Life at NJ
#1
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Life at NJ
I guess I will start this as a new thread since there seems to be a lot of questions about NetJets. This was my response to someone considering NetJets verses 121/cargo, etc. Just one persons opinion...I hope it is helpful:
I will chime in on this as well. I was at a small commuter before I came to NetJets. It was my intention at that time to build jet time and move on. It took me about 6 months to decide that I wasn't leaving. The new contract has certainly cemented that decision. There are some jobs out there that, with enough seniority, would be a better job than NetJets but to me it certainly would not be worth all the years and hassles it took to get to that position. NetJets is not perfect but I think the quality of life is pretty good.
Having said that, I realize for new hires one of the biggest headaches will be trying to commute or deciding to move if you accept the job. The way I understand it is, NetJets offers you a job and a location, i.e. one of the 5 new "super gateways", take them together or leave them. They seem to be filling one or two locations at a time and then moving to the next one. Now if offered a job and the location isn't the one you were hoping for I don't know if you could say, "I will be happy to accept the job at a future time when X domicile becomes available." They might go for that.
As for life on the road, most people start in one of the smaller planes and certainly upgrade in the smaller planes. All flight planning is done by dispatch. It is similiar to 121- pick up your release, look it over, sign it and you are on your way. Half the trips are empty and the pax are just ordinary people 99% of the time. Be cordial, helpful and friendly- butt kissing not required. Average pax load on a smaller airplane is 2 so not many bags to throw. Food is all catered so you set it in the plane and the pax help themselves.
Most trips are in the Northeast unless you get based in LAX. A small airplane will average 4 legs total of about an hour apiece with an hour in between. Most duty days are 12-13 hours. I know the math doesn't compute but somehow those seem to be the averages.
This website says upgrades are currently running a little over a year. That's probably about right or maybe less time. I think we have about 2400 pilots and the 400xp upgrade has been around 2000. This website also says we are hiring 500+ pilots this year. That sounds pretty high but they may have better intel than I.
I hope that helps. Good luck.
I will chime in on this as well. I was at a small commuter before I came to NetJets. It was my intention at that time to build jet time and move on. It took me about 6 months to decide that I wasn't leaving. The new contract has certainly cemented that decision. There are some jobs out there that, with enough seniority, would be a better job than NetJets but to me it certainly would not be worth all the years and hassles it took to get to that position. NetJets is not perfect but I think the quality of life is pretty good.
Having said that, I realize for new hires one of the biggest headaches will be trying to commute or deciding to move if you accept the job. The way I understand it is, NetJets offers you a job and a location, i.e. one of the 5 new "super gateways", take them together or leave them. They seem to be filling one or two locations at a time and then moving to the next one. Now if offered a job and the location isn't the one you were hoping for I don't know if you could say, "I will be happy to accept the job at a future time when X domicile becomes available." They might go for that.
As for life on the road, most people start in one of the smaller planes and certainly upgrade in the smaller planes. All flight planning is done by dispatch. It is similiar to 121- pick up your release, look it over, sign it and you are on your way. Half the trips are empty and the pax are just ordinary people 99% of the time. Be cordial, helpful and friendly- butt kissing not required. Average pax load on a smaller airplane is 2 so not many bags to throw. Food is all catered so you set it in the plane and the pax help themselves.
Most trips are in the Northeast unless you get based in LAX. A small airplane will average 4 legs total of about an hour apiece with an hour in between. Most duty days are 12-13 hours. I know the math doesn't compute but somehow those seem to be the averages.
This website says upgrades are currently running a little over a year. That's probably about right or maybe less time. I think we have about 2400 pilots and the 400xp upgrade has been around 2000. This website also says we are hiring 500+ pilots this year. That sounds pretty high but they may have better intel than I.
I hope that helps. Good luck.
#3
Thanks for the info Craig
Thank you very much for the info on NJA. I realize everyone starts in one type of AC. Can you choose if there are openings in a larger AC? What does a 7 day schedule look like? Can you take one base once hired on and transfer to your first choice once it comes open? Looks good for upgrade time considering.How much time do you fly for the year? Sorry about all the Q/A. trying to see if this is for me and a career change. Thanks Craig
#5
Originally Posted by ATPFlyer
Can you choose if there are openings in a larger AC?
Originally Posted by ATPFlyer
What does a 7 day schedule look like?
Originally Posted by ATPFlyer
Can you take one base once hired on and transfer to your first choice once it comes open?
Originally Posted by ATPFlyer
How much time do you fly for the year?
