Charter or Fractional?
06-23-2016, 12:23 PM
#1
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Joined APC: Nov 2015
Posts: 40
Charter or Fractional?
A question for the folks on the forum that have had experience in both Part 135 charter operations and the fractionals...
Is the fractional route the better way to go hands down (in terms of schedule, future career opportunities, quality of life, etc.), or is there a case to be made for flying charter? Seems like the greatest drawback to working for the average Part 135 operator is the lack of hard days off. Thanks for any helpful replies.
Is the fractional route the better way to go hands down (in terms of schedule, future career opportunities, quality of life, etc.), or is there a case to be made for flying charter? Seems like the greatest drawback to working for the average Part 135 operator is the lack of hard days off. Thanks for any helpful replies.
06-23-2016, 05:40 PM
#2
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Aug 2013
Position: FO
Posts: 627
In my experience, they are no different. It depends on the specific operator. Most fractional also have a charter certificate so it's the same job but with slightly different requirements.
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06-26-2016, 06:16 AM
#4
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Oct 2012
Position: Right Side Up
Posts: 192
Done both and here's been my experience:
Fractional - Set schedule (7/7, 8/6, etc) with decent pay and benefits. Lots of other nice 'perks' including hotel points, airline miles, rental car points and FBO points (i.e. Atlantic bucks). Certainly depends on the company and time of year but usually fly about 3-4 legs a day and have 10+hrs of duty. I logged 800hrs my first year at the fractional I was at. Again, it depends. Never really got to spend anytime outside of the hotels & restaurants we went to. It was get up, go to the airport, fly the plane until they say stop (or you time out), go to the hotel, eat and have a beer, go to bed. Rinse, repeat x 7, airline home, start doing laundry.
Charter - No 'set' schedule, only have 8 days off a month, which you bid for. On call everyday you're not off for 12hrs. Expected to be within 30-45mins of the airport. Still get hotel and FBO points but definitely not to the extent of fractional flying. Rarely airline anywhere. Trips are usually 2-3 nights with a sprinkling of out and back trips mixed in. Get to actually go outside the hotel and explore while you're sitting where ever. Duty days are rarely longer than 10hrs. Usually only 1-2 legs when you do fly. Log much less time, about 300hrs/year. Home much more often, but on-call so it's hard to plan stuff. Pay and benefits worse than fractional.
Everybody's situations are different and certain people like certain things, but I'd say given my experiences and my current situation I like the charter flying better. I'm home WAY more and I get to be with my family more often (even if it is on-call). Being gone for 7+ days in a row is difficult sometimes. Plus I enjoy getting out and exploring different cities so to me that's an important aspect.
Fractional - Set schedule (7/7, 8/6, etc) with decent pay and benefits. Lots of other nice 'perks' including hotel points, airline miles, rental car points and FBO points (i.e. Atlantic bucks). Certainly depends on the company and time of year but usually fly about 3-4 legs a day and have 10+hrs of duty. I logged 800hrs my first year at the fractional I was at. Again, it depends. Never really got to spend anytime outside of the hotels & restaurants we went to. It was get up, go to the airport, fly the plane until they say stop (or you time out), go to the hotel, eat and have a beer, go to bed. Rinse, repeat x 7, airline home, start doing laundry.
Charter - No 'set' schedule, only have 8 days off a month, which you bid for. On call everyday you're not off for 12hrs. Expected to be within 30-45mins of the airport. Still get hotel and FBO points but definitely not to the extent of fractional flying. Rarely airline anywhere. Trips are usually 2-3 nights with a sprinkling of out and back trips mixed in. Get to actually go outside the hotel and explore while you're sitting where ever. Duty days are rarely longer than 10hrs. Usually only 1-2 legs when you do fly. Log much less time, about 300hrs/year. Home much more often, but on-call so it's hard to plan stuff. Pay and benefits worse than fractional.
Everybody's situations are different and certain people like certain things, but I'd say given my experiences and my current situation I like the charter flying better. I'm home WAY more and I get to be with my family more often (even if it is on-call). Being gone for 7+ days in a row is difficult sometimes. Plus I enjoy getting out and exploring different cities so to me that's an important aspect.
06-26-2016, 01:19 PM
#5
Prime Minister/Moderator
Joined APC: Jan 2006
Position: Engines Turn Or People Swim
Posts: 39,206
Given the age demographics of the major airline pilot groups and the rapidly increasing decibel level of the sucking noise from the recruiting departments, I would probably look at airlines right now. This is unprecedented opportunity (literally unprecedented), and the only thing that could go wrong would be economic catastrophe, which would hurt 135/fractionals even worse.
Fractionals are similar enough to airlines that a major would be better pay with no worse, or better, lifestyle.
Fractionals are similar enough to airlines that a major would be better pay with no worse, or better, lifestyle.
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