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Daytonaflyer said:Yeah, I was chatting with an ASA crew in Minneapolis a few weeks ago. The FO had been right seat for about 4 years and when I asked him when he was going to be eligible for upgrade, he said in about 20 years. Fortunately he had a decent salary after 4 years. He claimed about $50K/year, but knowing how some FO's exaggerate their income, it's probably closer to $45K.
Apparently there is absolutely no movement to the captains seat right now, and none in the forseeable future. Unfortunate.
Unless you wanna be at ASA for a career, I would just go to a less desirable regional where you can move to the captains seat in 2 or 3 years. Those are the ones who go onto Southwest, FedEX, Continental, etc.
You're obviously new to this business, as this is nothing new. In the regionals, or the majors. I know guys who were hired by UAL in the early 70's and told they would be captains in 3 years. They upgraded to FO from FE about 15 years later. I grew up in a Pan Am town, and many a captain had stories of sitting for years in the right seat. Pay was not always that great either. My brother was hired at NWA in 95; 11 years later he is STILL an FO. Can you believe that??? Those jerks have not handed him an upgrade. What really gets him is that he makes as much there as I do as a regional captain. Let's see.... leave my job so I can sit reserve for half my remaining career and not make my salary back for some time, or stay where I am with a nice schedule, but I won't be the richest guy in the neighborhood? No brainer for me.Daytonaflyer said:Well that's a nice point of view, if everybody shared that view, the regionals might be a better segment of this industry but unfortunately it's not a realistic view. If you're going to go the path of regional airline pilot, you have to understand that you're not going to get paid very much for a very long time.
You can stand for what you "think" is the right way to go and sit right seat for 5 or 6 years, probably never breaking $50K/year, and be furloughed once or twice, and hate your job, listening to all your coworkers complain about the company everyday...or you can go to the many less desirable companies and get a quicker upgrade, higher experience level, more money, and a chance to move up in the industry.
It is sad that the regional airlines have come to this, but it IS reality. The regionals are always going to pay around $20K for first year pilots. They are always going to do what is best for the company and the management, not what's best for the pilots.
I have many friends on both ends of the regional airline ladder. The friends at Mesa are already eligible for upgrade in only two years. Most, in fact, are very happy there and are making about $50K as captain in year 2. The ones at Comair were furloughed in their first 6 months of employment, had to go back to flight instructing, and are probably gonna sit as FO for close to a decade. I won't even get into the guys that are over at Eagle. It is sad, but it is the chosen path of the entire regional industry. The choice is yours.
Yeah, that was a slam and uncalled for. Even a person with one year in the industry has insites at times. Still, 8.5 years- flying for 4 is a blip in the scope of the aviation industry. You need to look at a 15-30 year cycle to see how it moves at times.Daytonaflyer said:There ya go assuming...I've been in the industry for about 8.5 years, flying for 4+. I'm no veteran, but I'm definitely not new to the industry. I agree with some of what you're saying, but not all of it. And why are you assuming that the career captains at Mesa and certain other regionals are unhappy? The ones I've spoken with seem just as happy as most other regional captains.