Acceptable Low-time Pilot Pay Rates

[shred]

My first job was $110 a day and $35 an hour plus benefits.

[old]

My first job was $110 a day and $35 an hour plus benefits.

I'm surprised how much some of you were making. Realistically you all would have done it for room and board. Many have and many are but probably embarrassrd to admit it here for fear of reprisals from the dobermans that haunt this site. I don't agree with getting paid nothing but I see it happening.

[hybrid]

$1000.00 a month and $35.00 a revenue hour with benefits, I doubt I did 2 hours of revenue in the first 3 months. Went up to $1500.00 a month after 3 months and started doing around 50 hours monthly after 6 months. That was 1996 with a large reputable company........

[gwk]

1983 My 3rd job, can,t remember what I was paid with the 1st two,

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1500/month, 15.00/ rev hour, 350 hours for the summer, working for a very interesting fellow in Buffalo Narrows flying the infamous FH110, with Icewind. Good memories though, Fri. night, case of beer, pick anyyone of the local lasses and hang on !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[splitpin]

pick anyyone of the local lasses and hang on !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Try that nowadays and it's "Hippity-Hop to the Needle-shop!!

[Max Continuous]

David Clarke or Herman Nelson

[pilot5]

Hi all,

 

Did some searching and couldn't find an answer.

 

What is the industry average for a lower time pilot pay rate, salary/flight pay.

 

1000hrs or less PIC, flying 50-70hrs per month?

 

 

Although I cannot support anybody working for free, I will say that my first concern as a new unproven pilot with 100hrs would be convincing the owner of that million dollar toy, that I am capable and responsible enough to be trusted not to destroy it as result of poor judgment. Pay would be my last concern, although enough money for room and board to eat would be favorable.

 

I say this only because give the small size of the industry reputation as a safe trusted pilot will follow you through your career, the money will come based on the confidence you build with your employers and clients. It doesn't take much to fudge it up in the eyes of your piers.

 

Becoming a helicopter pilot with the desire or motive to "get rich" is just simply a non realistic approach to the who career path. Although a good living can be had its a long ride for most to that elusive 100K per year. If you live on the east coast it will never happen- in most cases and 60 K per year will be where it tops out for a VFR line pilot.

 

Unfortunately today being the father of 1 young adult and a teenager I can unequivocally state that it is a generation of entitlement and although no one person is the same this attitude will do nothing to help a potential trusted pilot to achieve the end goal of a stable career in the industry.

 

So my advice is to keep mouth closed, ears open, learn and understand that its all about trust and risk management. The money and security will come to those who can follow this.

 

My 2 Cents

[Heliduck]

Latest award from Australia for comparison.

2010_Pilots_award.pdf

[Zazu]

Latest award from Australia for comparison.

 

 

Would you mind being more specific. I just put my daughter to sleep (I hope) and still have to pay the bills, and do the honey-do list before I go to bed....that is a **** of a lot of reading for me to get your point. No offense intended.

[Over-Talk]

It says that if you fly agricultural spraying off the coast of Australia at night in a single pilot helicopter and you have over 3000 hours of cattle-mustering experience in a Bell47, and over 9 years with the same employer with less than 9 sick days claimed on Melbourne Cup Day, you may attempt to claim a discount on your night-vision goggles.

 

However this discount appears to be too insufficient for you to hire a nanny to put your daughter to bed, or for you to hire a handyman to tackle that honey-do list.

Basically it is the same bucket of crap that you are in now, but the Aussies at least wrote it down.

 

I wonder if someone could do that for us?? Where is HEPAC when we need them ??