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Hey, very cool! I got my tailwheel endorsement with Bruce in that exact plane a few years ago. He helped me buy and get trained in my Cessna 140, too. A lot of good memories. Congrats on the endorsement.

Because that's how our business model is designed. The money has to come from somewhere. The owner of the school built this margin in to the instructional rates. My analogy about dealerships/mechanics was meant to show this is a very common practice in the business world...to charge more...

I see what you're saying, but still think it would be tough to implement. The different equipment, routes, schedules, etc. at all the different carriers could wreak havoc on setting pay scales and cutoff lines for the different levels. Also, how would one deal with all the non-union...

This would be a lot tougher to score than one might think. It's not a cookie-cutter process. Every emergency is different and there oftentimes is no single "right" way to handle it, but rather multiple "acceptable" ways to handle it. The ultimate test is if the airplane ends up on the ground...

So what would be a better way of doing it, without compromising safety like I talked about in my previous post?

Fair enough. I underestimated you! Personally, I'm happier working within the industry rather than trying to make a bunch of money to do it on my own dime. But it's clear you love it just as much and found a way to afford it. That's awesome. Good for you.

Yes. I have money in savings to cover the basic stuff like rent, and I buy my own health insurance. That's what Suze Orman taught me :cornut: I didn't mean I would like to have a third world standard of living. I meant the people in those places oftentimes have very little in the way of...

The simple answer, as others have said, comes from the unions. But an even simpler answer, to the core of the issue, is "safety." Look at it this way: let's say airlines went to a "merit-based" system of promotion rather than seniority. How would a pilot's skills be evaluated? By on-time...

Ok, I'll bite.......how much should I be making in order to be happy? What's the magic number? $50k/year? $100k/year? This is absurd. I just posted that I'm able to pay all my bills, and for the record, I have money left over for saving/investing, too. I don't want to come off as...

I don't disagree with anything you said. I'm sorry it didn't work out for you. However, I'd also like to say after five years as a professional pilot, I'm very satisfied. I've been fortunate enough to fly dozens of types of planes to literally every corner of North America. I've met some...

Oh yeah, I know what you're talking about. The schedule is only a small part of the equation for me. It also has to do with pay, stability, location, equipment... If I ever leave instructing it will probably be for either air ambulance work or Part 91 corporate flying.

Agreed. Some of the many reasons why I'm not in the 121 rat race!

Maybe the accidents/incidents associated with fatigue during ag flying don't get reported, or if they get reported, aren't taken as seriously as other segments of the industry? I don't know. All I know is that I never hear about accidents/incidents related to fatigue with ag operators, but I...

Ok, you win.

Whoa, easy there. I wasn't trying to say ag pilots don't have skillz. I was just saying it's a totally different game than the majority of flying jobs. Aside from the always-present risk of hitting an obstruction, I'm not aware of many things that can happen in ag flying to end one's career...

Haha...thanks! On a totally different note, you fly out of Wings Field? I got my tailwheel endorsement there a few years ago, and bought my C-140 in Doylestown, PA. Used to live near Reading, PA. Did all my training with an aerobatic guy named Bruce Everett. Fun part of the country to...

Ag isn't flying. It's farming with an airplane :D But seriously, it is. And I don't mean that in a negative way. It's just that the work environment and risk factors associated with ag spraying are completely different from more mainstream flying jobs like instructing, charters, or...

Actually, no. Finding a new CFI is a pain. Sure, we have a stack of resumes on file, but it's very difficult to get the right fit. Somebody who is a good teacher, good customer service, dresses sharp, knows how to sell themselves, wants to live in Nebraska, wants to stick around for more...

Fair enough. I think we're on the same page. But I'd still say this: I think the number of pilots who *can* safely fly on 4-5 hours of sleep are far outnumbered by the pilots who *can't*. Therefore, I wouldn't be willing to stake the reputation of the flight school on it by letting an...

So consistently getting 4-5 hours of sleep is safe? I don't understand your point. The idea of flying after only getting 4-5 hours of sleep is what I was originally trying to address.