Thrive Aviation (KLAS)
10-08-2021, 10:51 AM
#11
Line Holder
Joined APC: Feb 2018
Posts: 60
THE BAD
The pay is low; about $340 a day for FOs on the super-midsize jets like the sovereign. Less than $60k a year base pay is what that comes out to with opportunities to make more of course.
PIC pay is $550 per day, just shy of $100k annually for the same fleet type as above.
Home basing… kinda. Thrive started “floating” their fleet during 2020 for COVID reasons and home basing had something to do with that, but they seem selective about where and how far from KLAS they want you to live. If you can’t drive to a MAJOR airport like ORD or ATL then they might pass on you, depending on what the CP thinks about you. More on that in a moment. Operationally it’s better to just move to Vegas.
You can apply on whatever airplane but the CP has the final say on what airplane you end up working in. This affects the money you can make.
12 month training contract, prorated. Seems pretty much industry standard honestly.
new company with some growing pains.
Mysterious owners/investors with casino background. Not necessarily bad, just unique to Vegas.
THE GOOD
They claim to own all their own airplanes, 14 total in the fleet as of now, with seriously aggressive growth. They’re looking to acquire 36 more airplanes by 2025! Seems like a lot of opportunity to grow within the company if, and it’s a big IF, they can be competitive enough to attract and retain pilots.
Nice and new equipment. That Longitude tho!
opportunities for being dual-typed; you get paid based on what you fly that day. A rotation on the falcon would pay more than the baby citation, but for those nerds that like that kind of variety it’s there if you want it.
They put a heavy emphasis on culture and core values. They seem to value authenticity and sincerity among their employees. On the surface, and as an outsider looking in, it seems as refreshing as their branding. Who knows if it’s just their spin on the customer service attitude they want you to have, but it adds to their enthusiastic “startup” vibe. I know they hired at least one furloughed legacy airline pilot in 2020. A lot of 135 companies won’t do that for reasons that have been explained elsewhere on APC. To me that’s a respectable move on Thrives part that points to their core values meaning a little more than just empty sloganeering.
I think they have about 60sih pilots on property. About 8 of them just upgraded.
schedule: 15 on/13 off…or…8 on/6 off
No info on medical, 401k, or ASAP program.
BOTTOM LINE
I personally want to like this place. Idk what’s going on but a LOT of people with a LOT of money see a LOT of growth and potential in private aviation right now. I’ve seen growth in fleets across the board in the 135 sector of aviation and Thrive aviation’s plan to gain 36 airplanes in about 4 years is evidence of that. It may turn out to be a sneaky good place to work the original XOjet. OR it could turn out to be a polished turd. A mafia type business that cuts annoying or dangerous corners just save money. If you’re young, live in Vegas and don’t want to be a typical airline boner Thrive could be a good place to start out and grow within the company. For those regional pilots that are burnt out on the toxic relationship your management has with your union/pilot group, the youthful energy and camaraderie that comes with working for a startup might make you hate your life less.
I’ll post more when I learn more.
The pay is low; about $340 a day for FOs on the super-midsize jets like the sovereign. Less than $60k a year base pay is what that comes out to with opportunities to make more of course.
PIC pay is $550 per day, just shy of $100k annually for the same fleet type as above.
Home basing… kinda. Thrive started “floating” their fleet during 2020 for COVID reasons and home basing had something to do with that, but they seem selective about where and how far from KLAS they want you to live. If you can’t drive to a MAJOR airport like ORD or ATL then they might pass on you, depending on what the CP thinks about you. More on that in a moment. Operationally it’s better to just move to Vegas.
You can apply on whatever airplane but the CP has the final say on what airplane you end up working in. This affects the money you can make.
12 month training contract, prorated. Seems pretty much industry standard honestly.
new company with some growing pains.
Mysterious owners/investors with casino background. Not necessarily bad, just unique to Vegas.
