for 2 years before that.
Requirements for working in the US... you're going to need a work visa or Green Card... however all that works, I'm not sure.
Either way, regionals are good experience but poor pay in typically expensive locations (I commute to save money but it's a big hassle)
Questions? PM me...
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Thanks for the information guys, appreciate it.
I have looked into obtaining work visas etc, I have a family member who is a U.S citizen and can sponsor me.
I understand the pay is crap, much the like the regionals here in Australia.
Thought i'd be able to combine my love of aviation with a couple of years or so working for a regional and see much of the U.S at the same time.
could be a good experience. Not to sure when i'd look at heading over, maybe early next year.
Thanks for the help.
I have looked into obtaining work visas etc, I have a family member who is a U.S citizen and can sponsor me.
I understand the pay is crap, much the like the regionals here in Australia.
Thought i'd be able to combine my love of aviation with a couple of years or so working for a regional and see much of the U.S at the same time.
could be a good experience. Not to sure when i'd look at heading over, maybe early next year.
Thanks for the help.
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Options
Have you given any consideration to Corporate opportunities within the U.S.?
If you're set on a schedule, the airlines would be the place to go. However, if you enjoy diversity in your travels, you may want to give yourself some options. The pay would probably higher as well to start.
Having had several pals, many of whom flew with U.S. Majors for as long as 18 years, made redundant, it seems such a volatile work environment to enter into.
My humble opinion, for what it's worth.
If you're set on a schedule, the airlines would be the place to go. However, if you enjoy diversity in your travels, you may want to give yourself some options. The pay would probably higher as well to start.
Having had several pals, many of whom flew with U.S. Majors for as long as 18 years, made redundant, it seems such a volatile work environment to enter into.
My humble opinion, for what it's worth.
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...... Unless you have 2,000hrs+ I doubt corporate will happen. Your really not even competitive untill you have 4,000+ and 1,000+ turbine PIC (if you want to fly jets) If you want to fly turboprops. (King Airs) be ready to have high flight time still. Your best bet is to tough it out at a regional. If it was as bad as some would have you believe, there would be more accidents (no "its only a matter of time" thats a joke excuse for media types). Regionals are not bad, its low pay, but thats life. You have to pay your dues. CFI pay is not much better or worse, and there are much less travel perks....
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charter pilot shortage coming?
In case you missed the AIN article here it is:
http://www.ainonline.com/ain-and-ain...y_pointer%5D=4
http://www.ainonline.com/ain-and-ain...y_pointer%5D=4
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Again we read that the regionals are unable to recruit sufficient man-power due to insufficient numbers of qualified pilots and so are reducing hours requirements... total BS... the reason they don't get the pilots is that they pay Sh!t money... $30k + for left seat on a Saab... 
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in a nutshell ...
You'll upgrade quickest in one of the sh!ttier companies, when it comes to $$$ I think Horizon, Comair, and Eagle are the top players. Regarding bases, they can open and close overnight. Lots of pilots are commuters (including myself), especially when living in a state with no state tax.
Skywest is another good company, I can never stop looking at their flight attendants
I wonder how long this'll last before the company will get sued by an ugly bird. 
[dream mode = off]
If you want to read up on the regionals in the US go to flightinfo.com
7 7 7 7
You'll upgrade quickest in one of the sh!ttier companies, when it comes to $$$ I think Horizon, Comair, and Eagle are the top players. Regarding bases, they can open and close overnight. Lots of pilots are commuters (including myself), especially when living in a state with no state tax.
Skywest is another good company, I can never stop looking at their flight attendants
I wonder how long this'll last before the company will get sued by an ugly bird. [dream mode = off] If you want to read up on the regionals in the US go to flightinfo.com
7 7 7 7
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A quick and dirty breakdown of the US regionals for those too "busy" to look it up themselves, filtered through the vitriol and bias of another humble Yank pilot. All figures and upgrade times are subject to change without notice, and keep in mind that this is more about blowing off steam than actually informing anyone:
Air Wisconsin: Once upon a time, it was the regional to work for. Pay is still good relatively speaking, but work rules are eroding, and the once-happy pilot group seems more ticked by the day. 2-3 year upgrade likely to become longer with their future USAir flying in doubt.
