In a YouTube video titled "Why I QUIT being an Airline Pilot," Jon goes into great detail outlining how pilots can be severely overworked and underpaid:
According to Jon, who went from being a private flight instructor to being a airline pilot before switching back to private instructor, the job had its upsides, as described by Inc.:
His fellow pilots and cabin were very nice, he said. Flying a jet was fun, too.
After you watch this, you might not want to fly on a regional carrier: https://t.co/97Yx97XYS0— TProphet (@TProphet) 1536558192.0
But due to the shortage of pilots applying to large commercial airlines at a time when more people than ever are flying the friendly skies, Jon felt the job's demands were very high.
On an average day, "he'd have five legs to fly. He'd be on duty for 12.5 hours. He'd be paid for 5.5 or 6 hours of that time. He was paid $38 an hour."
@TProphet It's also worth noting that this is way better than it was a decade ago— watrous (@watrous) 1536606485.0
@TProphet This is why I left flight school and went back to tech. The thought of putting up with this for 10-15 yea… https://t.co/ddgL8AREKI— watrous (@watrous) 1536606464.0
That crazy schedule would mean waking up at 3:45 a.m. and driving to the airport so he could take multiple flights just to get to the airport where he'd be working. He was not paid for any of the time spent traveling to his job.
Even after waking up so early, the process of getting to his plane was rushed, which meant Jon often had to go without any real food or coffee.
Surely being a pilot for a regional line can't be this bad? Sounds like a super shitty job from this description. https://t.co/kxPSHi61OO— Rob Thomas (@Rob Thomas) 1537158439.0
Once he arrived at "his" plane, Jon was pretty hungry, and perhaps a bit peeved at the runaround, but still eager to do his job:
He's flying a jet, after all. Albeit a small one.
But it turns out the amount of "flight time" is pretty short
Some of his actual flying times...were a mere 11 to 18 minutes.
YouTube commenters understood what Jon was going through:
After repeating this process as many as five times a day without ever getting a chance to sit down and eat a decent meal, Jon would eventually break down and stop to eat something, which would often cause a delay on one of his flights. And, after a big 12-hour day, Jon would often "pay for a hotel out of his own pocket in order to find somewhere to sleep on his way home."
@TProphet When I hear about the life of regional pilots I wonder why there aren’t planes falling out of the sky all… https://t.co/K8kgpqb5kI— Fred Boggs (@Fred Boggs) 1536587212.0
When you hear in the new about a "pilot shortage," or your flight's delayed/cancelled because crew wasn't available… https://t.co/LB9FMIRqQn— Toxic Megacolon (@Toxic Megacolon) 1537108494.0
He estimated his weekly pay was around $600 after hotel fees, which is livable but hardly lucrative or glamorous. Meanwhile, the constant stress and lack of sleep was causing he and his fellow pilots to age rapidly, and the benefits didn't seem to outweigh the costs.
This is why I flight instruct and corp fly...never want to pay my dues flying regional to become an airline pilot..… https://t.co/IUBlJCO1qQ— John (@John) 1537125780.0
When asked for their take on Jon's situation, American Airlines referred Inc. to PSA, the regional airline subsidiary they own that Jon worked for.
PSA's spokesperson commented:
PSA Airlines offers its pilots the most valuable and stable career path in commercial aviation. The culture, quality of life, and growth at PSA is something few regional carriers can match, and as part of American Airlines, our pilot flow-through program provides a guaranteed and direct path to the largest airline in the world. PSA pilots pride themselves on their outstanding safety and training culture and represent the high-standards of what it means to be a pilot in commercial aviation.
Jon admits in his video that he may have been too "lazy" to make the airline's demanding schedule. But don't worry Jon—it sounds as if we'd all be too "lazy" to comply if we were asked to adhere to the wild runaround you put up with on a daily basis.
@bakshi747 @AtlasAirWW It’s nice when so many of your pilot colleagues quit EN MASSE from your ACMI airline - so yo… https://t.co/hW4eFdSqX8— HST (@HST) 1535431108.0
Customers often bemoan how little airlines seem to care about their passengers, but now it seems they also fail to care about their employees.
H/T - Inc., Golden Goose Guide