THE GOOD
They claim to own all their own airplanes, 14 total in the fleet as of now, with seriously aggressive growth. They’re looking to acquire 36 more airplanes by 2025! Seems like a lot of opportunity to grow within the company if, and it’s a big IF, they can be competitive enough to attract and retain pilots.
Nice and new equipment. That Longitude tho!
opportunities for being dual-typed; you get paid based on what you fly that day. A rotation on the falcon would pay more than the baby citation, but for those nerds that like that kind of variety it’s there if you want it.
They put a heavy emphasis on culture and core values. They seem to value authenticity and sincerity among their employees. On the surface, and as an outsider looking in, it seems as refreshing as their branding. Who knows if it’s just their spin on the customer service attitude they want you to have, but it adds to their enthusiastic “startup” vibe. I know they hired at least one furloughed legacy airline pilot in 2020. A lot of 135 companies won’t do that for reasons that have been explained elsewhere on APC. To me that’s a respectable move on Thrives part that points to their core values meaning a little more than just empty sloganeering.
I think they have about 60sih pilots on property. About 8 of them just upgraded.
schedule: 15 on/13 off…or…8 on/6 off
No info on medical, 401k, or ASAP program.
BOTTOM LINE
I personally want to like this place. Idk what’s going on but a LOT of people with a LOT of money see a LOT of growth and potential in private aviation right now. I’ve seen growth in fleets across the board in the 135 sector of aviation and Thrive aviation’s plan to gain 36 airplanes in about 4 years is evidence of that. It may turn out to be a sneaky good place to work the original XOjet. OR it could turn out to be a polished turd. A mafia type business that cuts annoying or dangerous corners just save money. If you’re young, live in Vegas and don’t want to be a typical airline boner Thrive could be a good place to start out and grow within the company. For those regional pilots that are burnt out on the toxic relationship your management has with your union/pilot group, the youthful energy and camaraderie that comes with working for a startup might make you hate your life less.
I’ll post more when I learn more.
10-08-2021, 05:54 PM
#12
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Nov 2017
Posts: 2,235
Originally Posted by MedSledDriver
THE BAD
The pay is low; about $340 a day for FOs on the super-midsize jets like the sovereign. Less than $60k a year base pay is what that comes out to with opportunities to make more of course.
PIC pay is $550 per day, just shy of $100k annually for the same fleet type as above.
Home basing… kinda. Thrive started “floating” their fleet during 2020 for COVID reasons and home basing had something to do with that, but they seem selective about where and how far from KLAS they want you to live. If you can’t drive to a MAJOR airport like ORD or ATL then they might pass on you, depending on what the CP thinks about you. More on that in a moment. Operationally it’s better to just move to Vegas.
You can apply on whatever airplane but the CP has the final say on what airplane you end up working in. This affects the money you can make.
12 month training contract, prorated. Seems pretty much industry standard honestly.
new company with some growing pains.
Mysterious owners/investors with casino background. Not necessarily bad, just unique to Vegas.
THE GOOD
They claim to own all their own airplanes, 14 total in the fleet as of now, with seriously aggressive growth. They’re looking to acquire 36 more airplanes by 2025! Seems like a lot of opportunity to grow within the company if, and it’s a big IF, they can be competitive enough to attract and retain pilots.
Nice and new equipment. That Longitude tho!
opportunities for being dual-typed; you get paid based on what you fly that day. A rotation on the falcon would pay more than the baby citation, but for those nerds that like that kind of variety it’s there if you want it.
They put a heavy emphasis on culture and core values. They seem to value authenticity and sincerity among their employees. On the surface, and as an outsider looking in, it seems as refreshing as their branding. Who knows if it’s just their spin on the customer service attitude they want you to have, but it adds to their enthusiastic “startup” vibe. I know they hired at least one furloughed legacy airline pilot in 2020. A lot of 135 companies won’t do that for reasons that have been explained elsewhere on APC. To me that’s a respectable move on Thrives part that points to their core values meaning a little more than just empty sloganeering.
I think they have about 60sih pilots on property. About 8 of them just upgraded.
schedule: 15 on/13 off…or…8 on/6 off
No info on medical, 401k, or ASAP program.
