So if I understand this correctly - you could get your sked on the 15th and then figure out which days you plan on drilling next month and call Netjets and drop those days. And you can continue this same cycle month after month??

 

I'm in the reserves and on the 18 day schedule for now (it's the default schedule for newbies like myself). It's no problem to mil drop at all. I just get my scheduler to fax in a letter with whatever days I need and it shows up on my schedule.

I just put a bid in to switch to the 7/7 starting Feb 1.

 

Well that sounds like it could work - bottom line it sounds like you would work a total of 18 days between drills and NJ. I assume this would also be no problem with the 7/7 sked.

 

Do you have dispatchers or do you plan your own flights?

 

Both Columbus and Okatie have a bevy of FAA certified dispatchers to file your flight plans, confirm weather, and make your life as easy as possible

We also have in-house Jeppeson people to arrange international handling, overflight and landing permits, Customs notification, flight plans etc.

As far as administrative effort by a pilot, Netjets is the easiest corporate flying gig in the world.

 

It all depends on how much one participates at their unit. If you want to be the guy who shows up twice a month and put in the least amount as possible at the reserve/guard unit, maybe, but I can make almost as much $$$ working part time in the guard as I could make with NetJet's first year FO pay on the 7/7 schedule, so it would behoove me to participate a little more than 4 days a month. Consequently, it becomes a juggle of working two jobs and QOL vs. $$$. If one drops a trip with NetJets, do you still get paid the same or do they dock your time?

It's a tough decision for me. The NetJet type flying interests me and I don't really want anything to do with the airlines. On one hand, as a technician at the guard unit, I'm home just about every night, it's a 6 figure income, I like the people I work with and the military flying. On the other, between accomplishing my training and drill weekends, I probably put in on average about 50 hour per week at work, I commute over an hour and a half per day to get there, and when I'm not flying, I'm in a cubicle, ala Office Space, which wears me quite a bit. Naturally, flying is what I love to do and would love to have a job where all I did was fly and go home. However, I can't put a dollar value on things like being home every night with the family and if I could, it'd probably be a heck of a lot more than $56k a year (i know, it only goes up from there).

 

NetJets pays you for the days you work at the daily rate when you start dropping days for military duty.

 

My opinion only is the 18 day will have more 6/4 schedules during 30 day months and one 6/5 in the 31 day months. Otherwise you will have 7/4, 6/4 and 5/4 in a 30 day month.

The 15 day is even better. I see it as a 5/5 schedule in the 30 day months. Sounds pretty good, except for not really knowing your days off. The worst your schedule could be is 5 on/3 off/5 on/3 off/5 on/ 9 or 10 days off.

I think these both sound pretty decent. I would likely never volunteer to extend my tour on the 18, but would do so easily on the 15. Plus the dailey rate is higher.

 

This is a pretty basic question, so bear with me:

I read the 15 and 18 sked details, but is the 7/7 reserve, or a 'you WILL be out of base for 7' thing?

 

The 7n7 is not reserve. You will travel on Day 1 to where ever they need you. Your partner will join you from somewhere else. Hopefully there will be a plane there for you. You will work 7 days. Depending on which airplane you're on, you may fly everyday or be "on duty" at the hotel. On Day 7, you will travel back to your home base. On my last tour, all I did on Day 1 and Day 7 was ride in the back of an airliner.

Unlike a 121 operation, we don't know where we're going during our 7 days on, only that we will be working. So, bring an overcoat and a swimsuit.