Pilots are NOT "dime a dozen"!

[AdD 1]

I heard there are 20,000 commercial pilots in Canada competing for at most 5000 jobs. Anyone know if these numbers are close?

Life is ez
On the dz
Every jumper's dream
3 rigs and an airstream

[Trivial_Trekker 0]

I wouldn't be surprised, its a ruthless industry, and not one to make money in.

[]DETE

[JumpShipGypsy 0]

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I wouldn't be surprised, its a ruthless industry, and not one to make money in.

I make pretty good money here in AK.

[bigway 4]

Never said US dollars did I?
100,000 pounds a year is about 350,000 New Zealand dollars.
I for certain no some people who earn this flying for an Airline. Yes they are senior captains closing in on retirement and No they are not US airlines.

I will admit i did think it was a standard salary dfor Captains with major airlines world over.

.Karnage Krew Gear Store
.

[JumpShipGypsy 0]

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Never said US dollars did I?
100,000 pounds a year is about 350,000 New Zealand dollars.
I for certain no some people who earn this flying for an Airline. Yes they are senior captains closing in on retirement and No they are not US airlines.

I will admit i did think it was a standard salary dfor Captains with major airlines world over.

You implied that all pilots are going to make 6 figures after leaving the DZ. That's not remotely true.

oh yeah, I made $1,983,600 last year. BFD Taiwan dollars.

[rhys 0]

Both bigway and I worked for a DZO in new zealand that is a 747 captain for air new zealand,

He definately earns those figures and it is the only thing that is keeping his 3 oh wait... 5 dropzones from staying in operation.

I met the chief captain of www.norwegan.no and he was doing very well and said all the captains make good money flying 737's. I know there are not too many 747's or airbus a380's out there but there are plenty of 737's etc. for a good living to be earned on.

The fact of the matter is that to have an airline job you have to have experience. just the same as you need experience to have a Jumping job.

There are plenty of jumpers that work for free and pay for slots to get the position they want (like me)

The difference with flyng an aircraft is you need heaps more experience, and an of hour flying cost more than 4 times the price of 1 jump ticket and how are you going to get those hours?

are you going to pay per hour for an aircraft?

a good pilot that saves a DZ hours and mantenence is well worth paying for. it takes time to get these skills and most likey you will work for free to get them. A DZO with a very experienced pilot would be stupid to let one go for the sake of a couple of 100$ per week because using a newbie jump pilot will cost them at least that much.

It depend on your DZO, another dzo in NZ i worked for pays his head pilot quite well becuse he gets thier 20 or 30 loads pre day done much faster than a new guy or the 2nd pilot does.

It is basic economics, and you chose your job.

It has been like this for years has it not?

"When the power of love overcomes the love of power, then the world will see peace." - 'Jimi' Hendrix

[darkwing 4]

I've decided this whole thread is just whining. Don't like the pay, then go somewhere else. Heck, I'd like to make more money too. I quit a well paying job, to go back to being university faculty. My pay was cut by 50%. I like working in the university. I'd like my old paycheck, and my current job. I'm not whining. You shouldn't either.

-- Jeff
My Skydiving History

[Beerlight 0]

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This video shows the reality of an airline career.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RayMaswju1A

Yeah, well, they can't even spent "monthly" correctly.

Obviously, there is more supply than demand. I don't understand the attraction, if the money isn't there. It seems like a pretty boring job to me, often with undesirable hours.

Actually, enrollment in flight schools is significantly down. The pool of pilots is going to dry up in a few years if this continues. Things will turn around. But the days of old will not return. No more pensions promised as no one will believe they will be around. And no more W-2s approaching 300K. That's pretty much gone for good I suspect unless we start flying LEO planes.

Chris,

So, I have a bud @ Pinnacle. He's guaranteed me an interview. After watching this vid, I think I have to go!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bO1FJeWDubs&NR

cheers,

Buck

[DaveCogan 0]

Over the years drop aircraft have become more expensive with the use of turbines etc.
Jumpers don't realise the commitment pilots have made to get to where they are.
Iti s true to a point, you get what you pay for.
More and more professional drop zones are paying pilots a salary with a $ value for each load they do, that's becuase the operators realize the importance of a reliable and capable pilot.

[bigway 4]

Is your 402 getting much use at the moment ?
Awesome you guys have it back.

.Karnage Krew Gear Store
.

[Mr17Hz 1]

http://www.payscale.com/research/US/People_with_Jobs_in_Aviation%2c_Airlines/Salary

the facts are in images or i'd cut and paste the text, but here it is:

Aircraft pilot - corporate jet median salary: $64,945
Chief pilot median salary: $68,861

Matt Christenson

[email protected]
http://www.RealDropzone.com - A new breed of dropzone manifest software.

[winsor 186]

I am not sure what is your point in this thread, since "dime a dozen" pretty much covers the airplane-driver career path.

I am not too impressed with any job that has one wearing polyester, and most airlines mandate bus-driver attire. The pay generally blows, as well.

I agree that it is nice to have someone up front that can bring the aircraft down in one piece if something breaks, but pay scale and skill set are not terribly well linked in the aviation business.

The best pilots I know are often DZOs. If you think you can outfly Mike Mullins or Paul Fayard, you are welcome to try.

In any event, it sounds like the old "I don't get no respect" monologue.


Blue skies,

Winsor
(have flown an airplane or two...)