BOTTOM LINE
I personally want to like this place. Idk what’s going on but a LOT of people with a LOT of money see a LOT of growth and potential in private aviation right now. I’ve seen growth in fleets across the board in the 135 sector of aviation and Thrive aviation’s plan to gain 36 airplanes in about 4 years is evidence of that. It may turn out to be a sneaky good place to work the original XOjet. OR it could turn out to be a polished turd. A mafia type business that cuts annoying or dangerous corners just save money. If you’re young, live in Vegas and don’t want to be a typical airline boner Thrive could be a good place to start out and grow within the company. For those regional pilots that are burnt out on the toxic relationship your management has with your union/pilot group, the youthful energy and camaraderie that comes with working for a startup might make you hate your life less.
I’ll post more when I learn more.
The pay is low; about $340 a day for FOs on the super-midsize jets like the sovereign. Less than $60k a year base pay is what that comes out to with opportunities to make more of course.
PIC pay is $550 per day, just shy of $100k annually for the same fleet type as above.
Home basing… kinda. Thrive started “floating” their fleet during 2020 for COVID reasons and home basing had something to do with that, but they seem selective about where and how far from KLAS they want you to live. If you can’t drive to a MAJOR airport like ORD or ATL then they might pass on you, depending on what the CP thinks about you. More on that in a moment. Operationally it’s better to just move to Vegas.
You can apply on whatever airplane but the CP has the final say on what airplane you end up working in. This affects the money you can make.
12 month training contract, prorated. Seems pretty much industry standard honestly.
new company with some growing pains.
Mysterious owners/investors with casino background. Not necessarily bad, just unique to Vegas.
THE GOOD
They claim to own all their own airplanes, 14 total in the fleet as of now, with seriously aggressive growth. They’re looking to acquire 36 more airplanes by 2025! Seems like a lot of opportunity to grow within the company if, and it’s a big IF, they can be competitive enough to attract and retain pilots.
Nice and new equipment. That Longitude tho!
opportunities for being dual-typed; you get paid based on what you fly that day. A rotation on the falcon would pay more than the baby citation, but for those nerds that like that kind of variety it’s there if you want it.
They put a heavy emphasis on culture and core values. They seem to value authenticity and sincerity among their employees. On the surface, and as an outsider looking in, it seems as refreshing as their branding. Who knows if it’s just their spin on the customer service attitude they want you to have, but it adds to their enthusiastic “startup” vibe. I know they hired at least one furloughed legacy airline pilot in 2020. A lot of 135 companies won’t do that for reasons that have been explained elsewhere on APC. To me that’s a respectable move on Thrives part that points to their core values meaning a little more than just empty sloganeering.
I think they have about 60sih pilots on property. About 8 of them just upgraded.
schedule: 15 on/13 off…or…8 on/6 off
No info on medical, 401k, or ASAP program.
BOTTOM LINE
I personally want to like this place. Idk what’s going on but a LOT of people with a LOT of money see a LOT of growth and potential in private aviation right now. I’ve seen growth in fleets across the board in the 135 sector of aviation and Thrive aviation’s plan to gain 36 airplanes in about 4 years is evidence of that. It may turn out to be a sneaky good place to work the original XOjet. OR it could turn out to be a polished turd. A mafia type business that cuts annoying or dangerous corners just save money. If you’re young, live in Vegas and don’t want to be a typical airline boner Thrive could be a good place to start out and grow within the company. For those regional pilots that are burnt out on the toxic relationship your management has with your union/pilot group, the youthful energy and camaraderie that comes with working for a startup might make you hate your life less.
I’ll post more when I learn more.
10-25-2021, 12:45 PM
#13
New Hire
Joined APC: Oct 2013
Posts: 9
Used to work there a few years ago before they became Thrive. The owner came from nothing and has a great story but is very particular on how he wants the Jets flown. Could have changed now they have their own 135 vs operating under someone else’s. Jets are all awesome/new and they do own them all outright, but you will work your rear end off. I can answer any questions you might have, again it has been a few years for myself, but I did know a Capt. I knew while I was there go back to them to fly for a bit and recently leave again.
