Originally Posted by Unusual Att (Post 1875606)

You are completely incorrect..find me one..just ONE job listing for a King Air F/O (regardless of location) that even touches within 5K of 50 grand and you'd still be wrong because we are talking averages not the exceptions. Gama IS the exception. Now captain pay is about average perhaps leaning more towards slightly above average.

It's a single pilot aircraft that WU and Gama have adopted into a crew operation for safety enhancement. Most King Air F/O jobs are check the box gigs for live leg insurance coverage and pay very little..Do some research..average FO pay for any KA model is between 25 and 35K.

And to anyone hired in at 50K you get popped up to 55K when you are off hi mins provided you haven't pissed anyone off.

The following is news from the line and are ONLY rumors but worth mentioning:

8/6 has been approved and to be rolled out mid summer to mid fall depending on getting some details worked out - possible small pay cut and vacation period reduced to 1 per year. Personally I think it's the short staffing right now that's delaying it going into effect. We shall see - it still may not happen at all so don't come here unless 6/3 is tolerable to you.

WU has "allegedly" inked deal for 30 to 35 more KA 305i's with the Fusion avionics package. Current fleet will possibly be retrofitted.

Not a rumor just my opinion but with all the FOs we have sitting and no PICs to pair them to I think upgrade is gonna come down from 6 months to a few weeks off OE. Word from out VNY way is there is still a guy that was in the March class that hasn't even started OE yet..so take that for what its worth.

Good luck to all applicants...and JT8D..chill out dude...your opinion is worth noting but doesn't seem to be backed up by anything other than a little weird anger towards Gama...wash out from training maybe? There have been a few lately.

Originally Posted by Junglejett (Post 1875956)

I know of another company who will be bidding pretty aggressively for the next contract. If they get it, things will not be pretty. I hope for you guys, the do not.

Originally Posted by MR JT8D (Post 1875999)

My post said 50K for TEB. That's Teterboro, New Jersey, OK? Compare apples to apples, oranges to oranges. And that's a King Air 350, not a C90 based in Wheeling. That's a pilot with 2,500 hours, not a guy with 300 hours.

Originally Posted by Das Auto (Post 1875906)

I recently interviewed with Gama and was offered the position. PM me if you want to know the scoop. I'm excited to start class and looking forward to flying a new 350i for a living.

Originally Posted by Unusual Att (Post 1876065)

That would be more complex then you might think..For a company to win the contract away from Gama they would have to be ramping up with pilots, training department issues, ops manuals etc etc etc..already. Now one could argue that perhaps a company that already has an operation perhaps even with a KA program on the books won't have those challenges..that's true except for one of them..pilots. You have to be ready to take over the flying on the effective date meaning you have to have yourself about 120 KA300 typed pilots all ready to go to work...yeahhhh..not so easy unless they are already working on that.

Now onto the speculation part...I did here the rumor that TMC wanted the contract..if that's who you are talking about I can assure you they will not win it. Gama uses TMC from time to time, among other 135 operators, to handle extra flights we can't cover..and universally the WU members complain about the service they get. Had some members on my aircraft just last week that had been brought down to where we got them by TMC, they complained non-stop. Late aircraft, fuel stop they were not told about, no stock on the plane, messy lav, pilots were not helpful, etc etc..I don't know enough about TMC to know if that's typical or atypeical. I do know thier pilots arnt too happy right now so who knows..


Anything is possible though. There certainly is no 100% guarantee that Gama will continue with WU beyond the current contract. I don't however think that is very likely.



You know I could be wrong..I have been many time before, but I have also worked out of TEB half my career and I think that a FO job on a KA making more than 50 is a myth. Generally, no King Air F/O's in teterhole are making in excess of 50K JT...not unless they are our guys making the 55k...And its not location anyway its aircraft type that pay in the 91/135 world is usually based on. I disagree with your contention there. Could there be one or two on the field in lucrative 91 jobs?..Certainly. But next time you are in there ask around about 135 King Air operators on the field, talk to the line guys they usually know what's going on job wise to some degree...the answers might surprise you.

True story, last year early spring before I upgraded I was in there and ended up talking to a guy that was flying a 300ER for a NYC insurance company for several hours, he actually offered me a job because his gear/radio slave had just left for a regional airline for better pay! When I told him what I was currently making he was like..ohhh, never mind then. He didn't even bother to ask if I'd take the pay cut.

Remember man, the KA350i is a single pilot aircraft. There are only a handful of them being flown 2 pilot in 91 gigs at all. Most operators don't want the expense of a 2nd pilot that's not legally required unless their insurance dictates otherwise and then you are talking about a gear/radio slave and that is not a premium pay gig.

Originally Posted by MR JT8D (Post 1876421)

Gear/Radio Slave huh???? Is that what Gama is hiring to entertain you guys there????? I would really stay away from this place now.

Originally Posted by Unusual Att (Post 1875606)

Not a rumor just my opinion but with all the FOs we have sitting and no PICs to pair them to I think upgrade is gonna come down from 6 months to a few weeks off OE. Word from out VNY way is there is still a guy that was in the March class that hasn't even started OE yet..so take that for what its worth.

Originally Posted by Starbucks (Post 1877823)

I've heard that same rumor from a couple people. I don't get though. I'm paired captain on captain almost every week....