SATSair....Heads Up
For those who may be thinking about flying for SATSair, you may want to consider several facts before you sign on the dotted line (literally). It has been the experience of a number of pilots that what they may have been told in an interview and "reality" are somewhat different.
For example, 1) The compensation for the first six (6) months you are with the company is the equivalent rate of $ 27,000 per annum. That breaks down to $ 1,038.46 per two-week pay period. The company calculates your daily pay rate at $ 129.81 for 8 duty days per two week pay period. That is all straight forward. What one must realize is that when you are assigned trips with a 12 hour duty day, your pay rate is $10.82 per hour and if you fly a 13 hour duty day, which is not out of the question, your hourly pay rate drops to $ 9.98. You can do the math ! Also realize that on many ocasions, you start your duty day and do not get a lunch break until the duty day ends !!!
2) SATSair operates 26 SR-22 aircraft. Of those 26 aircraft, 12 are not air conditioned. If you live in the Southeastern part of the U.S., you know that the summer heat makes sitting in a non air conditioned aircraft almost unbearable for you and your passengers. Imagine sitting at Atlanta's Hartsfield airport for 32 minutes in line for takeoff in 90+ degree weather. It has happened ! Also realize that it takes a l-o-n-g time for the aircraft to cool off when flying below 10,000'....if it does.
3) The Cirrus SR-22 does have an XM Satellite Weather System;however, the owners manual specifically states that the XM Satellite Weather System is for situational awareness only and the aircraft does not have an FAA approved thunderstorm detection system installed. Despite this, crews have been scheduled to fly into areas of know thunderstorm activity and have been scheduled to take-off when numerous convective sigments were issued for the departure airport and/or the areas of intended operation.
As Captain Jack Ross (Kevin Bacon) said in the movie A Few Good Men, "Gentlemen, those are the facts and they are irrefutable".
It's no wonder that a significant number of pilots have left the company. When one spends several weeks in a non air conditioned aircraft, in 90+ degree weather, sweating uncomfortably for $10.82 per hour....well you figure it out. No one is saying don't join the company. Just realize that "reality" may be somewhat different than you were led to believe. The good news is you'll move up a shrinking seniority list very rapidly !!
Last edited by Phantom Flyer; 06-28-2007 at 05:33 PM.