Shortage of pilots?

[Flying Pig]

Except minimum wage is $7.40

I'm unskilled labor working at an amusement park and make that an hour. I can't see pilots getting less than minimum wage when they have 6K-10K in training just to fly. And I won't even start on the whole labor law violations discussion.

$6-$10K?!  Its about $40K to get a commercial/instrument SEL which is the bare min to get a paying job.

[wingnut55]

I is just telling like it is, if you are a CFI you may work 60 hours a week to make $450, or you may make 65 for a day. I know guys that are taking jobs like that just to gain flight time.

It is the sad truth of life, if you have too many under-employed; wages go down, the people who are learning to fly to be airline pilots know the score, it sucks but they chug along. The shortage will just mean we will be seing alot of foreign students coming here.

Oh did I mention that many Airlines want a B.A too.

Bob 

[Майор Хаткевич]

did I mention that many Airlines want a B.A too.

Bob

most seem to want a degree these days. Just had a pal graduate and he got s job with a regional carrier. Of course his loans are probably equal to 3-5 years worth of income...

[Flying Pig]

Central CA is nothing but foreign students flying around.  You can barely understand anything on the radio. One of the big schools here, you cant go and just do a private. They will only take students who are going all the way through at least commercial level.

[bosshawk]

It really is fun trying to sort through Japanese, Chinese, Korean, Spanish and Italian accents on the radio and then understand what they are saying or where they are or where they are going.  My hat is off to the controllers who have to deal with these folks.

Example: ATC: Alarius 1234, say intentions.

Alarius 1234: Oh, I going to be China Airlines 737 co-pilot.

Dead silence.

[a2capt]

Do you have Hotel?

No,  I need make reserve room.

-----

I know, it's a joke floating around. I also heard exactly that at KRNM one afternoon. 

I opted to skip that airport in my county tour that afternoon. Forget it.

[davidsinn]

Except minimum wage is $7.40

I'm unskilled labor working at an amusement park and make that an hour. I can't see pilots getting less than minimum wage when they have 6K-10K in training just to fly. And I won't even start on the whole labor law violations discussion.

Minimum wage varies by state. The federal minimum wage was $5.50 or so last time I looked it up a couple of years ago. Some states have laws which increase that - like USAFAUX said, IL is $8.50 or so.

Federal min wage is over $7/hrs. That is the bare minimum for anywhere in the US.

[Eclipse]

The current Federal minimum wage is $7.25 per hour.

The highest locally mandated wage over the Federal is San Francisco, CA at $9.92.

Tipped employees start at a Federally mandated $2.13 and go to $8(CA) per hour.

States that have a lower (or no) locally mandated minimum must comply with the Federal rate.

[SARDOC]

"People" have no idea what they want, nor how airplanes work.  You could put an actor in a pilot's uniform at the front door
and he could walk out with the jetway and they would have no idea who or what is flying the plane.

The Problem with that is the "actor" is going to have to be paid more than they pay pilots now. 

[Eclipse]

"People" have no idea what they want, nor how airplanes work.  You could put an actor in a pilot's uniform at the front door
and he could walk out with the jetway and they would have no idea who or what is flying the plane.

The Problem with that is the "actor" is going to have to be paid more than they pay pilots now.

Maybe the pilots should dump ALPA and join SAG.

[DakRadz]

Except minimum wage is $7.40

I'm unskilled labor working at an amusement park and make that an hour. I can't see pilots getting less than minimum wage when they have 6K-10K in training just to fly. And I won't even start on the whole labor law violations discussion.

$6-$10K?!  Its about $40K to get a commercial/instrument SEL which is the bare min to get a paying job.

Understood, sir- I didn't know the commercial and other higher flight certification costs, therefore I used what numbers I DO know- the cost just to simply fly yourself. Obviously tow pilots for gliders have more advanced training.

[JeffDG]

"People" have no idea what they want, nor how airplanes work.  You could put an actor in a pilot's uniform at the front door
and he could walk out with the jetway and they would have no idea who or what is flying the plane.

The Problem with that is the "actor" is going to have to be paid more than they pay pilots now.

Maybe the pilots should dump ALPA and join SAG.

No...the problem is you should never choose as your profession something that people do as a hobby.

[Flying Pig]

I did.  Dont give up hope!   Where most aspiring pilots mess up is they get married have kids and buy a house and then wonder why they dont have any money to train.

[SarDragon]

BTDT. Now that the kids are gone, and I have money, I have medical issues.