12-23-2021, 07:44 AM
#15
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Mar 2008
Position: Standing in front of the tank with a shopping bag
Posts: 918
Please say a prayer for your pilot, RB..
Hey all,
I don’t know anyone there so I am firing in the blind about one of your pilots. Yesterday, one of your Lattitude pilots, RB, had a serious heart attack and was undergoing surgery last night. He was recovering but could definitely use your prayers.
Thanks,
I don’t know anyone there so I am firing in the blind about one of your pilots. Yesterday, one of your Lattitude pilots, RB, had a serious heart attack and was undergoing surgery last night. He was recovering but could definitely use your prayers.
Thanks,
12-23-2021, 02:51 PM
#16
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Feb 2006
Position: B-737NG preferably in first class with a glass of champagne and caviar
Posts: 5,906
Originally Posted by B727DRVR
Hey all,
I don’t know anyone there so I am firing in the blind about one of your pilots. Yesterday, one of your Lattitude pilots, RB, had a serious heart attack and was undergoing surgery last night. He was recovering but could definitely use your prayers.
Thanks,
I don’t know anyone there so I am firing in the blind about one of your pilots. Yesterday, one of your Lattitude pilots, RB, had a serious heart attack and was undergoing surgery last night. He was recovering but could definitely use your prayers.
Thanks,
The power of thoughts of well wishes is some of the most curative actions.
02-09-2022, 04:11 PM
#18
On Reserve
Joined APC: Aug 2018
Posts: 13
Originally Posted by FlamingoProp
Looks like Thrive is picking up a G600 quite soon… They have job postings for FO and CA spots.
New Payscale just went in to effect with annualized salaries rather than a day rate which is nice.
New Payscale just went in to effect with annualized salaries rather than a day rate which is nice.
02-26-2022, 10:22 PM
#19
New Hire
Joined APC: Nov 2021
Posts: 1
Thrive Aviation 2022 Update
Thrive Aviation is a great place for a young pilot to get his/her first type and build flight time fast and move on. If you are in need of a job while looking for something else, great. Fulfill the contract, maybe get a second type from them and get out. If you're looking for the long term, want a happy fulfilling career.
DON’T DO IT!
On the first meeting and impression, the management presents well with a positive “new company and opportunities” attitude. They sell CULTure and the “thrive tribe” atmosphere with core values like it is a family style company. That shine wears off very fast when you learn it is all a facade. In the interview they’ll preach quality of life and balance. They want you to think the pay is competitive and this is a place to hang your hat and retire from. They say family is valued and personal life is important. That is all a blatant lie. Expect to be ridden hard and put away wet. Oh, you have a sudden family emergency or important child’s event that may come up? You just might get a write up in your file if you choose family or company. HR could care less and is ruthless. If they call you back. Don’t get hurt, they definitely will ignore you then.
The pay structure has recently changed to attract new hires but that’s it. The pilots with 2+ years tenure were reduced or aligned in “pay grade” that is equal to new hire status. Years with company mean NOTHING. Seniority means NOTHING at thrive aviation. The pay is based on time in the seat, not with the company. They juggle the “Grades” around to minimize financial growth. Example, If you were hired on as a young pilot FO in the light jets (CJ3/m2) at grade 1 and spent 2 years to upgrade to PIC, back to grade 1 you go. Then say one more year there (grade 2 light jet PIC and 3 years with company) and you want to upgrade to a bigger plane. Grade 1 again. So now your 4, maybe 5, years in and new hires in that plane are the same pay as you. Sounds fair, Right! At that rate of upgrade, it would take 7+ years to make in a Sovereign/Longitude what other companies pay in a year or 2.
A friend just told me they canceled all PTO for the Sovereign fleet for half the year of 2022 due to pilots leaving the company and not accepting offer letters. Like that is the pilot's fault and they need to suffer? (signs a great company, right!)
