NorthTxFlyBoy

I'll say a couple of things here, even though I have never worked for a 121 carrier. After 20 yrs in the Air Force, I got my 737 type, interviewed with SWA, but didn't get a job offer. After getting picked up by NetJets, I could have easily gotten another interview after 1 year and probably gotten picked up, but the thought never seriously entered my mind after starting work here. I also declined the AirTran interview I had lined up after I got the offer from NJA.

Quality of life and quality of flying were big factors for me. If you spend about a quarter to a third of your life on duty, you had better enjoy what you're doing. The seven days on can be a grind, but like someone said before, you usually only see 5-6 days of real work out of that because of airlining on both ends. I tried the reserve schedule for awhile, but my wife hated it because with three school-aged kids, she has to be able to plan ahead to stay on top of everything. It was just too hard to know when I was going to be home except for the four hard days off.

I personally love the seven says off I now have. I don't spend my whole off time recouping from the last trip and getting ready for the next one. I actually have time to take the family out of town for a few days when the kids are off from school, start and finish projects around the house, etc. If the new proposal goes through, I can see where the new, biddable 18-day schedule could be better for us than either of the current schedules, and it pays a bunch more too.

Personally, the variety and quality of the flying is what keeps me here over the lure of pay at SWA or one of the cargo companies. On a given day, I have flown out of LAX and landed at an tiny, uncontrolled field where the local guy wants to know if his kid can see your airplane because they don't get jets in there very often. I love flying the Citation X. It is a dream jet to fly and I'll really miss it if I have to leave it to upgrade to captain earlier. And except for some of the older captains who came from a 121 background, most of the captains pitch in and help with all the pre- and post-flight duties equally. My SWA buds are shocked when I tell them that. I enjoy the people I fly with and the owners I fly. At least once a tour on average, I get to meet and talk with someone I would have never imagined meeting a couple of years ago.

The FO pay has been tough, but I think it's going to get better really soon. Not much to complain about here, not even for a middle-aged career pilot.

-NTFB

atpcliff

Hi!

7 days on sounds good. In my last 5 years, my record tour was 32 days on (and all away from home). I did, however, just finish 23 days off (no vacation days used).

I hope that the NetJets pilots approve the new proposed contract.

cliff
YIP

rjpennell24

Hi guys bringing this thread back to see if there has been any comparison with everything changing? Mainly trying to gauge thoughts on long term career with NetJets or NK/F9?

jtf560

I suggest reading up on the NetJets vs Legacies thread for what you are looking for. The legacies aren't exactly NK or F9, but the info there and in the NetJets forum will give you the info on NetJets. Many SICs left NetJets for Alaska/ Virginia America, and Spirit from 2016 to 2018/ 2019, but that cooled off with the 2018 and 2020 contracts. Newer pilots are now starting to leave for Delta and the other legacies, but I haven't heard of pilots bailing out for LCCs anymore.

rjpennell24

Yeah I guess I was saying if you had CJO’s from both right now what would someone choose?

jtf560

Read the threads I suggested to get a better idea of what it is like at NetJets and then try to decide if that is for you. They are vastly different jobs, but nowadays they both pay well. Personally, I'm lazy and would probably go for the airlines, but everyone's situation is different. NetJets is good if you would have a horrible commute, but if you live in base or have an easy commute, you may be happier when you get some seniority at an airline or get some experience there quickly and then transition to a legacy or good cargo. It totally depends on your personal situation and what is important to you.
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TeamSasquatch

Every time I see an ULCC redeye come in at 0600, while waiting for my airline home, It at least reminds me that we have very little backside of the clock flying, in comparison. But, if the LCC is just a stop on the way to Delta, that might be different.

hawkerpilot05

The key being, the red eyes are scheduled. At NetJets, we sometimes find out the next day. I have a friend at Frontier and his wife is at UPS. He always says a known 5 days at night conistently scheduled is so much better than routine flip flops with a red eye.

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shrsailplanes

Do the owners that can afford a fractional share commonly want to fly on the backside of the clock? They can make their flight be anything they want and they pick a red eye on a private jet?

Flyfalcons

It happens on occasion domestically, but not that much. I think I did two domestic redeye transcons in my four years in the 350. 2-3 more if you count coming back from Hawaii, usually owners that are continuing on to the east coast after a crew swap.