Pilot pay.

Joined: Mar 1999
Posts: 65
Likes: 0
From: N/A
No he's not, it's €700 net of tax and €1000 for training. Minimum wage in Hungary (if thats where he is based) is equivalent of €1.70 ph.
Still crap though.
Still crap though.
Last edited by zzz; 20th December 2012 at 19:29.
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 537
Likes: 0
From: The IMF.
Trans Pennine
A mate of mine has just been selected to join Trans Pennine Express as a train driver.
First year pay (during training): £18,000.
Second and onwards: £45,000.
Only works 1 Sunday in 4.
Not bad, but not exactly stellar.
First year pay (during training): £18,000.
Second and onwards: £45,000.
Only works 1 Sunday in 4.
Not bad, but not exactly stellar.


Joined: Apr 2008
Aviation Qualifications: Military
Posts: 1,960
Likes: 1
From: The Whyte House
Just been taken on as a First Great Western trainee driver at the Oxford depot.
Training salary is ~£23K p/a, by the end of training, and 'probation', pay will have risen to ~£43K.
There is overtime available but no idea how many hours and the daily rate.
Those are for 'slow' commuter trains, more for the faster stuff after a few years experience.
Training salary is ~£23K p/a, by the end of training, and 'probation', pay will have risen to ~£43K.
There is overtime available but no idea how many hours and the daily rate.
Those are for 'slow' commuter trains, more for the faster stuff after a few years experience.
Last edited by Willard Whyte; 22nd December 2012 at 14:03.
Joined: Oct 2011
Posts: 355
Likes: 0
From: UK
But we are not talking about train drivers in Poland, we are talking about Airline pilot pay! Jeez how can you actually come on here and have the front to say that! I bet a train driver in poland didnt have to pay in excess of 100000E for his training? 

Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 279
Likes: 0
From: here, there, everywhere
Chill out, buddy!
Check the opening post of the thread - despite the title it IS about comparing F/O pay to train driver's (whether it makes sense it's another story). I just wanted to put things in perspective - 2000Eur (or whatever) is not the same in London and in Bucharest..
Check the opening post of the thread - despite the title it IS about comparing F/O pay to train driver's (whether it makes sense it's another story). I just wanted to put things in perspective - 2000Eur (or whatever) is not the same in London and in Bucharest..

Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 43
Likes: 0
From: where the sun shines on the righteous
Not just the dosh!
My brother-in-law is a driver for East Coast mainline, seems like very similar pay to Virgin Trains, however......what an easy roster!!
Hardly any nightstops, around 16-19 days OFF per month! Not too many F/O jobs give you that much free time.
Hardly any nightstops, around 16-19 days OFF per month! Not too many F/O jobs give you that much free time.
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 193
Likes: 0
'And you'll have Bob Crow in charge of you're Union!'
Would that be so terrible given the relentless driving down of T&Cs over the past 10 years? I'll bet you a pound to a penny PTF would never have happened with Mr Crow at the helm.
Would that be so terrible given the relentless driving down of T&Cs over the past 10 years? I'll bet you a pound to a penny PTF would never have happened with Mr Crow at the helm.
Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 38
Likes: 0
From: Newquay
Train Driver Trainee - How To Become A Train Driver UK
There you Go, depends if your Happy going up the same bit of Track Day in Day out. The Training is Long and Arduous but i don"t think they Stop you anything for your Type Rating or Uniform, you may have to pay for a Sandwich at the Buffet Car but that"s about it.
Father was on the Railway for 30 years Plus, (not as a Driver) and thoroughly enjoyed it, Excellent Pension by all accounts.
There you Go, depends if your Happy going up the same bit of Track Day in Day out. The Training is Long and Arduous but i don"t think they Stop you anything for your Type Rating or Uniform, you may have to pay for a Sandwich at the Buffet Car but that"s about it.
Father was on the Railway for 30 years Plus, (not as a Driver) and thoroughly enjoyed it, Excellent Pension by all accounts.
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 410
Likes: 0
From: UK
Ahhhh but there is not the same kudos driving a train as strutting around in the gold bars...
We all have to pay for our pose.
Flying Pay might not be great; but the wheeze of appearing in the terminal dressed like a japanese admiral.. priceless.
We all have to pay for our pose.
Flying Pay might not be great; but the wheeze of appearing in the terminal dressed like a japanese admiral.. priceless.
Last edited by BigNumber; 24th December 2012 at 19:45.


