Money Management for First Officers, Darren Smith, Flight Instructor, CFI Homepage


Home \| Login \| Schedule \| Pilot Store \| 7-Day IFR \| IFR Adventure \| Trip Reports \| Blog \| Fun \| Reviews \| Weather \| Articles \| Links \| Helicopter \| Download \| Bio

Money Management for First Officers

by Darren Smith, CFII/MEI
May, 2008

New Captain Series: Becoming a Captain | Bag of Crap | The Model Captain | Money Management for First Officers

Congratulations on becoming a First Officer!

By now you should be out of training. You're now a real pilot. According to a youtube.com video, So You Want to be a Regional Airline Pilot?, that means your salary is:

Airline	Salary	Take Home
American Eagle	20,736	14,930
Delta Connection	17,100	12,312
Expressjet	19,800	14,256
PSA	19,152	13,789
Big Sky	18,720	13,478
United Express	20,700	14,904
United Express	20,424	14,705
Piedmont	20,736	14,930

Airline	Salary	Take Home
Gulfstream	17,712	12,753
Mesa	18,000	12,960
Island Air	21,120	15,206
Pinacle	18,900	13,608
Mesaba	21,600	15,552
Midwest Connect	17,100	12,312
Great Lakes	13,500	9,720
Comair	21,600	15,552

Note: These are probably 2006 salaries and if not exact, then pretty close! Take home pay is based on 28% tax rate.

Holy Crap Dude, You're Poor!

Well if that weren't the most obvious statement you've seen in your life... To make you feel better, I pass along my series of tips on surviving poverty until you make it to 2nd year pay or that quick upgrade to ATP mins and Captainship. This article could just as well serve as money management advice for struggling flight students. I feel your pain regardless of which position you're in. I've been there. So let's get started.

Eating

The most important task is eating. You could end up taking a whole suit case of food if you're not careful. But if you do take food with you on your trips, organize it in terms of refrigeration required. Consider the following chart:

Day 1	Day 2	Day 3
Frozen Microwave Meals Fresh Sandwiches Airplane snacks	Carots PB&J Sandwiches Salami, proscuitto, hot-smoked salmon Airplane snacks	Canned Tuna (Sandwiches) Ready-to-eat canned meats, fruits and vegetables Energy and granola bars Cups of noodles Trail mix: Raisins, Capn Crunch, Peanuts, etc Salted cured or smoked meats Hard cheeses - cheddars, swiss Bread, crackers, etc. Little Miss Chef entrees Beef jerky Airplane snacks

Airplane Food

There are a variety of options for airplane food. Sometimes, full blown crew meals are available. That option is rare. Sometimes you can get creative with first class food. For example, some creative flight attendants can make apple smores out of the Delta Biscoff cookies, apple slices, and twix bars.

And if you haven't heard, those Delta Biscoff cookies can be turned into Key Lime pie by just squeezing a Lime over the top. Let it soak. Enjoy your pie. Lemon works great too.

Send me your suggestions...

Sleeping

1. Get the cheapest crash pad you can find if you don't live in base.
2. Live in base.
3. Sleep at the airport. For the best tips, see: Budget Traveller's Guide to Sleeping in Airports

Your Thoughts...

Name: (Anonymous posts deleted)	E-mail: (if you want a reply)	How did you hear of this website?
Message: (What should I write?)		Business Card WebSearch News Group Safety Seminar Advertisement Word of Mouth Other(specify)
(Required) Enter number from image to send:

All content is Copyright 2002-2010 by Darren Smith. All rights reserved. Subject to change without notice. This website is not a substitute for competent flight instruction. There are no representations or warranties of any kind made pertaining to this service/information and any warranty, express or implied, is excluded and disclaimed including but not limited to the implied warranties of merchantability and/or fitness for a particular purpose. Under no circumstances or theories of liability, including without limitation the negligence of any party, contract, warranty or strict liability in tort, shall the website creator/author or any of its affiliated or related organizations be liable for any direct, indirect, incidental, special, consequential or punitive damages as a result of the use of, or the inability to use, any information provided through this service even if advised of the possibility of such damages. For more information about this website, including the privacy policy, see about this website.

Site Map

Money Management for First Officers

Your Thoughts...