Make sure you ask about “SICK DAYS”. They do not exist. You use your vacation days (PTO) if you become ill. Oh yeah and the CDC mandatory 5 covid days you’re forced to miss if you come in contact with someone who has covid (not sick yourself). Yep… vacation days gone. You start with 7 days and gain 1 day per year up to 12 days in total, with a max of 5 days rolled over if not used previously. Not much for a long term career.
It would not be fair to discuss some positives of the company:
For the most part the flight crews are a bunch of great people. It would be a difficult task to not get along with anyone you will fly with on any fleet.
The dual type is nice with an extra 5K for the year. But beware, you will work that much harder with little compensation in the end.
The company runs the flights well. They finally limited the days to 13/11 hours because 4 and 5 consecutive max duty / min rest days were getting ridiculous. ( FYI; no bonus or overtime pay for working harder like Net Jets. just do it and be happy)
A flight support team that does “OK” at helping. They are mostly concerned with CYA and expenses than actually helping the crews. They have NO consideration for you off duty time. If you allow it, they will call you at all hours and days off wanting more and give NO time to plan out a day with 4 legs. One hour show and you better get your planning done on your time at home. Sound legal?
The Vegas base has a ground crew that receives the planes doing a good job cleaning and prepping. As with the thrive CULTure, the manager there is a liar and backstabber so be careful with that. He will not hesitate to call the chief pilot and make waves if he gets his panties in a twist.
They are buying planes at a rapid rate and offer movement after a year. The planes are mostly new so that is nice.
The m2/CJ3+ fleet is getting long in the tooth and breakdown often with close to 5k hard hours on them.
The Sovereign fleet looks great on the outside with the cool company paint scheme but are definite hangar queens that are down frequently.
The new Longitudes are beautiful and are great planes. There are 2 and looking to get more.
A G600 was announced a while ago. The pay has not been released to the public but I guarantee it will not be great with a really messed up schedule. Guarantee if you have a multi day sit somewhere. Those will be converted to ‘OFF DAYS” and back to work you go.
In Conclusion:
Honestly, it is hard to muster many positives about thrive aviation. The toxic environment of lies and drama is exhausting. The sacrifice to family and stress is not worth their manipulative pay structure and long days. The DO/VP (yes, it's a conflict of interest) is a master at lip service and has no intention of doing what is best for you. He seems so nice and his brother too “the CEO”. They will hold you back if you have any conflict. The Chief Pilot seems to care but will turn on a dime if crossed. It all feels so good at first. It takes about 3 weeks to 2 months to realize things don’t smell right. The underlying stress working at thrive sneaks up on you and is not fun.
DON’T DO IT!
On the first meeting and impression, the management presents well with a positive “new company and opportunities” attitude. They sell CULTure and the “thrive tribe” atmosphere with core values like it is a family style company. That shine wears off very fast when you learn it is all a facade. In the interview they’ll preach quality of life and balance. They want you to think the pay is competitive and this is a place to hang your hat and retire from. They say family is valued and personal life is important. That is all a blatant lie. Expect to be ridden hard and put away wet. Oh, you have a sudden family emergency or important child’s event that may come up? You just might get a write up in your file if you choose family or company. HR could care less and is ruthless. If they call you back. Don’t get hurt, they definitely will ignore you then.
The pay structure has recently changed to attract new hires but that’s it. The pilots with 2+ years tenure were reduced or aligned in “pay grade” that is equal to new hire status. Years with company mean NOTHING. Seniority means NOTHING at thrive aviation. The pay is based on time in the seat, not with the company. They juggle the “Grades” around to minimize financial growth. Example, If you were hired on as a young pilot FO in the light jets (CJ3/m2) at grade 1 and spent 2 years to upgrade to PIC, back to grade 1 you go. Then say one more year there (grade 2 light jet PIC and 3 years with company) and you want to upgrade to a bigger plane. Grade 1 again. So now your 4, maybe 5, years in and new hires in that plane are the same pay as you. Sounds fair, Right! At that rate of upgrade, it would take 7+ years to make in a Sovereign/Longitude what other companies pay in a year or 2.