Joined: Apr 2008
Aviation Qualifications: Military
Posts: 1,960
Likes: 1
From: The Whyte House
There you Go, depends if your Happy going up the same bit of Track Day in Day out.
One thing about train driving is that the remuneration is fairly constant across the UK - ~£43K once qualified. There appears to be a good deal of a greater difference in pilot pay depending on company, type of route and capt/co.
Last edited by Willard Whyte; 11th January 2013 at 10:10.
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 612
Likes: 0
From: Europa
Come on folks, the BA figures are irrelevant if BA are not taking DE pilots anymore.
Future pilot, FlexiCrew, MPL and even some P2F schemes are the reality for those not already in an airline with a half decent pre 2001 contract.
The truth is around £120k to CTC or similar followed by £25k TR, and then possibly unemployed for 6 months -3 years, plus cost of IR and TR renewals?
Some fall for Lion Air type P2F schemes and have paid 30k for a few hundred hours flying pax and taking FO jobs.....
The best deals for new starters are probably closer to £18k with TR bond on a turboprop.
Future pilot, FlexiCrew, MPL and even some P2F schemes are the reality for those not already in an airline with a half decent pre 2001 contract.
The truth is around £120k to CTC or similar followed by £25k TR, and then possibly unemployed for 6 months -3 years, plus cost of IR and TR renewals?
Some fall for Lion Air type P2F schemes and have paid 30k for a few hundred hours flying pax and taking FO jobs.....
The best deals for new starters are probably closer to £18k with TR bond on a turboprop.

Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 6,729
Likes: 104
From: The Winchester
I always thought BA were astronomical payers but a mate who is a Junior FO on 744 reckons he takes home £3K ?
Joined: Jan 2013
Posts: 1
Likes: 0
From: uk
I was Aircraft dispatcher/Load controller for 13 yrs with British Midland and
Virgin Atlantic and looked at doing a flying course in the early 2000s but the
cost was 80k and no certainty of a flying position when qualified.I had a work
friend who went to the US and paid a lot of money to fly and when he came back to the uk he found out his training was not valid here.
I saw a advert for Train drivers and applied.I was paid during the 18 months
of training 20k pa.The job is quiet repetive and you work on your own but you are left alone as long as i dont have a incident.
The salary and conditions are good,i work for a London based suburban Train company and basic pay 53k for a 33 hr week.We have a good final salary pension scheme also.Overtime is available if you need it.I get free train travel on a few companies and pay 10% on others.Also a free Oyster card for tubes and buses.My company lay on a free xmas do all food and drink is free.We have coffee machines in every depot also free of charge.
We have a strong trade union ASLEF not the earlier mentioned Bob crow, hes the other lot.
The job requires concentration and the shifts can be lousy but overall im
happy i made the move.
Virgin Atlantic and looked at doing a flying course in the early 2000s but the
cost was 80k and no certainty of a flying position when qualified.I had a work
friend who went to the US and paid a lot of money to fly and when he came back to the uk he found out his training was not valid here.
I saw a advert for Train drivers and applied.I was paid during the 18 months
of training 20k pa.The job is quiet repetive and you work on your own but you are left alone as long as i dont have a incident.
The salary and conditions are good,i work for a London based suburban Train company and basic pay 53k for a 33 hr week.We have a good final salary pension scheme also.Overtime is available if you need it.I get free train travel on a few companies and pay 10% on others.Also a free Oyster card for tubes and buses.My company lay on a free xmas do all food and drink is free.We have coffee machines in every depot also free of charge.
We have a strong trade union ASLEF not the earlier mentioned Bob crow, hes the other lot.
The job requires concentration and the shifts can be lousy but overall im
happy i made the move.





