Best 91 Schedule?
 

hey folks, we have a 3 pilot account for a managed aircraft. we are looking to incorporate a new schedule that ensures aircraft coverage (obviously 😃). but wanted to maximize quality of life for the pilots. minimize time away from home etc..

the aircraft flys mostly 1-2 leg trips was coast and some west coast trips (2leg -fuel stop) owners are great and we can airline home anytime it's feasible.

what are some considerations and schedule options for the pilots that you all have had good/bad experiences with?

DP

If airlining is in the budget then run a rolling 2 weeks on 1 week off (on the hook for any flights that come up).

Stagger it so there’s always coverage with two pilots.

2 days on 12 off. And airline me 2 and from the aircraft and I’m there. 😂 seriously though. We’re on an 8-6 (135), 7-7 is better. But as long as you have something on the books for a schedule, it’s a step up from the traditional 91 “schedule”. The key is finding a pilot group that’s willing and able to work with each other.

I’ve always wanted to propose this type of schedule to my owners/bosses. But the idea of paying, a third pilot to not work 40 hrs. a week seems impossible to convince them. After flying 121, 135 and 91 I feel that 91 corporate is a retirees job. The equipment is usually new and well kept, the flying is usually easy and the time off is usually excessive. But the non-schedule and not being able to truly plan personal events on said off time becomes frustrating. It would be nice to have guaranteed, scheduled time off. Seems that every time I plan a personal event, (concert, trip to see parents, weekend at the beach, etc.) there inevitably is a trip to fly. How did you approach your owners to implement the third crew member and schedule?

fortunately for me.. i am the third crew member 😃. owners are great but trying to figure out amongst us what schedule works best. i am the only one with family and kids so i'm trying to maximize time home

I hear ya. It certainly seems impossible to plan any family events or for that matter just a weekend get away with a single plane/2crew flight dept. Fortunately for you guys you have the 3crew. I would suspect that flt dept. such as Coke, Amway, Walmart, etc. (multiple aircraft and crew) use some type of schedule that could be beneficial for your research.

Corporate flight departments are going to have to change drastically and soon with all the airlines on the brink of a hiring spree if they want to survive. Hard schedules Netjets style at the very least.

Exactly. Personally having a hard schedule would remove any doubts of wanting to try 121 since I do enjoy every other aspect of flying Corporate.

Hard schedules are great till something goes wrong, or someone quits, or something. "Sorry Mr CEO we can't fly you to your important golf game, Fred has his days off right now and we have no one to cover him". Or you lose someone, and the schedule gets covered, so they decide not to hire their replacement cause it saves the company $200k a year.

The best corporate schedule is the day off you take to interview at an airline.

Hawker knows
 

^^^^^^^^ this

All the pilots coming out of the school house now want to build time any way they can that doesn’t involve instructing. I agree that things in the corporate world need to change, but I doubt it. What I see happening is a lot of the 65 year olds retiring and jumping to the corporate world for a “retirement gig.” Then, the owners can pair these experienced guys with a 250 hour Pilot with a license that still has wet ink on his ticket to sit right seat for 30k per year. They are so eager to get that jet time that they don’t even notice the brutal schedule.