Originally Posted by
chubakabrah
That's what I'm talking about buddy!
It's amazing how many people spend thousands of dollars to learn this trade and then *#^@) about working.... I don't understand when people show no signs of gratefulness for the ability they have so graciously been given. Not everyone has the skills or aptitude to be a pilot. If you want 5 on 2 off, you can have the job I just quit to pursue my dream.
I'm days away from applying to AF and can't wait to fly for food, and if 18/12 is what they are pumping out, Sign me the eff up! (*drops mic*)
Home basing is the only way to get the blocks of time off such as 18/12. So far, to be home based you have to fly the larger half of the fleet, it hasn't applied to PA-31's or 99's. What they did was create a carrot for guys to aspire to, and a reason to hang in. By the time you qualify for that carrot at Amflight you can find someone offering much more elsewhere, which is why they created a trail of crumbs to the next carrot: a "peak-to-peak" bonus of $20,000 if you stay from last peak to next peak (you don't even have to wear the stupid hat they literally send to you advertising the "peaks").
What all the games amount to is an attempt to stall until they can clone more guys with your attitude. By the time you qualify for home basing your several years of 6 on-1 off may have you singing a different tune than "sign me the eff up." Management seems to think between the business cycle, importing foreign FO's, and dangling fruit just out of reach of current employees (I know, carrots are a vegetable) they can stall long enough until things turn and labor inflation abates. I hope they're wrong.
Ameriflight has some fantastic employees, as do other poorly managed companies. But Ameriflight and outfits like them have directly contributed to the labor supply situation we find ourselves in today. I used to fuel Navajo's for Amflight in the early 90's, and when it came time for me to build time I didn't even consider them since I had the flexibility to go to Alaska and make 3 to 5x the money. I know not everyone has that latitude, but I'd think long and hard today about going to fly with this company given the other opportunities out there.