Pilots will do anything to gain flight time.

I have been there and I have done it, I would do anything for flight time. I would even fly for free or pay to fly when I was learning to fly. That is the problem with the airline industry. I did it, but now I am regretting it and regional management is using it against the pilots. This bidding for flying is working against the quality of life as an airline pilot.

When a regional airline can hire a 400 hour pilot for poverty wages and keep their wages low they will win the flying. The airlines that pay a wage that is close to livable like Comair had they will fall behind. Who loses are the pilots that have experience. As long as there are new pilots who are willing to pay a ton to learn to fly and then work for poverty wage we are all in trouble.

For all you new pilots who say that is fine I will pay my dues and be at a high paying job like Southwest, you had better think twice. I got in this business with the same idea. My plan was to of been at major airline making good money flying a 757 by now. Well as you can see that did not work out and I am a long ways away from that now.

You will see, you work for nothing now hoping for the big airline pilot job later but it just may come back to bite you. When you want job security and good fair pay for the pilot skills you worked so hard for, it may be hard to find that to support your family. I know it is hard to see that now when all you can see is fulfilling this fantasy you have of flying a nice new regional jet, but it all could back-fire on you. It may have on me.

For you passengers reading this how comfortable does it make you feel when a First Officer has minimum experience and they are paid poverty wages and can qualify for food stamps. Doesn't sound so good does it. I wouldn't want a doctor working on me making that same living.