This might be a dumb question but I don’t know the answer. Do you bid planes by seniority? As in, can you move from your originally assigned aircraft to large cabin planes? Do new hires ever start in large cabin planes? Last question, when you upgrade to captain do you stay in the current plane your in, or go back to a base aircraft?

Thanks

Here's the simplified version:

When initially hired by NJA, you can be assigned any of the aircraft in the <40,000 lb category. That includes everything except the Falcon 2000Easy, the Gulfstreams and the BBJ. Seat locks are 39 months, but that doesn't prevent upgrades from FO to captain during a seat lock.

All upgrades to Capt and all lateral equipment changes for both FO's and Captains is done by seniority through a web-based standing bid system. Currently you have to be employed by NJA for at least two years and have a minimum of 5000 hours to be eligible to bid a Gulfstream seat at NJI. Although you can bid the right seat of the BBJ as an FO, they have historically gone very senior, i.e., you could upgrade to captain in a smaller plane years before being able to get it.

It's your option if you want to hold out for a more senior plane when upgrading from FO to captain. For example, if you initally get hired into the Hawker 800 and really like it, you can wait to upgrade until you are senior enough to get a captain slot on the 800. Some folks do that when the pay difference isn't critical to them.

-NTFB

I have a question about the owners at NJ. Who are they? And what is the level of interaction?

To be more specific...do the majority of owners come from corporations? individual owners? Is there a difference by aircraft?

I'm a cargo pilot and haven't dealt with passengers so I worry about my social skills but I'm really excited about a possible career at NJ.

I imagine that I'd need to shave more often than once a week though.:)

The one "negative" about going with netjets instead of a major 121 carrier is the schedule flexibility you have at the airlines. At the airlines, I used to build my own schedule by tradding/dropping trips. I was able to pick what days I would worked, and the overnights. I would know a month in advance where I would be and at what time. There's no such thing at NJ. The schedule is set, and constantly chanching. Never know where you'll end up. That's the hardest thing for ex-airline and military people to get used to. I really miss that. But I can't think of any other thing I miss about the airlines, not one. For me, little or no schedule flexibility it's a small price to pay for the QOL, benefit-package, and security Netjets gives me. NJ has never furlough anybody, and most importantly, NJ is not envolved in any merger talk. Remember, if your airline gets bought, and your at the bottom of the seniority list, you are in trouble.

Fair amount of interaction. Nobody expects you to entertainment them or kiss butt, just be polite and smile. 99 percent of them are very nice people. The owners are wealthy people, execs, and celebs. Don't know how many owners/marqui card holders we have, but I assume is more than 4000.

I vaguely remember the company saying we have 50% public companies, 25% private companies, and 25% individual owners. They are the people that pay the rich people.

We always greet the passengers, brief them and every 15 minutes are required to check to see that they are still alive. We also say thanks and goodbye when we land. Nothing cosmic. Some will come up and talk during cruise, most will not. For planes without FAs, the pax serve themselves. They know their way around the drawers, closets, and cubby holes.

I guess it's true what they say that one man's garbage is another man's treasure. I for one would enjoy the unpredictability of not knowing where you're going to next, of flying into and out of all kinds of airports. For adventure seekers like myself, airline flying would probably get monotonous pretty quickly, and a little bit of spontaneousness helps to make life interesting. It probably helps that I come from a background as an over-the-road truck driver, and as such never knew where I was going to get a load to next, nor did I have any kind of predictable schedule. I think the 7 on/ 7 off schedule really appeals to me also. I would use the time off for both other business and personal pursuits.

is the "hotel duty" 24 hrs/ day or are you ever "off" when on the road

If you are on any type of duty, no matter if it's at the hotel, residence, or FBO you are on duty the same as if you are flying. The max duty day of 14 hrs (as well as OT for over 12) is in effect.

Nice. So the duty/ rest times are modeled after 121?