American Eagle: Livable pay, Decent QOL, 7 (yes, seven) year upgrade, a painfully uncertain future with AMR dropping them. Those who went there with dreams of making it to mainline are disappointed. Still, it's hard to feel really bad for a guy flying an ATR around the Caribbean.
Atlantic Southeast Airlines (ASA): With a freshly-negotiated contract in hand, they're actually one of the leaders in terms of pay scales. Work rules seem to be halfway decent. 3 year upgrade, or more with the turboprops out the door this year. The training department is overwhelmed, and everyone's more than a little nervous about a future as SKW's whipping boy. Hope you like Atlanta.
Big Sky: Oops, too late... http://www.newwest.net/city/article/...service/C8/L8/
Colgan Air: Crap pay, crappier work rules, and the potential list merge with Pinnacle will almost certainly see the Colgan group getting the short end of an already short stick. There's a bit of an internal war going on over the Q400 as well. The short upgrade is likely to get worse soon, along with everything else.
Comair: Delta's been selling the place off piecemeal for years, and things just seem to be getting worse. Middling pay and QOL, upgrade times are long and getting longer. Still running a lot of newhire classes to cover attrition. Most newhires seem to have another regional picked out for when they get tired of all the fun here.
CommutAir: Small Dash 8 operator on the East coast. Pay sucks, attrition's high, and they're small enough to get stepped on by someone else. They lease all of their planes from another regional, which seems like a really good idea...
Compass: NWA's newest brainchild. I don't have much to say here, as the place is a total wild card right now. If they ever really get up and running, this might be a decent place to work someday. "Guaranteed" NWA flowthrough. Of course, with NWA and DAL walking down the aisle, I'd be huddled in a corner soiling myself. See Also: American Eagle flowthrough. Good work rules, just not much work to be done. By one account, pilots are flying about 20 hours a month until somebody figures out what the Hell's going on.
ExpressJet: Decent pay, probably the best work rules in the regional world, and a whole ton of time on the west coast. Sounds good, right? Well, if you haven't already noticed the recurring theme here, happy pilot groups don't stay happy for long. With the ugliness at CAL, they're heavily dependent on branded flying, a risky venture that's getting mixed results so far. Other regionals are circling, hoping to take more flying from them. Upgrades are getting longer, and they're not hiring much either. Certainly much worse choices out there, but XJT's best days are behind them.
GoJet Airlines: SCAAAAAAAAABS!
Great Lakes Airlines: Welcome to rock bottom! That's right folks, THE worst pay in the country! Work rules are essentially non-existent. Big ol' training bond, too. So what could possibly be good about this place? Upgrade at ATP mins, guaranteed DEN base, the opportunity to handfly raw data non-precision approaches to the nuts in the middle of a Rocky Mountain blizzard, and the potential to move on to greener pastures in record time. Not to mention the cast of characters you'll be flying with.
Gulfstream Airlines: If you're dumb enough to throw down $30,000 to "buy" a crappy job at at time when so many regionals are hiring fresh Commercial pilots, you probably shouldn't be allowed out of the house without a helmet.
Aaaaand I'm bored. I'll finish up later.
Air Wisconsin: Once upon a time, it was the regional to work for. Pay is still good relatively speaking, but work rules are eroding, and the once-happy pilot group seems more ticked by the day. 2-3 year upgrade likely to become longer with their future USAir flying in doubt.
American Eagle: Livable pay, Decent QOL, 7 (yes, seven) year upgrade, a painfully uncertain future with AMR dropping them. Those who went there with dreams of making it to mainline are disappointed. Still, it's hard to feel really bad for a guy flying an ATR around the Caribbean.
Atlantic Southeast Airlines (ASA): With a freshly-negotiated contract in hand, they're actually one of the leaders in terms of pay scales. Work rules seem to be halfway decent. 3 year upgrade, or more with the turboprops out the door this year. The training department is overwhelmed, and everyone's more than a little nervous about a future as SKW's whipping boy. Hope you like Atlanta.
Big Sky: Oops, too late... http://www.newwest.net/city/article/...service/C8/L8/
Colgan Air: Crap pay, crappier work rules, and the potential list merge with Pinnacle will almost certainly see the Colgan group getting the short end of an already short stick. There's a bit of an internal war going on over the Q400 as well. The short upgrade is likely to get worse soon, along with everything else.
