EAS Facts...
1. 10:5 schedule requires 18 months employment to become eligible. Even then I think it'll backfire in the company as more n more PICs get assigned it. Has anyone stated here that SICs aren't eligible for 10:5? I don't think I've seen that statement yet. Many pilots have been leaving prior to 18 months some even prior to a year. With the 10:5 schedule you should still expect to be gone 7-10 days living out of your suitcase doing laundry at your hotel. Hopefully you will have a long overnight to do it. Try to make room for: 2 white shirts. 2 polo shirts. 3 different colored ties. Overnight clothes. And daily clean undergarments for 7 days.
2. RI is a salesman.
3. In order to tag on a couple days off to your 5 days off as VGSIpegged mentioned you have to get those days approved by the company. Good luck. Many of us were promised 1-2 day trips when we had a phone interview and again at the personal job interview. Well if that used to be true that sure has changed! I personally am looking forward to the 6:3 schedule and $22k bump in pay!
4. Salesmen and public spokesmen can't be trusted. Proceed with caution with APC sales comments. "So what's wrong with this used car you have shared so much positive news about. There must be something wrong it!"
5. One particular Chief pilot wants you to use a competitors' Marriott promo code to get a good discount and is sharing it with pilots. Many pilots, if not majority, refuse to use it. But even still many pilots are still using it. Disgusting. The company has yet to meet with large hotel brands to negotiate a company promo rate. $130 should be increased to $150 for some locations as the standard doesn't cover short notice Astro changed trips as hotel rates go up the day off or day prior. Peak conventions in town. Or peak vacation locals.
6. Astro changes your schedule many times a day. All those hotels and rental cars and flight planning you just spent an hour doing all gets changed and now your not going to any of those airports. Wasted research. Doesn't make you very motivated to start planning on the new trip so you do it last minute and lose out I hotels and such.
7. I got a phone call from the expense dept on a day off asking why I ordered a GPU because it was expensive. Seriously? Passenger comfort in the summer ring a bell?
8. You will airline out to an outstation and another pilot will airline back to base from the same out station and you both talk about why the company is doing it and neither pilot knows why as both pilots are legal for either duty assignment.
9. When you upgrade to PIC you will remain in current flying status as SIC on that previous aircraft type and attend both recurrent trainings. PIC for one type and SIC for the other type. So if your schedule wasn't busy before it is now being a PIC on one and an SIC on a second and keeping the two airplane systems and limitations separate.
10. Expect after a year or so to become PIC on a second type. You will receive a phone call from the lead chief to report to training to learn and fly a second type as PIC. Some of our pilots are PIC on Phenom 100 and Phenom 300. And some are PIC on Phenom 100 and CJ. Remember keep those limitations and systems separate!
11. RI830 likes to embellish with good. Smoke and mirrors.
Company spokespersons never tell you the whole story. I want upcoming pilots to have an expectation of what is to come if they accept as I wished I had that when I joined. Now off to a greener pasture.