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Nicholas Air

Old 08-24-2016, 05:39 AM
  #31  
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Does anyone who CURRENTLY works here have any real info on this place? I live in Hattiesburg and was thinking of applying.
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Old 11-14-2016, 02:15 PM
  #32  
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Originally Posted by Tsanford134 View Post
Does anyone who CURRENTLY works here have any real info on this place? I live in Hattiesburg and was thinking of applying.
What sort of information are you looking for? Most of the information provided earlier in this thread is accurate. The schedule is 8/6 and most pilots are home based. When short on pilots, the schedule goes to 6/3. Plan on starting your rotation early on the 1st day and not getting back home until late on the last day on. If you don't get back before 0200 the day after your last day on, they are supposed to pay an extra $400 as that constitutes working on a day off. They always ask if you want to start your rotation early, but sometimes they have no choice but to hold you over at the end.

It's typical 135 stuff though....high turnover in the pilot ranks and the flight ops group is a mostly inexperienced group with little or no aviation background (lots of turnover there too).

The biggest drawbacks IMHO are:

1. The employee handbook they make you sign in order to work there is a one-way document. It even says that the company is free to change or interpret the handbook unilaterally as they see fit. Don't follow what's written and you are in violation. If the company deviates, it doesn't matter.

2. You will have to sign a non-prorated promissory note which requires you to pay back 100% of your training costs (type rating, recurrent etc) if you leave before your "contract" expires.

3. You must give 90 days notice if you wish to leave, otherwise you are in breach of contract (see #2 and #4).

4. Pilots are paid a base salary, plus a "flight bonus" or flight pay depending on where it's referenced in the manual. The catch is that half of this money is held by the company until the end of the year. If you leave before then, you lose that money. Management constantly threatens the pilot group with the possibility of "fining" pilots for clerical and record keeping errors by taking a portion of that money away.

Send a PM or reply if you want to know more.
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Old 11-26-2016, 07:00 PM
  #33  
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Wow good info. Much appreciated. Any idea why the high turnover? Sounds like the schedule is very arbitrary maybe that has something to do with it? I'd be up for 8/6 but 6/3 would be a deal breaker for me. I'm not really sure why they would be short on pilots at varying times as it seems to be a legit company. Also is it even legal for them to dangle the carrot with money that you worked for? Sounds like a vendictive upper management issue that wouldn't be an issue if people had a reason to stay? I'm not looking for a stepping stone company but it seems that NA may be that way unless the pay is really good? I can't find any info on pay or bennies.. are you able to shed any light on the payscale? It would have to be pretty good for me to sign a contract like that, but if they only pay $400 for off days worked 😬.
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Old 11-27-2016, 05:49 PM
  #34  
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Originally Posted by piloto2 View Post
What sort of information are you looking for? Most of the information provided earlier in this thread is accurate. The schedule is 8/6 and most pilots are home based. When short on pilots, the schedule goes to 6/3. Plan on starting your rotation early on the 1st day and not getting back home until late on the last day on. If you don't get back before 0200 the day after your last day on, they are supposed to pay an extra $400 as that constitutes working on a day off. They always ask if you want to start your rotation early, but sometimes they have no choice but to hold you over at the end.

It's typical 135 stuff though....high turnover in the pilot ranks and the flight ops group is a mostly inexperienced group with little or no aviation background (lots of turnover there too).

The biggest drawbacks IMHO are:

1. The employee handbook they make you sign in order to work there is a one-way document. It even says that the company is free to change or interpret the handbook unilaterally as they see fit. Don't follow what's written and you are in violation. If the company deviates, it doesn't matter.

2. You will have to sign a non-prorated promissory note which requires you to pay back 100% of your training costs (type rating, recurrent etc) if you leave before your "contract" expires.

3. You must give 90 days notice if you wish to leave, otherwise you are in breach of contract (see #2 and #4).

4. Pilots are paid a base salary, plus a "flight bonus" or flight pay depending on where it's referenced in the manual. The catch is that half of this money is held by the company until the end of the year. If you leave before then, you lose that money. Management constantly threatens the pilot group with the possibility of "fining" pilots for clerical and record keeping errors by taking a portion of that money away.

