ROANOKE TIMES 

                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SATURDAY, December 17, 1994                   TAG: 9412190051
SECTION: BUSINESS                    PAGE: A-6   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

REGIONAL FLYING'S 1ST CLASS, ALL RIGHT - A 1ST-CLASS PAIN

They can spend 12 hours a day crammed in tiny cockpits, flying through a grueling succession of takeoffs and landings at tiny airports in bad weather. Meals are snatched from airport vending machines during brief stops.

And for all the stress, commuter airline pilots say their pay is even lower than the respect they get.

Dwight Anjewierden, a $25,000-a-year first officer with SkyWest Airlines in Utah, has to hold down a second job with the Army Reserve to make ends meet. ``The times I'm worn out are from working my second job,'' he said.

An Air Line Pilots Association survey shows regional pilots average $29,000 a year, compared with $99,000 for an experienced pilot with a major airline.

The safety of commuter airlines has come under greater scrutiny since the deadly crashes of two American Eagle planes in the past six weeks. In Tuesday's crash near Raleigh, N.C., the pilots spoke of engine failure in the moments before the plane went down, but the Jetstream 3200 should have been able to fly with just one engine. Fifteen of the 20 people aboard died.

Commuter pilots interviewed by The Associated Press acknowledged they face greater risks than pilots of larger commercial jets.

They talked of constant weather problems and small airports where runways are icier and where control towers shut early. Some are so small that pilots must turn on landing field lights via radio signal.

``Without question, it is one of the most demanding flight environments that exist,'' said Jeff Brundage, a Jetstream 31 captain who flies for a Northeast carrier. ``A majority of accidents take place in the takeoff and landing situations, and that's where we do a majority of our flying.''

While pilots with the major airlines can spend a major portion of their flight time cruising at 35,000 feet on autopilot, commuter air crews fly at much lower altitudes. The Regional Airline Association said the average distance of a commuter flight is 201 miles, and most routes take less than an hour to complete. 


 by CNB