Originally Posted by
100LL
Chatted with a current pilot seems like an o.k. company however few things turned me off about them. For one once upgraded your pay rate goes back to year one instead of the standard number of years of service. New uniforms are on the horizon and they plan to make them airline pilot style all the way. On go home day either pilot could potentially continue working due to a disruption in the pilot’s travel who is replacing you. As far as I’m concerned if I put in my time I’m done. Vacation days are a joke, with no separate sick days. If you get sick you must use vacation as they won’t accept unpaid time off. Finally too bad the schedule isn’t 7/7. If they spearheaded an industry leading schedule of a 6/8 instead of 8/6 I just might wear the airline uniform and they will never be short pilots.
Hey 100LL,
While I agree with you on several points, your post reminds me of that age old aviation joke where the Chief Pilot calls a big company meeting in a hangar and gives a speech to all the pilots. He tells them that they are starting a new program where the pilots just stay home and get paid for sitting $150,000/year, weekly. He tells them that all they have to is to show up every Friday to collect their paycheck... Punchline: Sure enough, one pilot in the pilot in the back of the room stands up and says" "Why can't you just mail the damn check to us?"
Definitely a tough crowd....
Sure! We would love a 7 on/7 off schedule, but think about it....: Other than Warren Buffet's Berkshire Hathaway-owned Netjets,
NOBODY that I know in this segment of aviation has that, much less a 6/8 schedule. Nobody starts out with a 7/7 schedule; it's something that you have to work towards. Heck, look at GAMA/Wheels Up (with all their deep pockets, Kenny Dichter financial backing) and Executive AirShare... Only a few years ago, GAMA had an awful
6 on/3 off schedule, and Airshare had an even worse
12 on/3 off schedule, and their FO's are still on a
10 on/5 off schedule.. So things here aren't that bad and could definitely be a
LOT worse..
Remember that we only celebrated our 4th anniversary a few weeks back, and that we only started in 2015 with 3 CJ2's..... Now, we are up to 39 Citations in 4 short years. We've come a long way, baby in quite a short time. So while, sure, there are things that can be improved upon, we have made some great strides forward and are a great company to fly for.
Before Contract '05, Netjets (then, Executive Jet) wasn't the greatest place to work either, where pilots started out at $35,000 and you could only have 5 domiciles, where you had to be standing by 12 prior to duty on. And prior to September 11, Southwest was considered a 5th or 6th choice after AA, DL, UA, USAir, NWA, and Continental. And look at them now....
Give us a little time, and I'll bet you will be surprised how good we get... Good companies grow into being even better companies, with pay, schedule, and QOL.; Just ask the pilots at Southwest, Netjets and GAMA.
PS- I have never been forced to fly extra or train on a day off, but have volunteered often since the Company has been so good to me. The Company has bent over backwards to be flexible with my medical travel, 100th Birthday Celebrations, getting me and a fellow crew member home ahead of Hurricanes and ensuring that we had time off, my cross-country move, and flying me across the country to be with my Wife when I slipped on ice on duty. And that all happened in the last year... flyExclusive is an excellent Company to work for, and it continues to improve.