Airline Pilot Central Forums - contract pilot first experience

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Quote:

Originally Posted by QuietSpike (Post 893671)

FYI-- you should be charging the SAME for right seat/left seat days... if you are using YOUR TIME to fly for someone else, and you are captain qualified, then you charge the same rate per day for a particular aircraft-- because you COULD be flying for someone else making captain pay... so the charge will *always* be the same!

If we start setting precedents like this, owner's come to expect to not pay as much when using "just a right-seater"... bad bad bad.

Also, I own a "blood-sucking management company", and I do not skim anything off the top... also we work under the philosophy of charging minimum for monthly fees--- mostly because I was sick of seeing management companies charge owners 8-10k/mo to "manage" the plane, and then the pilots would do all the work for crap pay.... then the MC would take all of the credit.

Valid points. I'll act on them. And you are correct all management companies are not the same. I have dealt with both extremes and it never ceases to amaze me what some owners will pay and the lies they will believe.

Thanks for the input on pay vs. seat. I never really applied much thought to it. One of those situations where I started in the right and moved to the left. If I get utilized in the right seat that was the pay applied. It seems to be time for a little chat with the owner. ;)

Whats the consensus on when a contract guy commits to a trip, especially one that requires more than an hours drive, and it cancels due to weather, or mechanical? Does one charge the same rate or a discounted one, or nothing at all? I'm thinking it would depend on the relationship with the company. Thoughts?

All depends on the owner/company. Out of the three companies I do contract flying for, I think only one would pay for a cancelation. Although if it's a charter, and the pax cancels, the money should already be in the bank, so the pilots should get paid.

You are getting paid for your time... You are getting paid to be available..

You are DARN TOOTIN they are paying me if it cancels for weather! If anything, *I* made that decision, which means I just earned my money!

You do not get paid to fly, the flying part is the bonus... everthing else you are getting paid for...

Additionally... If I drive up the day before the trip (or deadhead in), and the next day cancels and I drive home, they are getting billed for TWO days. Even if the trip goes, they are getting billed for TWO DAYS.

Do NOT... repeat... DO NOT settle for half-pay,etc. on days that you are commuting to the job. Those are WORK days, it is up to them to either fly you in the same day, or the day before, but to you, it is all work days because that is a day you cannot work for anyone else. Again, being compensated for your time.

Quote:

Originally Posted by QuietSpike (Post 894923)

Of the few contract pilots I've spoken to, this is standard practice.

Spike has this down exactly how I handle these things. I don't have anything that is that far away though, but brings up a good point about getting yourself into position etc... I guess if you play your cards right you fly a trip in the same day that you reposition that night, get 3days pay for two! Of course you better hope nothing goes wrong and you don't make it

When I was doing corporate flying I was contracting flight attendants for $400/day plus expenses. Then I spent a lot of money cleaning up their mess and went on to find another company or flight attendant to hire. Found a few to rotate between depending on availability.

I never could get a contract pilot, the owner scoffed at paying $1000/day + expenses. So he just wouldn't fly or accept the charter trip if we had pilot issues.

FWIW.