Fookz92

Collecting data and ideas here.
Lear 45 operating under a management company, part 91 flying. To become 135 this summer/fall. 5% utilization will be 135 flying.
Right now there are 2 pilots flying 300-350 hrs/yr. Looking at the data to justify hiring a 3rd pilot in 6 months. Thinking 2 PIC and 1 SIC.
What is the best schedule everyone has found to run a operation like this? What are the hrs/yr where you find a 3rd pilot justifiable?

PICsf340

It really isn’t just about flight hours. My company does about 300 hours per year with 2 pilots. In reality it is about 300 hours in less than a year because the plane is down for maintenance for at least 7 weeks. We do a LOT of short legs that are 20-40 minutes. Getting in 300 hours is rough that way. On the other hand, if you are getting the same amount of time, but are flying 4 hour legs, the “work” goes by in larger chuncks. Unfortunately, when we do longer legs, we often pay for it with sitting around a hotel for several days at a time. What kind of flying do you guys primarily do? I wish we had an additional guy, but with smaller 1 airplane companies it is often difficult to get them to sign off on that. We do hire contract guys when the need arises. That might be a way to get you some breathing room on the part 91 flights.

Fookz92

We mostly do the east coast flying. PHL- APF and a few flights to the west coast a year. Our average leg is 2 hours.
I am looking at numbers like this:
A Contract guy is roughly $1000/day. Each pilot we have is allowed 14 days PTO. That’s 28 days @ 1,000/day for a contract guy. $28000.
Trying to find another $20k in expenses is going to be tough to bring up to the management company to justify hiring a 3rd guy. Any suggestions?

RI830

Draft up the cost of utilizing contract on an at-will basis, cost of hiring a third pilot (SIC) and also draft up the cost of the revolving door.
The cost of continuously training and hiring will far exceed either of the first two options.

Tbpilot06

What about days away at training for each of you?

Fookz92

Good thought except that adding a 3rd guy would incur the added training cost as well. I see where the contract guy would be necessary for those days of being at training.

Fookz92

Yes it certainly will. It is cheaper to retain a pilot than it is to hire new. I am becoming disgruntled because I cannot plan anything that I want to do. I hear the regionals schedules are good at planning ahead.

billsaw

And there you have your answer. Tell your boss you need to hire a 3rd pilot so you can go to a 2 weeks on 1 week off schedule.

If he says no find another job. Why waste time on a silly presentation, graphs, and excel spreadsheets. Easier to get another job where they already have this and let him spend the time figuring it out on his own.

In my experience watching many friends go through this there are two types of owners/ flight depts. Those that are out front of it and those that are behind.

Those that are out front will change their tact with a 10-20 min conversation about where the industry is and where it's going.

Then there are those that aren't. For those it seems no matter how many graphs, charts, spreadsheets, statistics, etc you present and how much sense you make they will fight it tooth and nail through massive turnover stepping over $100 bills to pick up pennys. Who wants to work there when there are so many options?

Do yourself a favor. Have a 10-20 min conversation with the boss. If he doesn't get it start firing out the resume and save yourself the agony.

Fookz92

Billsaw,
Awesome advice and thank you. A conversation is coming soon.
I needed statistics to show the boss so he sees it on paper as well.
50% increase in working days in the months Sept-Dec 2018 than last year.

billsaw

No problem. Just don't waste too much of your time trying to convince him. After your conversation if he doesn't ok it just move on.

It's kinda sad but I have seen it all. Great owners you love to work for but they just don't wanna pay. Whether it's higher salaries or increasing the number of pilots or both (which both is usually the case nowadays) it all boils down to money. They don't wanna spend it. The usual excuse is "but you only work three days a week, maybe 4. How hard is that?"

Problem is your on call. On call means no life.

Sad part is most of the time you will have to quit and go somewhere else to get the raise or the lifestyle or both. Then later your old guy will change his tune and his compensation package and you may have wish you woulda stayed. Don't. If you would've stayed he never would have changed it. He wouldn't need to. I'm not saying don't go back under the new deal just don't beat yourself up for the switch. That is the only thing that provokes the change. If nobody leaves, no reason for them to change.

But in this new environment it seems it shouldn't be too hard to find what your looking for. Either he get's it or or he doesn't. Well the dirty secret is he gets it. He just ain't gonna change until he has too.

It's easy to tell what your boss thinks of you. They will put a $ sign on it because that's how businessmen value everything. Nothing wrong with it but it's how it works and your a line item most of the time at the end of the day.

Compensation is not just a dollar amount paid to you but how many he hires so you can have a life all totaling up to a dollar amount to him.

How much he spends on you guys personally and collectively will show you precisely what he thinks of you.

If he spends more on you than the competition would he thinks highly of you.

If he spends the same as the competition you are just a cog in the wheel and he is keeping the machine running.

If he spends less. Well you know what he thinks.

Seeing as how every flight department is going to 3 and 4 pilots per plane if he refuses you have your answer on what he thinks of you. So as nice or as cool as he may be don't waste your time on him as it has a 98% chance of being fruitless and frustrating.

Just go find the job where the guy gets it.

Oh and if you want statistics forget about that. Just print up 5 job adds where they are stacking planes 3 or 4 pilots deep. Usually the ads say just that "3 pilot account". Just sorta say in a gentle way this is where the market is. What your really saying is match it or I'll join em.