BritPilot, I'll save you a little bit of reading (although you should definatly read up on it). Here's the problem with Gulfstream. Every other airline that operates 1900s pays a captain and a first officer to fly the plane. They may not pay them much, but they do pay them. So, say you have the magic number of hours to apply to an airline (1000 hours for the example here) and say that for the sake of argument there are only two airlines out there. They both fly 1900s and both have an opening for 1 FO. Well, there is you and two other guys who have the required time. So you put in your apps and you hope for the best. Well, little did you know, one of these airlines has decided to PFJ. Instead of having a 2/3 shot of getting hired your chances went to 1/3. Also, some guy with 200 hours and rich daddy is now sitting in what in theory could have been your seat. Well, let's say you are lucky and do get hired to the other airline. They say their starting pay is $20 an hour. You get around to actually signing the employment letter and they say "oh, by the way, our competitor is actually having people pay THEM to fly. We don't believe in that, but if people are willing to pay us to sit there, I guess we only need to give you $15 an hour." So you say it's only a 1900. Who cares. You will put in your time and then move one. Well, what happens if the company flying the nice shiny jet you've had your eye on every time you land at the major airport decides to start having people pay the, to work in the right seat. Unless you want to shell out the bucks, you aren't ever going to get out of the 1900. And it goes on from there. |