Originally Posted by NYGiants

I'll throw in my 2 cents, let me first start by saying, yes PlaneSense is a great company, great culture, people and airplane. Can you make 6 figures at PS, yes. Their are captains that make in the 90's and almost break 100k in a year, however they work ridiculous amounts of overtime in the summer and throughout the year. So lets do the math, on an 8 and 6 schedule in a 30 day month, you are off 12 days. Those captains are working 4+ days of OT to make that money per month. So sure, go try to break 6 figures here and never be home. The jet program is a theory right now, theoretically it can all work out, but still in infancy stages, not something to make a career decision over. Honestly, anyone thinking about PS as a career needs to make it based on the PC12 a well established program, and then the Jet would just be a bonus. The Jet pay scales aren't bad, problem is you'll have to wait 8-10 years to get on one.

I agree with Ali that the airlines offer a better QOL at home and on the road. I've talked to guys who have left us for the airlines and a hard long day at the airlines is an average day for PS. An average day at the airlines is easy compared to what we do. Airlines offers a reserve schedule with 12 days off, same as PS, then you go to a line and have 14-16 days off depending how you bid your line and trip trade. It doesn't really compare, Sure I know when I'm "off" and 6 days is a row is nice, but 8 days in a row is a long haul. And the 8 days you are on the road with PS you never know what you are going to do, you can't even trust the schedule within 24 hrs, its always changing. some people love that, and its exciting, being scheduled a 9 hr duty day with 4 legs and a lunch break, only to finish leg 1 and see they filled your lunch break with a leg , now you can't eat, and added 2 more to the back end so you are working a 13 hr day and 7 legs...A lot of people are over the "excitement"... in the airlines when you are schedule 4 legs and they try to "extend" you , you say no and go back to the hotel. Anyone who thinks the airlines is such a worse QOL really need to do your research. PS is a great place, but we get beat up, especially in summer. In the winter the days are easier for sure, but the company will just have you sitting around in hotels in PSM if you are remote based. That all may change for you new hires coming in because a lot of remote based FO's are leaving because of that fact.

This is a great place to come as a stepping stone, tons of hard technical flying in a safe fun environment. Lots learned and experience gained. Sadly a lot of us come in the door saying we'll be here for a career and realize their are much better opportunities out there in this pilot shortage environment. PS was a much better job than the regionals back 4-5 years ago when FO's were paid 20 k a year to start and you'd sit reserve for 3-4 years wasting away in a crash pad miserable. That is just not that case in today's hiring environment. Most regional carriers you can go make 45-50k first year, almost same as a first year PS captain. Reserve times are less than 3 months, upgrade to captain 3 years or less and make 65k or more. Its not just about pay, but you also have 14-16 days off a month as a line holder, reserve you have as many days off as a PS pilot for his entire career, there is no change to the schedule, forever you will only be home 12 days a month. And yes there is money to be made at PS. I know some first year captains that are going to make an additional 10 k on top of the 50 k. But they done about 5-6 days of OT over the summer months. Only home for 7 days out of the month. So then begs the question, if its not about money, I'll work the minimum hrs at a regional and be home 14-16 days out of the month. rather than 12 at PS and 5 months out the year (busy season and peak holiday weeks) they are consistently pushing me to edges of fatigue with the crazy schedule every cycle.

Senior plane sense pilots and management are stuck in their bubble, they refuse to see whats out there in the industry. This was very evident when they made "big changes to QOL that all the pilots would be excited about" in April. They somehow overlooked they actually gave a pay cut to 28% of the pilots. Lol, no one talks about that, everyone just talks about the Jet Pay scales, ... Drink drink.... And the company strategy going forward, committed to expanding plane sense via remote based pilots, so the PSM crews get crushed every year, 600-800 + hrs of flying and they carry the load of the company on their shoulders. In the pilot meetings I wish they had a graph of the total hours per month and then a graph of how many by PSM based crews, averages to compare to the remote based. They are all disgruntled and will be leaving as they find other jobs because the company focused on hiring remote based pilots in all corners of the U.S. who will fly 300-500 hrs a year, (excluding any OT), and those remote based pilots all get paid the same. My advice, join this company as a remote based pilot. You get paid the same as a PSM based pilot and do 2/3rd's of the work.

I am PDK based and do fly a little more than the Florida guys and gals, so don't pick PSM or PDK. Pick MSP and you will sit at home and get paid the same as a PSM based FO working to death every 8 days with no break.

Do I plan on upgrading here? Nope, captains get worked hard at this company. Not that I don't want to work hard, its not worth 50k on an 8 and 6 schedule with the ammount of legs we average per day. I can make 50k at a regional and be home more? Sign me up, I have mucho respect for the captains at PlaneSense, some of the best aviators I've met. Its a tough job.