18 replies to this topic

[Nero Prime]

Everyone must watch!!
PBS Feb. 9th, 9pm. (10pm here in VT)

http://www.pbs.org/w...ages/frontline/

Click on the "Flying Cheap" Preview. (Can't link it directly for some reason.)

[Sever Aldaria]

The page you are looking for might have been removed, had its name changed, or is temporarily unavailable.

[Nero Prime]

Link Fixed

[Hammereds]

quite interesting.

[Silas]

Very interesting indeed. So American pilots aren't payed when they are on standby? Is that even legal? Man I've worked as an uneducated security guard in Norway during my student days and gotten payed when I'm on standby. Think we had 50% pay on standby... how can they demand you to be on standby and not pay you. It just doesn't make sense... Sometimes (relatively often actually) I am very glad I'm not an American...

[Nero Prime]

Yup, it's legal. Worked for the airlines for almost 6 years. Truck drivers in the US have better work rules!! Aviation = The most screwed up industry there is.

[Sever Aldaria]

how can they demand you to be on standby and not pay you. It just doesn't make sense...

So that they don't go bankrupt quicker than they already are.

I heard about a pilot who before take off announced to the passengers, "We understand that you have several choices of bankrupt airlines and we thank you for choosing ours." I guess I understand his position a little better now if (considering the unpaid hours) he's getting paid minimum wage or worse.

[Nero Prime]

Oh, and making $20,000 a year is a step up from flight instructing! I made $10,000 a year then I was an instructor, before I was hired by the airlines!! I will never work for an airline again. And I don't want my kids to be pilots ether! ( Any pilot will tell you the same, it's not worth it. ) If I lose my current flying job, (I'm a corporate pilot now) I'm done. So I'm currently looking to getting into the IT field. Rant Over... . . . Maybe B

[Azual]

You could go into Air Traffic Control - I expect given your experience you could walk into it pretty easily, and if over there they get paid anything like they do in Europe, it's a goldmine.

[Laurentius]

Oh, and making $20,000 a year is a step up from flight instructing!

I made $10,000 a year then I was an instructor, before I was hired by the airlines!!
I will never work for an airline again.
And I don't want my kids to be pilots ether! ( Any pilot will tell you the same, it's not worth it. )

If I lose my current flying job, (I'm a corporate pilot now) I'm done.

So I'm currently looking to getting into the IT field.


Rant Over...
.
.
.
Maybe B

Lol. I bet the CEO and top brass get some fat bonuses though.

[Nero Prime]

You could go into Air Traffic Control - I expect given your experience you could walk into it pretty easily, and if over there they get paid anything like they do in Europe, it's a goldmine.

Too old now, cut off is 35, I'm 37.
Too much stress as well.
Air Traffic Controllers here in the US have a high rate of suicide and drug use. No thanks.

Also their pay isn't that good any more. (Thanks Reagon, but that's a whole norther topic.)

[Draelor]

Silas, it's legal when you're a contractual employee and signed on the dotted line.

[glepp]

Silas, it's legal when you're a contractual employee and signed on the dotted line.

Not in godless socialist Norway it ain't!

[Silas]

Silas, it's legal when you're a contractual employee and signed on the dotted line.

Not in godless socialist Norway it ain't!

And thank GOD for that!

Heh.. See what i did there? Eh?


Contract or not. We have labor laws that prohibit this kind of employee exploitation. I'd rather pay a little more for my airline tickets and know that the pilot is rested and able to fly the freaking plane to the best of his abilities. Safety first my ass...

[Draelor]

Well, I'm not defending the policy - I think salaried work is crap for exactly that reason, but, I don't know about these guys, but whenever I'm stuck on standby, I tend to spend the whole time sleeping.

[Silas]

Well, I'm not defending the policy - I think salaried work is crap for exactly that reason, but, I don't know about these guys, but whenever I'm stuck on standby, I tend to spend the whole time sleeping.

Ah... kudos. I just realized payment doesn't really have anything to do with if you are rested or not

[Esbear]

After reading the article I checked minimum wages for the Netherlands. Minimum wage would be around $23.140 before taxes. As an local airline pilot in the US you'd make less then the lowest paid untrained worker here for stupid hours and an even more dangerous boss.

[Old Toterra]

...
So I'm currently looking to getting into the IT field.
...

Regrettably unpaid overtime is kindoff the norm in the IT field.

1. Big company pays Oracle $500/hour for some Oracle work.
2. Oracle pays little consulting compny $100/hour.
3. Little consulting company guy off street $25/hour and pockets any overtime.

Of course the guy off the street can barely use oracle but that matters not.

This happens because the IT boss in the big company can't get fired because, hey he hired Oracle at their top rate, if IBM screws up it is not his fault.

[Jin Darius]

After watching Michael Moore's film, Capitalism: A Love Story, one of the guys I went with told me his Dad's earning around AUD90,000 a year as a pilot here.