We do fly the hell out of our planes, our lears fly anywhere from 800 to 1400 hours each per year, and its starting to show. Some of our Lears have over 10,000 hours on them and are nearing 16 years old. We did start trading our LJ35a's for LF45's, but that process has slowed WAY down. We have 2 LJ45s now. It is a good job, though. Pay for Lear CPT starts at 67,500 + a 13-20% bonus on top of that, FO's start at 43k w/a 7000 raise after 1 year + bonus. Medical benefits are below average for preventative care (you will pay for all of your preventative care up to your deductable) and above average for catastrophic care, (no limit. they'll send you to the MAYO clinic, etc) We do have profit sharing and 401k that are pretty good. WM puts in 2%+2% into a 401k/Profit sharing acct. every year, fully vested after 7 years. We were getting stock options, now we get a stock grant-Captains at 8000 year stock grant, fully vesting after 5 years.We know our off schedule (7 hard days off per month) one year in advance. Overall average is 400-600 hours per year of flying. Overnights are up, maybe 6 avg. month, and weekend flying is way up, maybe 4-5 weekend days a month, either flying or standby. 2 weeks of vacation year, 3 weeks after 7 years and 4 weeks after 15 years. We do work hard, But we also are very standardized and we have duty time restrictions that are strict. Passengers are great. We fly EVERYWHERE, so boredome does not set in, ever. Quality of life is pretty good. Wal Mart is an enormous company, and the "culture" is rapidly changing. Be prepared to spend months, even years talking with the legal department anytime you want to get anything changed, it can be worse that dealing with the government. So, there are benefits and drawbacks to a large flight department.

We do have an excellent group of pilots I will say: really good people, and highly competent and very standardized- many of our Lear captains have over 5000 hours of learjet time. Some of our FOs have over 5000 hours of jet time. We have a superior Director of Aviation, two equally superior Chief Pilots, and also great maintenance, and a good standards department. Training is FSI every 6 months with many additional safety courses.
Upgrade into the Challenger and Global are running 8 years to maybe 15 years or never. So, thats the problem, spend 10 years flying the Learjet, and the company will start reducing your Cost of Living increases every year, from 4 to 3 to 2 to 1 to 0% raise. So, they really do NOT value longevity-period, they can say they do, but they do not. Why should they pay you 100K a year as a learjet pilot when they can save 30k a year on a new Captain. If you do upgrade to the Challenger its a 7% pay increase, 15% for the Global. So, our Challenger Captains make in the low to mid 90's and our Global pilots make in the high 90's to around 100k base pay. Oh, and you will still fly the Learjet, with no set off schedule anymore. They will give you a fair amt. of time off.

That brings me to another issue. Cost control, while important, is ridiculous at times. Domestic we are allowed $10.00 per day for meals while on a day trip with duty time up to 14 hours, thats right 10 bucks, and thats including tax and tip-oh, and you are not supposed to tip any more than 15%. For an idle day, you are allowed 25 per day, 6 for bfast, 8 for lunch, and 11 for dinner- 25 per day, for breakfast, lunch and dinner. These amounts have not changed since 1998- 8 years, and will see no increase in the foreseeable future, Hello inflation! They will approve slightly more, but you always are made to feel almost guilty, and like a free spender if you spend 14.00 on lunch for a 14 hour duty day. We do stay in decent hotels and get to have rental cars. NO job is without frustrations. So, overall after 3+ years here, it is a good job, just not sure if its a long term career destination. I know there are lots of better jobs out there.

 

Sounds like some ups and downs.. It'd be a good job if you lived in the area, I don't know if I would move there to start a career...

 

ljpilot34 - What mins does Walmart have for FOs? What is the process for upgrade - senority, merit or ????

 

How's the QOL living in AR?

 

Sounds like you are expected to eat at Wall Mart as well as shop there. On your down time do you have to swap into the greeter uniform?

 

[QUOTE=STILL GROUNDED;80104]Sounds like you are expected to eat at Wall Mart as well as shop there. On your down time do you have to swap into the greeter uniform?[/QUOTE]

lol.....that was funny!

 

Does anyone have any updates on the Walmart Flight Department? How are things there now? Any updates?

Thanks

 

Walmart is currently looking for a Manager of Flight Operations, there is a link under careers on their website. I'm not a fan of double bunking at the Holiday Inn, forced to save a nickel on a gallon of Jet A at the "other" FBO. Where else do they cut corners?

 

This is the gist I get as a casual outside observer....

Pay is decent but lots of overnights. Very little schedule stability. Days off can be taken away at a moment's notice. Moral extremely low. Expense control rules makes enjoying your time away almost impossible.. While they don't share hotel rooms, Holiday Inn, Comfort Inn, LaQuinta is about it. Expenses at something like $40/ day.

Most, if not all, who've left there (both voluntarily or otherwise) wonder why they didn't do it sooner. They've made compensation an absolute art form, just enough to keep people who like living in NW Arkansas from leaving.. They desperately need some management to come in from the outside to abate the professional inbreeding. For God's sake, don't get in the crosshairs of department management. Some definite head cases running amuck.

Most folks there haven't worked in any other Fortune 500 departments, which is not a good thing. A lot of great people suffering from either disconnected or inexperienced leadership.