Xojet
07-25-2019, 07:55 PM
#1671
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Dec 2017
Position: Retired NJA & AA
Posts: 1,919
Originally Posted by hawkerpilot05
Plus NetJets has Loss of Medical insurance that you pay for that is offered by Harvey Watt. New hires get to open enroll with no restrictions. Worth it right there.
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07-26-2019, 06:07 AM
#1672
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Jun 2014
Posts: 199
Originally Posted by hawkerpilot05
Plus NetJets has Loss of Medical insurance that you pay for that is offered by Harvey Watt. New hires get to open enroll with no restrictions. Worth it right there.
Sent from my SM-N960U using Tapatalk
Sent from my SM-N960U using Tapatalk
Also on the insurance, after deductible is met you do pay 10% up to 5k then everything is covered.
07-26-2019, 01:06 PM
#1673
XOJET Citation X
Joined APC: Mar 2005
Position: DO, Baker Aviation, Citation X
Posts: 316
...continuing saga of my first experience of actually "flying" 135 operations w/XOJET.
WARNING: Not necessarily repeated at other 135 operators, mileage and experience may vary.
XO does several types of schedule, a Tuesday thru Tuesday schedule and a Wed - Wed schedule, 8 days on, 6 off. I have a Tuesday "A" schedule which meant I started the first my first rotation on the first Tuesday (2 July) and finished on the following Tuesday.
If I had a "B" schedule, I would've started on the 9th and gone until the 16th. I have this schedule until Mar '19...new bids are made in early Nov for the following year that begins in April. Changes can be made but write to me privately if you want to know more.
My first rotation schedule consisted of the following:
Yes...completed 19 day initial training in MCO with Flight Safety...great experience, full service Marriott hotel w/ rental car provided to sim partner and I, $80 a day per diem for food ( not hard dollars, reimbursed with easy company app).
Company has new bidding for new hires and those who wish to trade their current schedule ( Tues or Wed start days of the week, 2 week on or flex) for something different. I got a Tues A which meant I started my first rotation on the first Tues of July...the B schedule would start the 2nd week of July.
First rotation was 16.7 hrs, 7 legs...on the light side in terms of avg flying I was told...need min of 50 hrs, 25 PF hrs & 25 legs..lots of items to brief/experience in IOE
2 July AA to JFK, picked up by CA who had flown into LGA and we drove 90 mins to KFOK (West Hampton, NY) for the night
3 July KFOK- KVNY (5+20 hr flight) with VVIP and guests, restocked after landing and went to hotel
4 July - woke up to earthquake, repo leg VNY-LGB, went to Marriott, done for day
5 July - departed 30 early due to possible wet runway in Kenosha, WI, 9AM with 4 VVIP paxs who arrived by private helo next to our plane...BTW, no early or late night flights on any trip so far thru 20 Jul.....very nice folks, dropped off pax ($100 tip!! per pilot..rare I'm told) and flew to KLNK to drop off plane for MX...LNK, GSO are primary MX bases..to the hotel
6 July KLNK- KJAC empty, RTB stayed at Grand Teton Lodge at ski resort..sweet..great food and scenery...cool place to land & take off...glad I've seen it without it being a blizzard.
7 July KJAC-KHPN 2 pax, very nice, dropped off and left airplane there..3 hr rental car drive to KACY and straight to the hotel, Hilton
8 July 1300 dep, no pax, repo to KPHL, left airplane and to the hotel near airport, Marriott
9 Departed next day at noon for SAT on AA...My CA had personal stuff going on after this trip.wanted to insure he wasn’t going to get back late evening impacting his plans...scheduling worked it to get him and therefore me too heading back home probably earlier than they wished but they worked it out...probably doesn’t happen a lot but from schedulers giving us choices for hotels and helping with rental cars...I was very impressed by the support.
2nd rotation:
16 July. SAT to PBI via Delta, to hotel
17 July met my Standards CA in the AM after he had flown down from RIC, he dropped off pax and his FO and I jumped in. PBI-TEB..first time in TEB and met some awesome FBO folks at Atlantic Aviation (preferred FBO choice for FBO...I can see why with the folks I met there). Cookout by employees and flew back later in day to Orlando Executive with 2 pax, father and daughter, very nice couple...stuck in lightning storm after landing and had to sit in airplane for 45 mins but the pax were cool with it waiting for it stop lightning. off to hotel...
