As you know, this industry is a crapshoot. With that said, if fractional flying was your goal, I would look at Avantair (because of the opportunity to upgrade quickly) and Netjets (because it is the leader of the pack by a big margin - although upgrade time could take 4-5 years). I would apply to both and roll the dice. You want some good type ratings to make yourself marketable in the event of a downturn. If that is the case, Netjets might be the better choice because you can get jet ratings on popular airplanes. Who knows? I still think Avantair would be worth it and that P180 looks like a lot of fun...

How long does the whole day of the interview last? Can you fly in prior night and leave late afternoon the interview day, or should you budget 3 days coming from western U.S.?

Elizabeth told me that the interview process will be about 3 hours. Tour, powerpoint, HR and Tech. Bring updated resume, work history and references. Tech will cover 135/91, WX, and Aspen plates. That literally as specific she got.

I am flying the night before (from texas) and leaving the same afternoon. Interview is starting at 10am.

You won't need 3 days - even coming from the West Coast...

I work at Avantair,

Been there for about 14 months and finished upgrade IOE a month ago. My background is 121 regional flying a CRJ (5 years over 1K PIC) and then freight B727 out of MIA. For me this is the best flying job I've ever had.

I like the diversity and, I hate to admit, I like the much nicer FBO (compared to an airline terminal) and hotels. The passengers treat us better and we often get tips of $100 or so each.

The interview for me was first a phone interview where I was asked of my background and what I knew of the Piaggio and Avantair. When I went to the main interview it was around 4 hours consisting of the HR spiel, technical questions like how to brief an approach (read ASE here) and basically a chance to get to know you. I was offered the job that day after a chance to sit in the Piaggio.

As far as advice goes; I would recommend that you read up on the Piaggio. Know that there is an Avanti I and an Avanti II. The difference is the glass (Collins pro-line 21) in the II. Know that the plane has a forward wing and not a canard. Know that it has Pratt Whitney PT6A-66 engines and they are flat rated. The plane travels at 390Kts at alts up to FL410. The range with reserve is 1300 miles or so.

This is just a bit. Find more info at the Piaggio America web site or elsewhere online.

Overall this has been a very positive experience for me and I really enjoy the company and the flying. They treat us like real live human beings and give us respect and everything! Pay is okay, perdiem is $2.00 / hr, hotel points and airline miles are ours to keep. Sched is 7 on and 7 off. Vacation is 1 week(which equals 3 weeks off) after a year. Health care and other benefits are supposed to change for the better within a couple weeks so I'll refrain from posting at this time.

Good luck.

Hope this helps.

Got the job offer I am just trying to decide when to start. I guess the prospect of changing jobs is a bit more stressful than I thought it would be. I think it's because I am getting out of my comfort zone. I have over 2000 hours on the aircraft I am on right now and pretty much know every idiosyncrasy it has and can tell when a noise is out of place. Anyway I look forward to a new aircraft even though I haven't ever flown a turbo prop.

May I ask where you worked prior? Also are the payscales on this site accurate?

As far as payscale this website is out of date for the FO's

Year 1 $35,000.00
Year 2 $37,000.00
Year 3 $39,000.00
Year 4 $41,000.00
Year 5 $43,000.00
Year 6 + COLA


Captains are the same

Great job! Did they offer you the Avanit I or the II?

Thanks. I guess it depends on how the sim is configured at the time you go to flight safety. Then once you get comfortable out on the line they give you differences training and you fly both. That's how I understood it anyway.