I enjoy the 15/13. Gives more time at home. You don’t need an informant to say this place isn’t perfect. No place is. Get your time and leave. Stay if you like, some enjoy it.

 

What are the typical start days for the 8/6 15/13? Can you request a specific day?

 

Crew swops are typically staggered on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, & Thursdays; depending on fleet. You can certainly request a certain swop day with crew scheduling, they are good about working with folks.

 

Thanks for the fast reply - Will be submitting my app very soon!

 

I saw an ad on the Orange Site today. They listed several airframes. How are assignments determined if one is not already typed?

 

Small to large (based on company needs) but no larger then the excel. So Cj3 encore or excel depending on experience. If they give you a choice of encore or excel take the excel.

Personal note. I highly recommend getting in depth reviews from current and former guys who left…..me personally I can’t recommend this place. Some of the previous posts here paint a grim picture and for the most part are true. Otherwise go ahead and apply if you like, get the type, give them a year and leave at the minimum. (Some have got the type and left in a couple months) If you like working there stick around long enough and you can upgrade to larger planes.

 

Hey 250,

I hope that you are doing well and enjoying your new flying gig. You have made some valid points in the past, but things have changed drastically here even in the last 4 months here.. So to quote Notorious B.I.G... "So if ya' don't know, now ya' know...", LOL. We are back on salary with annual step increases vs. daily rate pay from Covid-19, our per diem has increased to one of the highest rates among our competitors at $66/day, starting FO Salary has increased by $10,000, we now pay $10,000 extra incentivizing the 15/13 schedule if you take it, you now go to years of service pay rate when you upgrade (not to 1st year Captain rate), 401K has increased, and improvements to family rate insurance is improving in 2022.. All these improvements, at least 1 per month, since June 2021! I don't know when you left, but things have definitely have changed for the better. Combine that with the most flexible home basing policy in the industry (I live on both coasts and I'm not the only one..), quick upgrades, and a set schedule that you know a year in advance (that nobody messes with..i.e., Junior Manning, Jumpseating, Crash Pads, Displacements, Base Closures, Downgrades, Furloughs, Company Shutdowns, etc.. Been there, done that), you can see that we are a young Company that is rapidly gaining and improving. Ask any NetJets, SWA, UPS, FDX old timer about what their pay and QOL was less than 20 years ago.. In 2002, Flight Options was the place to be over NetJets, where you had to live near 5 domiciles and be there 12 hours in advance of your duty on. Starting PIC was only $35,000 less than 20 years ago. Prior to 09/11/2001, pilots were leaving UPS, FDX, SWA, etc. in droves to go to the "Majors". Pilots were similarly trying to get out of NetJets prior to their Contract '05. Now we don't have Berkshire Hathaway or Warren Buffet backing us, but who knows where this only 6.5 year old company will go... One things for sure, we are growing exponentially and moving compensation, benefits, and QOL in the right direction. Not perfect, but definitely gaining and improving while keeping ridiculously friendly policies like allowing pilots to fly out of DHN, EWN, OAJ, and even a commuter from Italy. We have gone from nothing to the 5th largest (soon to be #4) 135 operator in 6.5 years!

We are losing younger pilots to NetJets (which makes total sense because they have a generous and hard fought CBA, and a long upgrade doesn't scare someone in their 20's). We have lost some other pilots to Frontier, FedEx, Spirit, AA, and Delta, which also makes sense, but we are no longer losing pilots making lateral moves to other 135 operators (we did lose some before the pay raises, though. Did I mention that we were one of the only aviation companies on the PLANET that not only didn't issue drastic pay cuts, furlough, terminate, shut down, etc. last April, but we actually grew by adding airplanes, building infrastructure, and hiring many employees (not just pilots). Our pilots sat at home with full pay while other bigger operators issued draconian pay cuts or forced leave of absences. This put us in the position to be ready to go with planes and pilots when the flood gates opened last May, even more so in June when we broke our all time record, and when we broke it again in December. We broke our 5 year goal 3 months early in 2020, have already exceeded our 2023 goals, and our poised to exceed our 2025 goals next year.

Finally, 250, while the growth, pay, and QOL improvements have been dizzying in the past few months (8 more jets before the end of 2021 bringing us to 85 announced at our monthly Family Teams meeting yesterday), we retain an atmosphere and policies that are rare. One of which is that if you left here under good standing (i.e., gave 2 weeks notice and fulfilled your one year pro-rated training contract..), our DO will welcome you back with open arms.

Take care and have fun at your new gig. If you left more than 4 months ago, you might not recognize the place. While I have really enjoyed working here since Spring of 2018, I can hardly recognize the place myself. Your posts about the Company, while not always complimentary, have been thoughtful and respectful, unlike a few of our trolls, and I appreciate that and your opinion. I didn't apply here in 2018 for quite a while due to some of the trolls on here... I am glad that I ignored them.

Again, take care and be safe.

 

Hey Jason,

Our fleet type assignments are based upon Company needs, your experience, and your preference.. For morale and known quality purposes, the Company tries at all costs to avoid hiring street Captains. This enables pilots from within to move up to the bigger jets. However, just a few days ago, we announced that we are hiring a limited number of street Captains because not everyone wanted to go further and faster in a bigger jet and opted to stay in their current fleets.

But when you get the call, just ask for what you want and if qualified you just might get it. Good luck!

 

Hey Guys, how many letters of recommendation do I need in FE to upgrade to Captain?

Thanks

 

Hey Condor,

2 Letters of Recommendation are required to upgrade per the FCM..

Let us know if you need any additional questions answered..