18 Reposition plane after being on ground for an 1 hr and flew to Opalaka (N. of Miami) and picked up 1 pax for 4.4 hr trip to KMSO...overnight there and rental car to go out and visit with family and old friends at a family dude ranch, had great dinner and my CA thought it was great... Overnight there
19 July reposit plane from KMSO to British Columbia, experienced CANPASS, customs and salmon provided by Signature Aviation for free, picked up a couple and had the best line I've heard by any passenger anywhere or anytime. . Flew to East coast, 4.3 hrs and finished up on a reposit flt to TEB...overnighted there at new remodel Marriott full service
20 July Departed this morning, time to stop by Panera bread for salad and breakfast along the way (reimbursements for food, line tips, etc up to $80 a day...), suppose to leave at 12:30 PM, mx delay caused reshuffling of A/c and we departed at 1:30 PM to KBJC (Jeffco CO) with 2 nice pax and then I got to fly again (I've flown all of the empty legs so far...plane is easy to land but like any airplane, you can screw it up if you aren't paying attention)...off to Sonoma, CA ...great dinner out with CA in a vineyard...rental car any time you want one opens up to a lot of crew interaction, more so than I had a SWA....CA and FO share the points alternating when cars are rented (paid for by company)
21 July.off to White Plains (HPN) ironically with the same passenger I flew last week from JAC-HPN along with 2 other folks...off to the hotel
22 HPN-FOK (West Hampton NY) 8:40 AM Departure, 30 min flight only, FOK-VNY 5+10 flying time with 2 pax (very nice and appreciative), VNY-SJC reposition (+50 min)..done around 1630 ET for an 11+30 day...a full day according to the CA but it didn't feel any worse than a full day at SWA.
23 My replacement got in the night before, had dinner with him (a CA who chairs the standards committee) and my training CA (great guy who wold fit in great in SWA, Henry Liu!!!), flew out on UAL SJC-DEN, was due to connect DEN-SAT but flight was running 2 hrs late, dropped by good 'ole SWA and got a seat on the 10:45 AM and got home as scheduled originally (2 PM).
Off until it starts all over again on 30 July.....need a minimum of 50 hrs, 25 hrs of PF flying, 25 legs minimum total. No rush but both Standard Captains have been super helpful and fun to be with.
So far nothing has been a surprise other than it has exceeded my expectations...it is different than SWA in many ways and will be happy to discuss with anyone interested in learning more who may be thinking of dipping their toe into the 135 world.
Send me a PM or call if you wish to chat further...will post periodically to paint the picture.
Basic question, take home pay for me is a just slightly under $4000, paid on the 6th and 21st. I don't use Medicare or Tricare, Aetna is my primary, a get the full matching 401K deduction (the company matches the first $5000 dollar for dollar, vested after 3 yrs at XO)...that reduced my take home by about $700 a month and I live in a state with no state income taxes. Before taxes base pay for FOs with high time is $70K...lower than Flex or NJ.
Company puts in about $190 a month into a HSA that I use to pay for my copay and deductible for healthcare..net out of pocket experiences in a year with normal healthcare bills would be about $500 or so...I pay about $80 a month for dental and healthcare for wife and I for the insurance.
High deductible PPO HSA plan. No cost for preventative visits. Deductible is $3000, company contributes $2300/year to HSA. After deductible is met, you pay 10%.
Per Pay Period:
HSA $110
Dental $26
Vision $14 (buy up option)
Overall, couldn't be happier with the people, the airplane or the experience...great hotels, great travel opportunities on overnights due to rental car and lots of new places to practice "pilot stuff"...loading bags, doing TOLD, cleaning is all part of the price for having the other...pretty small price to pay, at least for me...as I said, mileage may vary.
WARNING: Not necessarily repeated at other 135 operators, mileage and experience may vary.
XO does several types of schedule, a Tuesday thru Tuesday schedule and a Wed - Wed schedule, 8 days on, 6 off. I have a Tuesday "A" schedule which meant I started the first my first rotation on the first Tuesday (2 July) and finished on the following Tuesday.
If I had a "B" schedule, I would've started on the 9th and gone until the 16th. I have this schedule until Mar '19...new bids are made in early Nov for the following year that begins in April. Changes can be made but write to me privately if you want to know more.
My first rotation schedule consisted of the following:
Yes...completed 19 day initial training in MCO with Flight Safety...great experience, full service Marriott hotel w/ rental car provided to sim partner and I, $80 a day per diem for food ( not hard dollars, reimbursed with easy company app).
Company has new bidding for new hires and those who wish to trade their current schedule ( Tues or Wed start days of the week, 2 week on or flex) for something different. I got a Tues A which meant I started my first rotation on the first Tues of July...the B schedule would start the 2nd week of July.