Comair: Delta's been selling the place off piecemeal for years, and things just seem to be getting worse. Middling pay and QOL, upgrade times are long and getting longer. Still running a lot of newhire classes to cover attrition. Most newhires seem to have another regional picked out for when they get tired of all the fun here.
CommutAir: Small Dash 8 operator on the East coast. Pay sucks, attrition's high, and they're small enough to get stepped on by someone else. They lease all of their planes from another regional, which seems like a really good idea...
Compass: NWA's newest brainchild. I don't have much to say here, as the place is a total wild card right now. If they ever really get up and running, this might be a decent place to work someday. "Guaranteed" NWA flowthrough. Of course, with NWA and DAL walking down the aisle, I'd be huddled in a corner soiling myself. See Also: American Eagle flowthrough. Good work rules, just not much work to be done. By one account, pilots are flying about 20 hours a month until somebody figures out what the Hell's going on.
ExpressJet: Decent pay, probably the best work rules in the regional world, and a whole ton of time on the west coast. Sounds good, right? Well, if you haven't already noticed the recurring theme here, happy pilot groups don't stay happy for long. With the ugliness at CAL, they're heavily dependent on branded flying, a risky venture that's getting mixed results so far. Other regionals are circling, hoping to take more flying from them. Upgrades are getting longer, and they're not hiring much either. Certainly much worse choices out there, but XJT's best days are behind them.
GoJet Airlines: SCAAAAAAAAABS!
Great Lakes Airlines: Welcome to rock bottom! That's right folks, THE worst pay in the country! Work rules are essentially non-existent. Big ol' training bond, too. So what could possibly be good about this place? Upgrade at ATP mins, guaranteed DEN base, the opportunity to handfly raw data non-precision approaches to the nuts in the middle of a Rocky Mountain blizzard, and the potential to move on to greener pastures in record time. Not to mention the cast of characters you'll be flying with.
Gulfstream Airlines: If you're dumb enough to throw down $30,000 to "buy" a crappy job at at time when so many regionals are hiring fresh Commercial pilots, you probably shouldn't be allowed out of the house without a helmet.
Aaaaand I'm bored. I'll finish up later.
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The feeder world has always been a sh*thole. When I worked for them we were still under 135 rules and they could fly the hell out of us for only pennies on the dollar but luckily we were forced to the 121 world. I did that after spending 3 years as a CFI to land a job flying single pilot 135 freight for years then off to the regionals( at that time you had to have 3000+ to get a job with the regional) to hopefully land that job with a legacy. Well economy turned south and I got stuck at a regional for a looonng time. Regional today? Still sh*tty pay, some what better work rules but with the Age 65 rule about to take effect you will get stuck there for a looonngg time before you get to head for a legacy. Also look at the economy hitting the skids and fuel going thru the roof. Do not be surprised if all the feeders are told they have to re-negotiate their contracts. Finally be ready to do the hub and spoke where you see the same places all the time.
Good side? Well I have made some of my best friends while working at the feeders, have great memories of overnights and trips. Even though it was a long hard road to get where I am now I would have never changed a damn thing.
So if you do this be ready for a wild ride, while some love it and others hate it,you will not know yourself unless you try it.
Good side? Well I have made some of my best friends while working at the feeders, have great memories of overnights and trips. Even though it was a long hard road to get where I am now I would have never changed a damn thing.
So if you do this be ready for a wild ride, while some love it and others hate it,you will not know yourself unless you try it.
Last edited by Lear60Dude; 2nd Mar 2008 at 17:08.
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Well 7777, it's not like I'm alone in that sentiment. I don't know how much time the readers here spend stateside, but most of the GJ boys and girls have trouble leaving their hole in STL without getting a few S-bombs thrown at them. malc4d, here's all the research you need to do on that operation: http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Gojet
As for your question on Mesa, I would have loved to help you in my first post, but my hands were tied. Alphabetical order is a cruel mistress. Here's part two:
Horizon: This is one of those places that's more of a career choice than a stepping stone. Currently running a seven-ish year upgrade. Their captain payscale is pretty impressive, but you'll be spending a lot of time on the slightly less impressive FO side. QOL is good, by all accounts. If you like Seattle and have no intentions of going to mainline anytime soon, check these guys out.