#6
Originally Posted by NJA Capt
Do you mean as a newhire? If so, sometimes they offer you a choice, sometimes they don't. It depends on the needs at the time and your background.
Need more specifics. Do you mean where do you go on your 7 days?
No. Plan on staying in the base you are hired in (at least for the duration of this contract).
400
Need more specifics. Do you mean where do you go on your 7 days?
No. Plan on staying in the base you are hired in (at least for the duration of this contract).
400
#7
Originally Posted by ATPFlyer
What is the average layover time 12-19 hrs?
Originally Posted by ATPFlyer
Are you oncall during your duty day or free to do your own thing at the layover hotel if no fly is scheduled? Or can you possibly get a call to reposition the A/C.
Originally Posted by ATPFlyer
How many legs per/day do you fly?
#8
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: May 2006
Posts: 1,020
Originally Posted by Craig
This website says upgrades are currently running a little over a year. That's probably about right or maybe less time. I think we have about 2400 pilots and the 400xp upgrade has been around 2000. This website also says we are hiring 500+ pilots this year. That sounds pretty high but they may have better intel than I.
It is possible to be on duty at the hotel- it happens sometimes if your airplane is broken, but they could call you out any time if the airplane gets fixed, if they want to airline to another airplane, or put you in a taxi, limo, or rental car to get you to another airplane. You have to be ready to leave the hotel within 30 minutes of call out if on duty at the hotel.
It is almost impossible to say much for sure about the schedules other than they will change all the time- sometimes even enroute during a ferry leg. You will most likely report to your base on day one and get home by midnight or within a 14 hour duty day on day 7. If you are on the reserve schedule you have even less certainty than that. Change is the name of the game with the fractionals so if you have a problem with that (and some newhires are already complaining about it) then do yourself a favor and don't do it. I made the change from the airlines and I love it. I hope to upgrade before year 4, but if it doesn't happen I'll still be making nearly what the old contract paid captains on year 4.
#9
Thanks for the insight on NJA
Originally Posted by jtf560
Upgrades will be two to three years minimum and only if everything works perfectly. For an upgrade in two years the company would have to keep current captain to fo ratios of 2 to 1, get aircraft on property probably faster than the manufacturers can build them, and either hire another 1300 pilots (if hired today) or have literally hundreds of senior pilots retire and only hire another 1000 or so behind you. Things in aviation change all the time and the massive growth that the company is going for could stop or slow down at any time. We have a backlog of customers waiting to get in, but things can and do change. The company was set to grow like crazy starting in 2000 and 2001 and while there was some growth, things stopped for a couple of years.
It is possible to be on duty at the hotel- it happens sometimes if your airplane is broken, but they could call you out any time if the airplane gets fixed, if they want to airline to another airplane, or put you in a taxi, limo, or rental car to get you to another airplane. You have to be ready to leave the hotel within 30 minutes of call out if on duty at the hotel.
It is almost impossible to say much for sure about the schedules other than they will change all the time- sometimes even enroute during a ferry leg. You will most likely report to your base on day one and get home by midnight or within a 14 hour duty day on day 7. If you are on the reserve schedule you have even less certainty than that. Change is the name of the game with the fractionals so if you have a problem with that (and some newhires are already complaining about it) then do yourself a favor and don't do it. I made the change from the airlines and I love it. I hope to upgrade before year 4, but if it doesn't happen I'll still be making nearly what the old contract paid captains on year 4.
It is possible to be on duty at the hotel- it happens sometimes if your airplane is broken, but they could call you out any time if the airplane gets fixed, if they want to airline to another airplane, or put you in a taxi, limo, or rental car to get you to another airplane. You have to be ready to leave the hotel within 30 minutes of call out if on duty at the hotel.
It is almost impossible to say much for sure about the schedules other than they will change all the time- sometimes even enroute during a ferry leg. You will most likely report to your base on day one and get home by midnight or within a 14 hour duty day on day 7. If you are on the reserve schedule you have even less certainty than that. Change is the name of the game with the fractionals so if you have a problem with that (and some newhires are already complaining about it) then do yourself a favor and don't do it. I made the change from the airlines and I love it. I hope to upgrade before year 4, but if it doesn't happen I'll still be making nearly what the old contract paid captains on year 4.
#10
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Jan 2006
Position: Sitting down and facing front. Why would you want to know that?
Posts: 536
I have heard that they are looking for people who live at the domiciles. Is this correct, or do they care if you want to commute? Really, their domiciles leave something to be desired, if they want people to live there, if you ask me. Also, do I understand right that once they put you somewhere, you are stuck?
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