Original Message

I started flying HEMS with Jimmy and the boys in control at CJ.  $35k a year.  Was told when I hired on it I made less than $50K with OT that I was a lazy pilot.  Sometime around 2006 got a raise to $40K as a base pay.  AMC bought CJ the next year and I went to $44K.

Left AMC in 2012 having closed out the year at around $92K with OT.  Always worked 30 minutes from the house and never got furloughed. 

Buddy of mine is a SW Captain.  Makes dang good money now but he flew a lot of crap in conditions that I would not want to be in just to get a chance at a right seat at a regional.  He commuted almost a full day each time he was on the flight schedule just to get a chance to flip switches for $25K back then.  Watched his kids grow up with his wife's boyfriend.