Awsome, glad to have ya. With all the ravamping of the training here at NJA you could enjoy a little break.
I just finished IOE for a guy in Jan that was types the previous FEB. This is why there are so many changes coming at us.
good luck

 

Thanks. I look forward to it. See you on-line

 

AsaCapt and Express Pilot

You were/are both logging PiC on a 121 environment, I am just trying to understand why you have not endured the regional environment until meeting the requirements of companies such as Continental or SW (AsaCapt, they both have bases in TX)
AsaCapt, your point about the commuting speaks volume and is something I have never experienced, we come back to base at the end of each flight, so I really don’t have a reference point, yet I once spoke with a A320Capt with F9 and his schedule was about 11/12 days of work a month...! Granted, he had been with the company 9 years, but that would be more time off that I would know what to do with!
Yet you both are willing to give up the opportunity to qualify for a Major for a NJA, I just feel like I am missing something.
My priority are QoL, security, time off and money last, and NJA seems to offer all 4 of them, I just cannot see if a "decent” major would offer any of those qualities...
Jmack

I have not figured out your background, if it includes 121 I really would appreciate your input, also a captain you must have seen plenty of ex121, what are their impressions, pros and cons of the 2 kinds of outfits?
I know is apple and oranges, but any example will be welcome!

Thank you guys

Sk3

 

No problem, I am former 121, a regional and airtran for 4 months before being furloughed back in 98' Have been with NetJets every since. I have enjoyed my time hear at NetJets, there are many day to day frustrations but when I step back and look at life at my 121 experience and compare it to NJA I am very pleased. To be honest most 121 guys are very happy with our benefits package, it is VERY good and at no payroll deduction, this includes medical, dental and vision. 401k is matched at 50% (I put in 15k company puts in 7.5k). I am a 8th year guy I will work 161 days this year and will make 125K with only a handful of overtime days(8 or 9 for the year). Life on the road is enjoyable to me, new destinations, everday is different, we get feed very well and pucket the majority of our $40.00 per diem, Our hotels our top notch. Everyother flight is empty and majority of our trips are 3 pax or less.
In my 8 years I've had only one bad experience with a owner and I was back by the company 100%. Netjets has been known to tell big problem people to go away, here is your money, we don't need the headache, we have potential owners waiting for deliveries, no need to deal with you.
The growth, and security are very valuable to me and my family.

 

You were a few months junior to me.

 

Yes I certainly did "endure the regional environment" long enough. I was with ASA for 6 yrs. I was with another regional carrier 2 yrs before ASA. I have always commuted for them except for a short stint when I was based in DFW and not on active duty for the reserves. I was doing a double commute for my airline and reserve job. My theory is to do the job until it isn’t fun anymore. Flying for the airlines was not fun anymore and I needed a change. Due to my double commute, I was gone about 22-24 days/mo. I was not happy and neither was my family. Since I got on with NJA, I have moved both jobs to D/FW and ended all commuting and of course life is much better.

It disgusts me to see where our profession is headed. Airline CEO's could give a rat's ass about our lives or the airline. They only care about getting theirs (at the expense of the employees) and bailing to trash another airline once they made their millions. No, I am not speaking for every airline but this stands for the majority. ASA only has Delta as a customer and that is what Delta mgmt did and continues to do. I always had a goal to fly for Delta and now I want nothing to do with it. The airlines are in a race to the bottom, plane and simple. I meet the requirements for SWA and FedEx. But guess what, thousands are trying to get there also. Plus, I am not willing to pay $8K to get on with SWA. With FEX, I would still have to commute, get a crash pad and sit reserve away from home on my own dime. I weighed all of the options and NJA was best for my family and me. I don’t know if you have been doing much research, but the majors are certainly not what they used to be nor are they hiring for the airlines who have furloughed. It will take several years for them to be even close to the work rules they had to give up. In my opinion, salary is is good, but not as important as work rules.

If you research further into the NJA contract, you will see it beats any contract at any major when compared to benefits, 401K, work rules, and pay. If you use Cat4 and 5 (NJI and BBJ) for a salary comparison and based on a 3 yr upgrade, the NJA contract is within $5-8K of the FEX pay alone. That was enough for me to make the move. Hope that helps, but what works for me doesnt mean it will work for you or anyone else. That is just my take on the situation.

ASACapt

 

I am about to start applying to the regionals, but I am certainly looking a few years down the road to create the best path to my goal.

I have been looking into NetJets, and it looks like an amazing place. If you look at the BBJ or the DA-2000EX pay scales, they are some of the highest in the industry. What portion of NetJets fleet are BBJ's or DA-2000EX? I assume it is rather small. How long to hold captain on one of those aircraft? The rest of the pay scales are very reasonable, but not as high as many major airlines.

So I know that the quality of life is rated very high at NetJets. However, everywhere I look I see 7on/7off. Is that typical? Do you get to return home often during that 7 on? What are your schedules like?

Finally, is it real arduous to have to prepare food, serve passengers, load bags, and do all the flight planning, or is that totally worth it?

Thanks for all your insight.

 

As long as we are on the subject here, I figured I would add a few more questions to the pot...

I am currently at a regional and have finally passed the 1000 PIC mark and am starting to look around pretty seriously (like several others on here) for future employment. With the new contract NJA looks pretty enticing. However, I don't know anyone who works there so I don't really know much about the company. Here are a few more questions:

1. On a reserve schedule, do you work most of your reserve days? If you ARE working, are you typically away from base the whole time or do you come back periodically for the night?

2. How quickly can you get into the left seat of a small jet?

3. I noticed there are 50 Hawker 4000's on order. What class aircraft are they? i.e. what payscale?

4. What things do the pilots do for their customers outside of loading bags and briefing them on the flight?

5. How much time is spent sitting in FBO's?

6. With regards to the payscale, is there a cap to +COLA after a certain number of years, or do you keep getting raises every year until you quit or retire?

7. How many weeks of vacation do you start out with and how many can you eventually get?

Any answers would be greatly appreciated.

 

3 and 2 respectively. Many EXs on order.

The junior BBJ capt was hired in 1995. There are now 2200 pilots behind him. EX Capts are still in the 100s on seniority.

Yes
No

Sorry to disappoint you. Dispatch does the flight planning and W/B comps, FAs do the serving (if so equipped), the passengers self serve, and with 8 seats there can't be too many bags. If the airport is equipped we get our ATIS and PDC over the FMSs.

The most arduous thing in the fracs is having to ride on airliners (sorry).

 

Run a search and you will find the answers. Reserve at NJA is NOT synonymous with airline resv.

It won't be quick. There are already 500-800 guys waiting for their turn now.

Not classified yet, probably class 3

Being friendly, courteous, and helpful.

Sometimes none, sometimes a lot.

No, yes until the next contract.

2, 4