A friend just told me they canceled all PTO for the Sovereign fleet for half the year of 2022 due to pilots leaving the company and not accepting offer letters. Like that is the pilot's fault and they need to suffer? (signs a great company, right!)
Make sure you ask about “SICK DAYS”. They do not exist. You use your vacation days (PTO) if you become ill. Oh yeah and the CDC mandatory 5 covid days you’re forced to miss if you come in contact with someone who has covid (not sick yourself). Yep… vacation days gone. You start with 7 days and gain 1 day per year up to 12 days in total, with a max of 5 days rolled over if not used previously. Not much for a long term career.
It would not be fair to discuss some positives of the company:
For the most part the flight crews are a bunch of great people. It would be a difficult task to not get along with anyone you will fly with on any fleet.
The dual type is nice with an extra 5K for the year. But beware, you will work that much harder with little compensation in the end.
The company runs the flights well. They finally limited the days to 13/11 hours because 4 and 5 consecutive max duty / min rest days were getting ridiculous. ( FYI; no bonus or overtime pay for working harder like Net Jets. just do it and be happy)
A flight support team that does “OK” at helping. They are mostly concerned with CYA and expenses than actually helping the crews. They have NO consideration for you off duty time. If you allow it, they will call you at all hours and days off wanting more and give NO time to plan out a day with 4 legs. One hour show and you better get your planning done on your time at home. Sound legal?
The Vegas base has a ground crew that receives the planes doing a good job cleaning and prepping. As with the thrive CULTure, the manager there is a liar and backstabber so be careful with that. He will not hesitate to call the chief pilot and make waves if he gets his panties in a twist.
They are buying planes at a rapid rate and offer movement after a year. The planes are mostly new so that is nice.
The m2/CJ3+ fleet is getting long in the tooth and breakdown often with close to 5k hard hours on them.
The Sovereign fleet looks great on the outside with the cool company paint scheme but are definite hangar queens that are down frequently.
The new Longitudes are beautiful and are great planes. There are 2 and looking to get more.
A G600 was announced a while ago. The pay has not been released to the public but I guarantee it will not be great with a really messed up schedule. Guarantee if you have a multi day sit somewhere. Those will be converted to ‘OFF DAYS” and back to work you go.
In Conclusion:
Honestly, it is hard to muster many positives about thrive aviation. The toxic environment of lies and drama is exhausting. The sacrifice to family and stress is not worth their manipulative pay structure and long days. The DO/VP (yes, it's a conflict of interest) is a master at lip service and has no intention of doing what is best for you. He seems so nice and his brother too “the CEO”. They will hold you back if you have any conflict. The Chief Pilot seems to care but will turn on a dime if crossed. It all feels so good at first. It takes about 3 weeks to 2 months to realize things don’t smell right. The underlying stress working at thrive sneaks up on you and is not fun.
04-21-2022, 06:31 PM
#20
New Hire
Joined APC: Apr 2021
Posts: 3
Originally Posted by flyforhire
Thrive Aviation is a great place for a young pilot to get his/her first type and build flight time fast and move on. If you are in need of a job while looking for something else, great. Fulfill the contract, maybe get a second type from them and get out. If you're looking for the long term, want a happy fulfilling career.
DON’T DO IT!
On the first meeting and impression, the management presents well with a positive “new company and opportunities” attitude. They sell CULTure and the “thrive tribe” atmosphere with core values like it is a family style company. That shine wears off very fast when you learn it is all a facade. In the interview they’ll preach quality of life and balance. They want you to think the pay is competitive and this is a place to hang your hat and retire from. They say family is valued and personal life is important. That is all a blatant lie. Expect to be ridden hard and put away wet. Oh, you have a sudden family emergency or important child’s event that may come up? You just might get a write up in your file if you choose family or company. HR could care less and is ruthless. If they call you back. Don’t get hurt, they definitely will ignore you then.
