Auto Parts or Avantair
 

Im hovering around 2000 hours tt and flying auto parts in a Falcon. Im a little worried about how much time Im going to build in the next few years, not to mention the state of the detroit automakers. My ultimate goal is Netjets, Citation Shares, or Flexjet.

Would I be more competitive if I flew for a place Like Avantair for a couple of years or have less time flying the Falcon after a few years?

Is there anyone out there who has gone either of these routes to make it to NJ, CS, or FX?

Anyone who think they will just stay at Avantair?

What kind of time are people getting on with at Avantair right now?

thanx

I'm at Avantair and I plan to stay. This is not a stepping stone job in my eyes. Sure the place is a work in progress but I don't mind helping out to build my future.

Bottom line in, my mind is Avantair, is selling a plane that goes 450 miles on less than 100 gallons. I can't help but think that will play a major factor in times to come.

You have the total time to interview. If you have the rest I'd apply. You might be supprised that you like it and end up throwing out your other resumes.

My biggest complaint with Avantair is the bases. I could do PIE or CLT (friends in both) for a few years but home is Detroit. I lived in florida for a good portion of last year and loved it but I still missed my friends and family at home.

Do you think they will ever have anything like NJs gateway program? IF so that right there would do it for me.

Double check your times, if you have 2500 and 500 multi apply to NetJets, great place to work, all real pilots flew car parts at one time :)

I don't like to dish out "rock solid" advice, but in this case, I think it'd a no-brainer to go to Avantair. I've ran into several people working there and they all seem to like it, so you might end up there and not want to leave. One thing everyone keeps forgetting with NJA is that upgrades are going to be taking a LONG time now. If your goal is to be a fractional captain, I think that would happen much sooner at Avantair since they are still growing. Don't worry about PIE -- it's closed to new hires or so I keep being told. IF you did go to Avantair and decided to move to another fractional, having fractional experience would most certainly help you! If you did end up with PIE, let me know as I'd gladly take it off your hands! :-) Good luck, we're all counting on you!

dbrault,

I'm looking at USAJet for my post Army Career. I expect to be around 2K FW and 1K FWME PIC and will apply for the DC-9 and hope to move to PIC in the Falcon. If you work there now, how low are the annual flight times that are making you so concerned. How much of the airline is tied to the auto industry and is the managment looking for other cargo contracts?

Personally, I'd take the gig that gets you the PIC time and money faster, then save up a contingency fund should your airline go south. But if you won't fly more than 500 hours a year and you're just at an intermediate stop along your career path, maybe a "lateral" move may be in your best interest.

A buddy of mine turned down a job offer at Avantair two years ago. Were I in his shoes I would have taken the job based on what he told me about the company. For me, Avantair is still on the table. I'd apply if I were you, see the company first hand, then decide once you have a job offer.

Look for a guy called ATPCliff on these boards - sometimes on Netjets threads. He works for USAJet on the DC9 and he can answer your questions.

I've gotten Cliff's e-mail and have seen countless posts from him. That's what's gotten me so interested in USAJet. I am very interested in getting others take on them.

There are better jobs than flying Falcons around all night in bad weather, with auto parts in the back? Where have I been - (Sarcasm)

Chances are you're not going to go straight from right seat dc-9 to left seat of a falcon without any falcon time, I have a friend at usa jet thats dealing with that right now. He's been there about 18 months, got hired on the falcon and was in -9 training within 4 months of being on the line in the falcon, he now has the total time and seniority to upgrade on the falcon but they won't give it to him unless he goes back and sits right seat on the falcon for a few more months to get his falcon time up. With that King Air pic time they may have you flying their King Air as well, that might not all be that bad. From what he's said and I've seen you'll be lucky to fly 500 hours a year there.

If you want to get in touch with him shoot me a pm and I'll give you his email, he would probably more than glad to talk to you about it.

Take it with a grain of salt, I have been flying on-demand for the past 2 years. Not a long time, but its long enough to see how people think they will get one thing and end up with the exact opposite.

With 2000 total time and 1000 king air pic as it seems you will have you would probably be a shoe in at citation shares or something similar, way better qol at those places.