Send a PM or reply if you want to know more.
Why would any qualified pilot (who doesn't have 5 DUIs) work for such a crap outfit? I think I would rather push shopping carts around the Wal-Mart parking lot than work for an outfit like that.
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Old 11-27-2016, 06:33 PM
  #35  
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Originally Posted by Tsanford134 View Post
Wow good info. Much appreciated. Any idea why the high turnover? Sounds like the schedule is very arbitrary maybe that has something to do with it? I'd be up for 8/6 but 6/3 would be a deal breaker for me. I'm not really sure why they would be short on pilots at varying times as it seems to be a legit company. Also is it even legal for them to dangle the carrot with money that you worked for? Sounds like a vendictive upper management issue that wouldn't be an issue if people had a reason to stay? I'm not looking for a stepping stone company but it seems that NA may be that way unless the pay is really good? I can't find any info on pay or bennies.. are you able to shed any light on the payscale? It would have to be pretty good for me to sign a contract like that, but if they only pay $400 for off days worked 😬.
The high turnover is most likely because of a number of factors. As mentioned, the schedulers are mostly younger with little or no aviation experience. Consequently, there are scheduling issues (think duty, rest times, etc) that frustrate many of the pilots. They don't do it on purpose, it's just that they don't know better. Crew rental cars can be tough to get, if at all sometimes. Hotel shuttles and Uber rides are often the 1st choice, even when they make little or no sense. Constantly being reminded that flight pay bonuses are in jeopardy for mistakes doesn't help retention much either.

The company offers medical/dental insurance and 401K programs with a 4% match. The insurance is substandard if it's just for the employee and ridiculously expensive and incomplete if you are trying to insure a family. Pay is a set salary based on what plane and position you are hired for. It is graduated into levels that roughly equates to years of service. The lowest salary is $30K and the highest tops out at over $110K. Its up to you to negotiate what you're worth when they hire you. In addition to the base salary, you are paid a flight bonus every month, with the company keeping half the amount until the end of the year. I'm guessing it's all in how it's negotiated, but some of the pilots don't get the yearly increase in their base salaries the same year they get upgrades. Some do though, so who knows what determines that.

Bottom line though: It is an at will employment relationship that goes both ways. You can quit anytime for any reason and they can fire you the same way. The gotcha if you quit or they can you is that you lose a large chunk of flight pay and also have to repay for your training *not prorated*.
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Old 11-27-2016, 06:34 PM
  #36  
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Originally Posted by Heywood2 View Post
Why would any qualified pilot (who doesn't have 5 DUIs) work for such a crap outfit? I think I would rather push shopping carts around the Wal-Mart parking lot than work for an outfit like that.
It works for some folks. And the pay is quite a bit better than Wally World
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Old 11-28-2016, 09:31 AM
  #37  
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Thanks for the info piloto. I was able to get some info from a friend of a friend that starting pay for captains (he said most are hired as a captain??) is in the low 40's...... these days you can go to a regional and make 60 first year with decent benefits. Looks like I'll be looking elsewhere for sure. Thanks again for the info.
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Old 11-28-2016, 12:36 PM
  #38  
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Originally Posted by Tsanford134 View Post
Thanks for the info piloto. I was able to get some info from a friend of a friend that starting pay for captains (he said most are hired as a captain??) is in the low 40's...... these days you can go to a regional and make 60 first year with decent benefits. Looks like I'll be looking elsewhere for sure. Thanks again for the info.
What regional can you make $60K the first year as an FO? You might be able to make that as a street captain at one of the few places hiring those...
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Old 11-28-2016, 12:50 PM
  #39  
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Originally Posted by piloto2 View Post
What regional can you make $60K the first year as an FO? You might be able to make that as a street captain at one of the few places hiring those...
A few, with their signing bonuses.
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Old 11-28-2016, 02:50 PM
  #40  
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Originally Posted by dontcare4U View Post
A few, with their signing bonuses.
Can you provide an example or two?
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