pfarber
Pattern Altitude
- Joined
- Jun 20, 2021
- Messages
- 1,653
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- pfarber
Well everyone's favorite AnP finally put out a video (over an hour) regarding the exact topic I started: GA pay sucks.
He got a few things wrong IMHO:
First, I don't see an MX shortage at the airline level. New bodies are constanly starting weekly. Why? Pay and benefits. Duh. I said in my other thread that airlines would lose 20-30% of the MX if GA was a viable option. Nights suck, rotating shifts suck, seniority lists suck but pay is great and flight benefits are the cherry on top. I know guys that work 40, hop on a plane overseas, stay 2 days and then come to work.... for free (ticket wise). If I wanted to haul my family back home that's $6k-$8k retail... ZED travel is a few hundred.
You can 100% get a AnP certificate for free (well, tuition wise). Many community collages offer tuition free classes. This is the one I used:
www.tbr.edu
There are MANY more, in my current home state there are two CC's that offer free 'applied technical courses' and they both cover A&P certs. Yes, you may have to move, but some states grant residency status in as little as 30 days, meaning you can move, get a job, get residency, apply for free CC courses and start making $60k-80k a year with an airline. Also to work at a legacy, there is a 90% chance you're gonna move anyway.
Second the EAA and AOPA have done squat to get people into the mechanics pipeline. The video is a little wishy washy about it, but the EAA stopped being about BUILDING aircraft in the late 90s. They should allow part 147 schools free booths at Oshkosh to recruit, as one example. Taking a young eagles flight isn't getting anyone into a pt 147 school.
Lastly that 1+ hr video can be summed up in one minute: About minute 14: PAY MECHANICS MORE. The obvious 'my car mechanic charges more than my AnP' example was given, and but a small nugget of truth was also uncovered. Shops that DID raise rates didn't notice a mass exodus of customers, only the low hanging ones. No kidding? Where else in the current environment are they gonna go? One question he didn't ask the shop owners is did they increase MX pay? Or just shop rates?
Other than the garbage AI graphics that are laughably bad the video is an hour of common sense.
To the aircraft owners: what would you rather have? A guy in a 2010 Honda show up (and no manuals) or a fully staffed, trained and stocked shop that can fix a problem and not tell you 'I gotta order a part from 'spruce' when they need an packing or fastener?
He got a few things wrong IMHO:
First, I don't see an MX shortage at the airline level. New bodies are constanly starting weekly. Why? Pay and benefits. Duh. I said in my other thread that airlines would lose 20-30% of the MX if GA was a viable option. Nights suck, rotating shifts suck, seniority lists suck but pay is great and flight benefits are the cherry on top. I know guys that work 40, hop on a plane overseas, stay 2 days and then come to work.... for free (ticket wise). If I wanted to haul my family back home that's $6k-$8k retail... ZED travel is a few hundred.
You can 100% get a AnP certificate for free (well, tuition wise). Many community collages offer tuition free classes. This is the one I used:
TN Reconnect
Second the EAA and AOPA have done squat to get people into the mechanics pipeline. The video is a little wishy washy about it, but the EAA stopped being about BUILDING aircraft in the late 90s. They should allow part 147 schools free booths at Oshkosh to recruit, as one example. Taking a young eagles flight isn't getting anyone into a pt 147 school.
Lastly that 1+ hr video can be summed up in one minute: About minute 14: PAY MECHANICS MORE. The obvious 'my car mechanic charges more than my AnP' example was given, and but a small nugget of truth was also uncovered. Shops that DID raise rates didn't notice a mass exodus of customers, only the low hanging ones. No kidding? Where else in the current environment are they gonna go? One question he didn't ask the shop owners is did they increase MX pay? Or just shop rates?
Other than the garbage AI graphics that are laughably bad the video is an hour of common sense.
To the aircraft owners: what would you rather have? A guy in a 2010 Honda show up (and no manuals) or a fully staffed, trained and stocked shop that can fix a problem and not tell you 'I gotta order a part from 'spruce' when they need an packing or fastener?