...What's that, they aren't hiring now? Never mind.
Island Air: Mmmm, driving a turboprop between the Hawaiian islands. Isn't that what we really got into this job for? The pay would be decent, if HI wasn't so freakin' expensive. Fairly quick upgrade, too. I don't know if they complain about QOL over there, and if they do, I'm sure as Hell not listening. They like hiring locals, so run-of-the-mill Haoles need not apply.
...You mean they're not hiring, either? Goddamn it!
Lynx Aviation: After a million delays, they're finally off the ground. The street captains have already left for greener pastures, so no more free Q400 type. I know it's not a jet, but the payscale really ought to be better for a plane that big. Still a lot of movement, but not the easiest place to get an interview. I'd also be concerned about flying for the biggest albatross around Frontier's already overloaded neck. Another wild card.
Mesa Airlines: Dude, you've got to be ****ting me. You want to go to Mesa? The unholy cluster**** that is the Mesa group (Mesa, Air Midwest, Freedom, go!) is finally coming apart at the seams. Pilots are jumping ship left and right (mostly to other regionals), and they can't hire enough warm bodies to keep up. Proud owners of the worst work rules in the industry, they regularly put pilots on schedules with eight days off a month. In case you haven't been following the news, these are the poor guys who have been falling asleep at the controls lately. Pay tops out on the high side, but I'm not sure how someone could get that far up on their seniority list without French-kissing a .45 first. Upgrade is chaotic, as they just seem to grab the first guy they can find when another seat opens. This is the kind of place that drags all of us down, and they've finally hit the bottom of the barrel in terms of applicants. There are pilots who can put up with a lot of crap to make it to the majors, but some of these guys seem to think they can sell their souls to Ornstein and come out unscathed. Oh, and did I mention all of the red ink, dropped flying and impending lawsuits on the financial side? Stay away.
Mesaba: Don't let the name fool you, they've got nothing to do with Mesa. Pay and QOL are not too bad (if only by comparison). They're done hiring street captains for now, and probably won't be doing it again for a while. Upgrade is still fast. The single biggest problem with Mesaba (aside from those assholes at MAIR holdings) is that, with Compass and Pinnacle already vying for NWA's attention, somebody's bound to get screwed. This is not a place to go and get comfortable, but a lot of people who went there seem to be happy with their choice. Your mileage may vary.
Piedmont: This could be one to watch for those looking to do their time in the regionals and get out quick. Between people going up to mainline and regular attrition, things are about to start moving fast at this sleepy little Dash-8 operator. Work rules suck, but the pay is decent. I'd also be a little worried about being wholly owned by a major airline (USAir) that is even further from having its **** together than the rest of them.
Pinnacle: Who wants to fly a CRJ-900 for 21 bucks an hour? Not these guys, apparently; they voted 99% in favor of a strike. Attrition is lightning-fast. They fly for Delta and Northwest, so I'd expect to see them lose some flying when those two merge, as ASA/Compass/Republic all seem to be building up steam. I've heard some horror stories about incompetence in the training department, and if you can't trust secondhand rumors and hearsay in this industry, then what can you trust? You get a monetary bonus if you can wrangle one of your friends into a newhire class, which speaks volumes about their QOL.
Well, that does it for my second installment. I'll finish up next time. Stay tuned, because part three includes what are probably the BEST regionals to work for. Of course, that distinction is kind of like being the least ugly chick in the bar at closing time, but that's neither here nor there...
As for your question on Mesa, I would have loved to help you in my first post, but my hands were tied. Alphabetical order is a cruel mistress. Here's part two:
Horizon: This is one of those places that's more of a career choice than a stepping stone. Currently running a seven-ish year upgrade. Their captain payscale is pretty impressive, but you'll be spending a lot of time on the slightly less impressive FO side. QOL is good, by all accounts. If you like Seattle and have no intentions of going to mainline anytime soon, check these guys out.
...What's that, they aren't hiring now? Never mind.