The pay structure has recently changed to attract new hires but that’s it. The pilots with 2+ years tenure were reduced or aligned in “pay grade” that is equal to new hire status. Years with company mean NOTHING. Seniority means NOTHING at thrive aviation. The pay is based on time in the seat, not with the company. They juggle the “Grades” around to minimize financial growth. Example, If you were hired on as a young pilot FO in the light jets (CJ3/m2) at grade 1 and spent 2 years to upgrade to PIC, back to grade 1 you go. Then say one more year there (grade 2 light jet PIC and 3 years with company) and you want to upgrade to a bigger plane. Grade 1 again. So now your 4, maybe 5, years in and new hires in that plane are the same pay as you. Sounds fair, Right! At that rate of upgrade, it would take 7+ years to make in a Sovereign/Longitude what other companies pay in a year or 2.
A friend just told me they canceled all PTO for the Sovereign fleet for half the year of 2022 due to pilots leaving the company and not accepting offer letters. Like that is the pilot's fault and they need to suffer? (signs a great company, right!)
Make sure you ask about “SICK DAYS”. They do not exist. You use your vacation days (PTO) if you become ill. Oh yeah and the CDC mandatory 5 covid days you’re forced to miss if you come in contact with someone who has covid (not sick yourself). Yep… vacation days gone. You start with 7 days and gain 1 day per year up to 12 days in total, with a max of 5 days rolled over if not used previously. Not much for a long term career.
It would not be fair to discuss some positives of the company:
For the most part the flight crews are a bunch of great people. It would be a difficult task to not get along with anyone you will fly with on any fleet.
The dual type is nice with an extra 5K for the year. But beware, you will work that much harder with little compensation in the end.
The company runs the flights well. They finally limited the days to 13/11 hours because 4 and 5 consecutive max duty / min rest days were getting ridiculous. ( FYI; no bonus or overtime pay for working harder like Net Jets. just do it and be happy)
A flight support team that does “OK” at helping. They are mostly concerned with CYA and expenses than actually helping the crews. They have NO consideration for you off duty time. If you allow it, they will call you at all hours and days off wanting more and give NO time to plan out a day with 4 legs. One hour show and you better get your planning done on your time at home. Sound legal?
The Vegas base has a ground crew that receives the planes doing a good job cleaning and prepping. As with the thrive CULTure, the manager there is a liar and backstabber so be careful with that. He will not hesitate to call the chief pilot and make waves if he gets his panties in a twist.
They are buying planes at a rapid rate and offer movement after a year. The planes are mostly new so that is nice.
The m2/CJ3+ fleet is getting long in the tooth and breakdown often with close to 5k hard hours on them.
The Sovereign fleet looks great on the outside with the cool company paint scheme but are definite hangar queens that are down frequently.
The new Longitudes are beautiful and are great planes. There are 2 and looking to get more.
A G600 was announced a while ago. The pay has not been released to the public but I guarantee it will not be great with a really messed up schedule. Guarantee if you have a multi day sit somewhere. Those will be converted to ‘OFF DAYS” and back to work you go.
In Conclusion:
Honestly, it is hard to muster many positives about thrive aviation. The toxic environment of lies and drama is exhausting. The sacrifice to family and stress is not worth their manipulative pay structure and long days. The DO/VP (yes, it's a conflict of interest) is a master at lip service and has no intention of doing what is best for you. He seems so nice and his brother too “the CEO”. They will hold you back if you have any conflict. The Chief Pilot seems to care but will turn on a dime if crossed. It all feels so good at first. It takes about 3 weeks to 2 months to realize things don’t smell right. The underlying stress working at thrive sneaks up on you and is not fun.
DON’T DO IT!
