Originally Posted by
jrav8r
Hi,
I'm looking to get info on Kalitta Charters (Learjet, Falcon), first officer position. Is Yipsilanti the only base? What's the schedule like? Upgrade time? Other general info on the QOL?
Thanks.
Ypsilanti is the only base. Schedule is now 2 weeks on and 2 weeks off. Upgrade time can be relatively short, as attrition has apparently continued. Seniority wasn't a hard factor back in the day, so if you have some time in type and a steady hand, you might get the call. Once people accept the opportunity to upgrade, it can take quite a bit of time to actually get it done for several different reasons.
QOL can be tough at times. There is some 24 hour on-call flying and, to my knowledge, they still administer rolling-rest. Sometimes you will sit feeling rested for days, just hanging out—and sometimes you will feel like a zombie. You will be given a means to know where you are in the batting order for pilots. That said, things can still be unpredictable. You can occasionally go to sleep some nights as the #6 pilot on the depth chart, and get woken up two hours later with an ASAP freight trip to Mexico. You will basically be ready to throw on jeans, pick up your bag, and walk out the door on nights in which you are in base.
They participate in CASS, so you can jump-seat on a few carriers.
My information may be a bit dated, but it's a start.