Island Air: Mmmm, driving a turboprop between the Hawaiian islands. Isn't that what we really got into this job for? The pay would be decent, if HI wasn't so freakin' expensive. Fairly quick upgrade, too. I don't know if they complain about QOL over there, and if they do, I'm sure as Hell not listening. They like hiring locals, so run-of-the-mill Haoles need not apply.
...You mean they're not hiring, either? Goddamn it!
Lynx Aviation: After a million delays, they're finally off the ground. The street captains have already left for greener pastures, so no more free Q400 type. I know it's not a jet, but the payscale really ought to be better for a plane that big. Still a lot of movement, but not the easiest place to get an interview. I'd also be concerned about flying for the biggest albatross around Frontier's already overloaded neck. Another wild card.
Mesa Airlines: Dude, you've got to be ****ting me. You want to go to Mesa? The unholy cluster**** that is the Mesa group (Mesa, Air Midwest, Freedom, go!) is finally coming apart at the seams. Pilots are jumping ship left and right (mostly to other regionals), and they can't hire enough warm bodies to keep up. Proud owners of the worst work rules in the industry, they regularly put pilots on schedules with eight days off a month. In case you haven't been following the news, these are the poor guys who have been falling asleep at the controls lately. Pay tops out on the high side, but I'm not sure how someone could get that far up on their seniority list without French-kissing a .45 first. Upgrade is chaotic, as they just seem to grab the first guy they can find when another seat opens. This is the kind of place that drags all of us down, and they've finally hit the bottom of the barrel in terms of applicants. There are pilots who can put up with a lot of crap to make it to the majors, but some of these guys seem to think they can sell their souls to Ornstein and come out unscathed. Oh, and did I mention all of the red ink, dropped flying and impending lawsuits on the financial side? Stay away.
Mesaba: Don't let the name fool you, they've got nothing to do with Mesa. Pay and QOL are not too bad (if only by comparison). They're done hiring street captains for now, and probably won't be doing it again for a while. Upgrade is still fast. The single biggest problem with Mesaba (aside from those assholes at MAIR holdings) is that, with Compass and Pinnacle already vying for NWA's attention, somebody's bound to get screwed. This is not a place to go and get comfortable, but a lot of people who went there seem to be happy with their choice. Your mileage may vary.
Piedmont: This could be one to watch for those looking to do their time in the regionals and get out quick. Between people going up to mainline and regular attrition, things are about to start moving fast at this sleepy little Dash-8 operator. Work rules suck, but the pay is decent. I'd also be a little worried about being wholly owned by a major airline (USAir) that is even further from having its **** together than the rest of them.
Pinnacle: Who wants to fly a CRJ-900 for 21 bucks an hour? Not these guys, apparently; they voted 99% in favor of a strike. Attrition is lightning-fast. They fly for Delta and Northwest, so I'd expect to see them lose some flying when those two merge, as ASA/Compass/Republic all seem to be building up steam. I've heard some horror stories about incompetence in the training department, and if you can't trust secondhand rumors and hearsay in this industry, then what can you trust? You get a monetary bonus if you can wrangle one of your friends into a newhire class, which speaks volumes about their QOL.
Well, that does it for my second installment. I'll finish up next time. Stay tuned, because part three includes what are probably the BEST regionals to work for. Of course, that distinction is kind of like being the least ugly chick in the bar at closing time, but that's neither here nor there...
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Originally Posted by thepotato
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Criteria for selecting a shiny airplane job...
So you're ready to go fly a shiny pax airplane.
Well, first the facts of life :- Low pay, bad schedules, bottom of the totem pole, low pay = unable to pay those loans + unable to do anything fun except for cheap beer and ramen noodles, may lose your girl / guy in the process due to (AIDS...Airline Induced Divorce Syndrome), low morale CRM, possible auto ejection if there is a strike or an act of
.....and you thought that flight instruction was 
.
Positives : You do get to wear a uniform and look like a million bucks.
Well, first the facts of life :- Low pay, bad schedules, bottom of the totem pole, low pay = unable to pay those loans + unable to do anything fun except for cheap beer and ramen noodles, may lose your girl / guy in the process due to (AIDS...Airline Induced Divorce Syndrome), low morale CRM, possible auto ejection if there is a strike or an act of
.....and you thought that flight instruction was .Positives : You do get to wear a uniform and look like a million bucks.