| Topic Name: |
From Everything at a Small Company... |
| Message Name: |
Yes $10.00 |
| Date Posted: |
06/01/2002 |
| In Reply To: |
Damn, I thought I read everything on vault, now we have a $10.00 an hour pilot.
If your flying 747's, I'll never buy another airline ticket in my life......And thats the truth. |
| Message: |
While pilots who are flying big jets usually get paid very well, for the most part it's very difficult to earn a living and make a career a pilot.
To begin, most major airlines require a 4 year degree. After that, you will likely spend between $25-$60 to obtain your commercial license which can be earned in less than a year if you take off work and fly everyday.
Once you obtain your commercial lisence, that pilot will have to build flight experience, usually flight instructing, towing banners, sight seeing, or traffic watch. All of these jobs will likely pay between $5 to $12 per "flight hour", not the time you spend on the ground. You need to obtain at least 1000k total (200 in a multi engine airline) hours before you can get hired at a commuter airline. However, in a bad economy, those min times can go up to 2000/500.
Note: for every hour spent in the air, the is usually an hour spent on the ground where you are only a $1.25 while the plane is refueled and passengers reload.
If you are one of the "lucky" ones that gets hired you will make between $10-$19 per flight hour. Generally, copilots make $19k for the first three years while flying airplance such as Regional Jet or Turbo Prob carrying 19 to 70 people.
Again, if the economy is bad, the airline could be inclined to initiate "pay for training" which can cost you more than $10k. Therefore your first years net might be as low as $5k...
Airlines that fly these planes, and who are regarded as the better places to work for are (god bless you if you go to work somewhere worse than this):
American Eagle
Continental Express
Atlantic Coast
Sky West
Atalantic Coast
North West Airlink
After spending at least 3 years flying at a regional airline, one of which needs to be as a captain. You can start applying for positions at a major airline like American, Unitied, Delta, Etc.
Starting pay will be between $34 and $60k for the first year, than should go up to $80.
If you can't get on with a major, you can apply at Jet Blue or Air Tran. First year pay is $34-44
Typically, it take 8 years from start of career until a person makes it to a major. The hardest part is working 16 hr days (flying 8) sharing run down apartments with other poor pilots. Expect to do a lot of moving too.
To find out more about this career just go to www.flightinfo.com
My father was an airline pilot too. It's a great career if you start when your very young. Otherwise, it's possible that you won't be able to support your family due to pay.
Currently I'm trying to get a good finance job and looking to go and get an MBA. I can always enjoy flying as a hobby.
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