First rotation was 16.7 hrs, 7 legs...on the light side in terms of avg flying I was told...need min of 50 hrs, 25 PF hrs & 25 legs..lots of items to brief/experience in IOE
2 July AA to JFK, picked up by CA who had flown into LGA and we drove 90 mins to KFOK (West Hampton, NY) for the night
3 July KFOK- KVNY (5+20 hr flight) with VVIP and guests, restocked after landing and went to hotel
4 July - woke up to earthquake, repo leg VNY-LGB, went to Marriott, done for day
5 July - departed 30 early due to possible wet runway in Kenosha, WI, 9AM with 4 VVIP paxs who arrived by private helo next to our plane...BTW, no early or late night flights on any trip so far thru 20 Jul.....very nice folks, dropped off pax ($100 tip!! per pilot..rare I'm told) and flew to KLNK to drop off plane for MX...LNK, GSO are primary MX bases..to the hotel
6 July KLNK- KJAC empty, RTB stayed at Grand Teton Lodge at ski resort..sweet..great food and scenery...cool place to land & take off...glad I've seen it without it being a blizzard.
7 July KJAC-KHPN 2 pax, very nice, dropped off and left airplane there..3 hr rental car drive to KACY and straight to the hotel, Hilton
8 July 1300 dep, no pax, repo to KPHL, left airplane and to the hotel near airport, Marriott
9 Departed next day at noon for SAT on AA...My CA had personal stuff going on after this trip.wanted to insure he wasn’t going to get back late evening impacting his plans...scheduling worked it to get him and therefore me too heading back home probably earlier than they wished but they worked it out...probably doesn’t happen a lot but from schedulers giving us choices for hotels and helping with rental cars...I was very impressed by the support.
2nd rotation:
16 July. SAT to PBI via Delta, to hotel
17 July met my Standards CA in the AM after he had flown down from RIC, he dropped off pax and his FO and I jumped in. PBI-TEB..first time in TEB and met some awesome FBO folks at Atlantic Aviation (preferred FBO choice for FBO...I can see why with the folks I met there). Cookout by employees and flew back later in day to Orlando Executive with 2 pax, father and daughter, very nice couple...stuck in lightning storm after landing and had to sit in airplane for 45 mins but the pax were cool with it waiting for it stop lightning. off to hotel...
18 Reposition plane after being on ground for an 1 hr and flew to Opalaka (N. of Miami) and picked up 1 pax for 4.4 hr trip to KMSO...overnight there and rental car to go out and visit with family and old friends at a family dude ranch, had great dinner and my CA thought it was great... Overnight there
19 July reposit plane from KMSO to British Columbia, experienced CANPASS, customs and salmon provided by Signature Aviation for free, picked up a couple and had the best line I've heard by any passenger anywhere or anytime. . Flew to East coast, 4.3 hrs and finished up on a reposit flt to TEB...overnighted there at new remodel Marriott full service
20 July Departed this morning, time to stop by Panera bread for salad and breakfast along the way (reimbursements for food, line tips, etc up to $80 a day...), suppose to leave at 12:30 PM, mx delay caused reshuffling of A/c and we departed at 1:30 PM to KBJC (Jeffco CO) with 2 nice pax and then I got to fly again (I've flown all of the empty legs so far...plane is easy to land but like any airplane, you can screw it up if you aren't paying attention)...off to Sonoma, CA ...great dinner out with CA in a vineyard...rental car any time you want one opens up to a lot of crew interaction, more so than I had a SWA....CA and FO share the points alternating when cars are rented (paid for by company)
21 July.off to White Plains (HPN) ironically with the same passenger I flew last week from JAC-HPN along with 2 other folks...off to the hotel
22 HPN-FOK (West Hampton NY) 8:40 AM Departure, 30 min flight only, FOK-VNY 5+10 flying time with 2 pax (very nice and appreciative), VNY-SJC reposition (+50 min)..done around 1630 ET for an 11+30 day...a full day according to the CA but it didn't feel any worse than a full day at SWA.
23 My replacement got in the night before, had dinner with him (a CA who chairs the standards committee) and my training CA (great guy who wold fit in great in SWA, Henry Liu!!!), flew out on UAL SJC-DEN, was due to connect DEN-SAT but flight was running 2 hrs late, dropped by good 'ole SWA and got a seat on the 10:45 AM and got home as scheduled originally (2 PM).
Off until it starts all over again on 30 July.....need a minimum of 50 hrs, 25 hrs of PF flying, 25 legs minimum total. No rush but both Standard Captains have been super helpful and fun to be with.
So far nothing has been a surprise other than it has exceeded my expectations...it is different than SWA in many ways and will be happy to discuss with anyone interested in learning more who may be thinking of dipping their toe into the 135 world.
Send me a PM or call if you wish to chat further...will post periodically to paint the picture.
Basic question, take home pay for me is a just slightly under $4000, paid on the 6th and 21st. I don't use Medicare or Tricare, Aetna is my primary, a get the full matching 401K deduction (the company matches the first $5000 dollar for dollar, vested after 3 yrs at XO)...that reduced my take home by about $700 a month and I live in a state with no state income taxes. Before taxes base pay for FOs with high time is $70K...lower than Flex or NJ.