On the first meeting and impression, the management presents well with a positive “new company and opportunities” attitude. They sell CULTure and the “thrive tribe” atmosphere with core values like it is a family style company. That shine wears off very fast when you learn it is all a facade. In the interview they’ll preach quality of life and balance. They want you to think the pay is competitive and this is a place to hang your hat and retire from. They say family is valued and personal life is important. That is all a blatant lie. Expect to be ridden hard and put away wet. Oh, you have a sudden family emergency or important child’s event that may come up? You just might get a write up in your file if you choose family or company. HR could care less and is ruthless. If they call you back. Don’t get hurt, they definitely will ignore you then.
The pay structure has recently changed to attract new hires but that’s it. The pilots with 2+ years tenure were reduced or aligned in “pay grade” that is equal to new hire status. Years with company mean NOTHING. Seniority means NOTHING at thrive aviation. The pay is based on time in the seat, not with the company. They juggle the “Grades” around to minimize financial growth. Example, If you were hired on as a young pilot FO in the light jets (CJ3/m2) at grade 1 and spent 2 years to upgrade to PIC, back to grade 1 you go. Then say one more year there (grade 2 light jet PIC and 3 years with company) and you want to upgrade to a bigger plane. Grade 1 again. So now your 4, maybe 5, years in and new hires in that plane are the same pay as you. Sounds fair, Right! At that rate of upgrade, it would take 7+ years to make in a Sovereign/Longitude what other companies pay in a year or 2.
A friend just told me they canceled all PTO for the Sovereign fleet for half the year of 2022 due to pilots leaving the company and not accepting offer letters. Like that is the pilot's fault and they need to suffer? (signs a great company, right!)
Make sure you ask about “SICK DAYS”. They do not exist. You use your vacation days (PTO) if you become ill. Oh yeah and the CDC mandatory 5 covid days you’re forced to miss if you come in contact with someone who has covid (not sick yourself). Yep… vacation days gone. You start with 7 days and gain 1 day per year up to 12 days in total, with a max of 5 days rolled over if not used previously. Not much for a long term career.
It would not be fair to discuss some positives of the company:
For the most part the flight crews are a bunch of great people. It would be a difficult task to not get along with anyone you will fly with on any fleet.
The dual type is nice with an extra 5K for the year. But beware, you will work that much harder with little compensation in the end.
The company runs the flights well. They finally limited the days to 13/11 hours because 4 and 5 consecutive max duty / min rest days were getting ridiculous. ( FYI; no bonus or overtime pay for working harder like Net Jets. just do it and be happy)
A flight support team that does “OK” at helping. They are mostly concerned with CYA and expenses than actually helping the crews. They have NO consideration for you off duty time. If you allow it, they will call you at all hours and days off wanting more and give NO time to plan out a day with 4 legs. One hour show and you better get your planning done on your time at home. Sound legal?
The Vegas base has a ground crew that receives the planes doing a good job cleaning and prepping. As with the thrive CULTure, the manager there is a liar and backstabber so be careful with that. He will not hesitate to call the chief pilot and make waves if he gets his panties in a twist.
They are buying planes at a rapid rate and offer movement after a year. The planes are mostly new so that is nice.
The m2/CJ3+ fleet is getting long in the tooth and breakdown often with close to 5k hard hours on them.
The Sovereign fleet looks great on the outside with the cool company paint scheme but are definite hangar queens that are down frequently.
The new Longitudes are beautiful and are great planes. There are 2 and looking to get more.
A G600 was announced a while ago. The pay has not been released to the public but I guarantee it will not be great with a really messed up schedule. Guarantee if you have a multi day sit somewhere. Those will be converted to ‘OFF DAYS” and back to work you go.
In Conclusion:
Honestly, it is hard to muster many positives about thrive aviation. The toxic environment of lies and drama is exhausting. The sacrifice to family and stress is not worth their manipulative pay structure and long days. The DO/VP (yes, it's a conflict of interest) is a master at lip service and has no intention of doing what is best for you. He seems so nice and his brother too “the CEO”. They will hold you back if you have any conflict. The Chief Pilot seems to care but will turn on a dime if crossed. It all feels so good at first. It takes about 3 weeks to 2 months to realize things don’t smell right. The underlying stress working at thrive sneaks up on you and is not fun.
Run.
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