Bozo

Chance? I would not recommend giving notice until you have a specific class date and a letter of job offer from the airline and then 2 weeks notice. Things change daily in the airline business.

Example. 911.

Flyfalcons

Go to recurrent, and give your employer two weeks notice if/when you get a class date. Especially if your departure is several months after recurrent, if your employer has a problem with it then it's their problem and not yours. Remember this always - it's just business.

V1 McFlyerson

I notified my boss 6 weeks prior to a class date and 2 weeks prior to recurrent that I was leaving. I thought it would be a little shady to spend all that money on training/airline tickets/hotels/meals for only a month of currency. I was naive in trying to do the right thing and really caused more trouble than necessary.

I offered to stay on as an SIC for 6 weeks but he let me go right then. I guess he took it personally that I wanted to leave, and there were lots of 500 hour CFI types SIC'ing for us anyway.

I ended up filing for, and being awarded, unemployment benefits. The bridge with that boss was definitely burned.

Maybe your situation would turnout differently, but I wouldn't handle my own situation that way again. I'd keep it professional and stick with customary norms. That was a ridiculous amount of drama over trying to go above and beyond for a company/business owner.

loganeich

I tried to give a major corporation a 3 week notice before leaving, but had my laptop taken that morning, got lunch from my boss, and was gone by the afternoon. I would in no way give some company a multiple month notice and hope for the best by being a team player. I would keep working as normal, and give a customary 2 week notice.

Otters

Do or say nothing until class date in hand. I’d even try vacation right up to class date. As for deferring training, my departments insurance was set up such that we couldn’t not go to training. If we didn’t have training in previous 12 months, other issues arose. I’m amazed at how many people are doing the right thing but the company does not.

I remember my first day at my 121 carrier and all the nice benefits and future wages. I thought wow. Then ALPA came in and asked us what we thought of all those great benefits. It was ALPA, NOT the company that got us those perks. You owe nothing to an employer except a thanks walking out the door.

Bruno82

Do not say anything until you have a CJO. It's just business.

Al Czervik

Good luck sooner!
Question (probably a dumb one at that) from a 121 guy: I see the ethical dilemmas but we are really talking cost, right? What’s a recurrent cost? 10K? Doesn’t the plane blow that out the back end in one day? Is it that big of a deal to fund one of these? I get it’s wasted money. I just didn’t know how tight the budgets are run.

TiredSoul

Build a little cash fund if you can.
Go to recurrent.
At your interview tell the potential new employer that you would prefer to give as much notice as possible.
If it’s a small operation you may really yank their crank if you only give them two weeks.
You know a buddy that can take your place?
Give them 3-4 weeks notice and suggest they look at your buddies resume. If they let you go early out of spite, whatever...walk away with your head held high as you’ve taken the moral high road.

flysooner9

Well I talked to the other pilot (technically the chief pilot). Thank you all for the advice. I basically laid it all out there and told him what I had planned. He was appreciated I let him know what was up. Basically left the choice up to me to go to training or not. So my plan is if I have a class date prior my recurrent date I’m not going to go. If I haven’t gotten a CJO yet then I’ll go to training.

My main reasoning for doing so is our operation is pretty close knit. We essentially just fly for two families. My compensation is low but otherwise they treat us very well and treat us with a lot of respect. Thus I want to return the favor.

Also the market in OKC is very small and close knit as well and I don’t want to risk making a bad name for myself Incase I ever need a job around here again.

TiredSoul

You’ve done the right thing.
Can you recommend anybody to take your place?