All good words. On top of that, my long overnight is after I do a 4-5 hour duty day. Not a 12-14 hour day which is NJA standard.

Ugh, you guys brought back some bad memories. Hope all the good dudes at NJA that want work elsewhere find it. They deserve it.

Appreciate the good thoughts brother, NJA has become a farm team for SWA, and UPS , you can’t keep em down on the farm : )

NetJets Phone Interview and Information
 

Wow. We’re really digging deep on this one guys.

The Phenom, like any new aircraft program, had some growing pains as NJA took a Part 23 airplane and applied to to daily, robust usage.

The brakes issue was successfully dealt with. No further events have occurred here as a result of everyone’s efforts.

The airframe is a performer that is well liked by Owners and Pilots (although it can be a bit tight) once they know how to use it efficiently.


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Yep, I was on the Phenom from about 6 months after they arrived at NJA until spring of last year. Huge difference in reliability. Early on lots and lots of issues, like GCU's that were too sensitive to GPU power, we would have to pull power and do battery starts. I remember oil leaks being an issue. And a number of avionics issues, like the "takeoff data can not be set in the air" or some similar message that would make the FMS unusable for that leg. And the lav privacy doors were a Rube Goldberg nightmare, way too complicated. Just loved telling Thurston and Lovey "btw, if you want to use the lav you'll have to do it in front of everyone":rolleyes: I actually had to go back inflight once to rescue a pax from the lav after the door jammed when they tried to come out.

But eventually Embraer worked out all these bugs. By last spring the jets were getting disgustingly reliable. And when they did break there were enough uncrewed Phenoms that you were otw to a new jet within an hour or two.

The brake issue that caused 322 to go off the runway was dealt with by a software change and new procedures where you do not touch the Emer Brake unless you have a brake CAS or hydraulic message. The crew was hydroplaning and thought they had lost brakes. Emer brake was applied, and with no anti-skid protection the tires locked up and just steam-cleaned the runway. They had so much energy departing the runway they went thru 300-400ft of soft mud before hitting the ditch.

Makes me appreciate the mighty XL : )

The Phenom 300 isn’t a bad airplane for what it is. However NJA turns it into a freaking nightmare for pilots. Removing 4 inches of cockpit room out of a standard Phenom proved to cost the company a ton of money and lots of good pilots who couldn’t fit inside it.

It would be a fantastic owner operated part 91, or a normal 135 airplane, but the slave ship that NetJets turns it into makes it miserable. I haven’t met a NetJets pilot yet that cannot wait to get back in and do another leg lol, spoiler alert, they don’t exist.

Having flown both the XLS and The Phenom, I prefer the comfort of the XL.

I'd be interested in hearing about any FO's that have voluntarily bid into the Phenom.
#worstfleet

Also, are guys still getting the FMS and instrumentation outage going into Hobby?

Schedule?
 

It looks like there is a new contract with different types of schedules. I was wondering:

1. Is it always a 7/7 schedule regardless if you are on a 52-day/60/72/76 day schedule?

2. How do these schedules work?
52-day Schedule (avg 13 days per month)
60-day Schedule (avg 15 days per month)
72-day Schedule (avg 18 days per month)
76-day Schedule (avg 19 days per month)

3. Is it hard for a new FO to get a 60 or 52-day schedule?

4. How does the 7/7 shift work with these 52,60,72 and 76-day schedules?

Also, what aircraft can you expect as a new FO? Is it hard to get a different aircraft?

Thanks!!

No. The schedules other than the 7/7 use a Preferential Bid System. You can input preferences like "I want a specific day off" or "I want to work holidays" or "I prefer short tours." The system weighs the preferences, and spits out a schedule that may or may not line up with all (or any) of what you want. That schedule is delivered by the 15th of the month prior.


You'll work 52, 60, 72, or 76 days in a 4-month bid period. That averages to 13, 15, 18, or 19 days a month, respectively, and the pay is adjusted accordingly. They can do add or subtract up to two days in a given month, so on the 76-day schedule, you may work 21 days a month for two months, then 17 days the following two. You have no control over this.

52-day, yes, very hard. I couldn't even get it as a 10-year FO. 60-day is probably possible, but I'd suggest the 7/7 instead, as it pays the same and is more predictable.

Different animal. The optional 7/7 slide only applies to the 7/7 schedule. The XX-day schedules use the monthly PBS.

A Phenom 300 slot is very, very likely.

After the 36-month seat lock, you can put in for any open aircraft bid. That said, it took me ten years to get in the right seat of something bigger than the Excel. Hopefully it won't be that long at this point, but it's possible, since the company frequently does "displacement bids" for retiring fleets, and uses those to fill seats rather than open bids.

New hires have been going into the Latitude too, I believe.