Company puts in about $190 a month into a HSA that I use to pay for my copay and deductible for healthcare..net out of pocket experiences in a year with normal healthcare bills would be about $500 or so...I pay about $80 a month for dental and healthcare for wife and I for the insurance.
High deductible PPO HSA plan. No cost for preventative visits. Deductible is $3000, company contributes $2300/year to HSA. After deductible is met, you pay 10%.
Per Pay Period:
HSA $110
Dental $26
Vision $14 (buy up option)
Overall, couldn't be happier with the people, the airplane or the experience...great hotels, great travel opportunities on overnights due to rental car and lots of new places to practice "pilot stuff"...loading bags, doing TOLD, cleaning is all part of the price for having the other...pretty small price to pay, at least for me...as I said, mileage may vary.
07-26-2019, 02:26 PM
#1674
Line Holder
Joined APC: Apr 2016
Posts: 44
Chase.... great write up. It’s so refreshing to see this kind of detail. Very much appreciated.
Random question about XO, the APC profile says No hat, no tie, no epaulettes. What are the uniform requirements? I see the pictures on their site of polo shirts. Is this standard or are there other options such as long sleeves, etc..?
Random question about XO, the APC profile says No hat, no tie, no epaulettes. What are the uniform requirements? I see the pictures on their site of polo shirts. Is this standard or are there other options such as long sleeves, etc..?
07-26-2019, 03:16 PM
#1675
XOJET Citation X
Joined APC: Mar 2005
Position: DO, Baker Aviation, Citation X
Posts: 316
No tie, no stripes, they provide 6 button up shirts made of a wrinkle free synthetic...they do have a polo version but are not issued..mostly folks who have been here awhile wear those.
2 grayish pants also provided along with a pullover, black jacket and vest liner...new pants every 6 months..not sure about shirts. Short sleeve or long sleeve is your option.
Also, just announced XOoperations center and Brisbane office will be moved from MCC CA to S FL..No details on where in S FL
2 grayish pants also provided along with a pullover, black jacket and vest liner...new pants every 6 months..not sure about shirts. Short sleeve or long sleeve is your option.
Also, just announced XOoperations center and Brisbane office will be moved from MCC CA to S FL..No details on where in S FL
07-26-2019, 05:09 PM
#1677
XOJET Citation X
Joined APC: Mar 2005
Position: DO, Baker Aviation, Citation X
Posts: 316
Yes..19.5 yrs. Loved flying..looked around for the right fit and so far it has exceeded expectations.
Limited data and realize things change but my experiences describes above are my experiences.
Another former 121 (Piedmont, US Air, Emirates) was sim partner and his experiences are similar to mine.
One former 121 guy I heard of left, his wife didn't like him gone so much..not his choice..several other retired 121 also are here and appear happy..if you want more info just PM me..happy to chat also via phone.
Good luck
Limited data and realize things change but my experiences describes above are my experiences.
Another former 121 (Piedmont, US Air, Emirates) was sim partner and his experiences are similar to mine.
One former 121 guy I heard of left, his wife didn't like him gone so much..not his choice..several other retired 121 also are here and appear happy..if you want more info just PM me..happy to chat also via phone.
Good luck
07-26-2019, 05:39 PM
#1678
New Hire
Joined APC: Sep 2018
Posts: 7
Originally Posted by chase
Yes..19.5 yrs. Loved flying..looked around for the right fit and so far it has exceeded expectations.
Limited data and realize things change but my experiences describes above are my experiences.
Another former 121 (Piedmont, US Air, Emirates) was sim partner and his experiences are similar to mine.
One former 121 guy I heard of left, his wife didn't like him gone so much..not his choice..several other retired 121 also are here and appear happy..if you want more info just PM me..happy to chat also via phone.
Good luck
Limited data and realize things change but my experiences describes above are my experiences.
Another former 121 (Piedmont, US Air, Emirates) was sim partner and his experiences are similar to mine.
One former 121 guy I heard of left, his wife didn't like him gone so much..not his choice..several other retired 121 also are here and appear happy..if you want more info just PM me..happy to chat also via phone.
Good luck
07-26-2019, 06:48 PM
#1679
XOJET Citation X
Joined APC: Mar 2005
Position: DO, Baker Aviation, Citation X
Posts: 316
Originally Posted by propilot123
It isn great to read your experiences. I start class on Aug 26. Can’t wait to start. When did they tell you what airplane you were going to be on.
07-26-2019, 07:10 PM
#1680
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Mar 2015
Posts: 201
Originally Posted by ak68W
We have the same HW policy as well.
Also on the insurance, after deductible is met you do pay 10% up to 5k then everything is covered.
Also on the insurance, after deductible is met you do pay 10% up to 5k then everything is covered.
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