Can Anyone Speak To Life @ Tradewind Aviation
#31
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Aug 2012
Position: 'Van Driver
Posts: 148
So I have just hit the line out of their October class in SJU and was told that I need to keep good track of my monthly hours. They have a 120 hour per month limit and word on the street is some pilots have been known to accidentally go over the 120. Yesterday I flew 3 turns from San Juan to St Barts and logged 5 hours... From the looks of the schedule most crews will fly three turns a day. They do have some schedules with overnights but they try to get everyone home at night. Upgrade is merit and time. They make it clear from the beginning that you are not just going to upgrade to PIC at the 135 mins. If you are not a team player and not company focused you are going to be in the right seat for a while. They self implement some minimums for PIC's into St. Barts which is this companies money maker destination and it could take an SIC a good 4 to 6 months just to reach those mins if they are not flying into St. Barts regularly. Again I am only speaking for the Caribbean pilots based in SJU. But pilots based up north tend to be more senior with the company so I assume it is not much different.
#32
Line Holder
Thread Starter
Joined APC: Mar 2016
Position: Legacy C130 Galley Operation Instructor
Posts: 50
So if you select SJU as your permanent base you have to find your own place to stay... The economy here is in the crapper and there are a lot of decent furnished places near the airport and beach for between $800 and $1,200 a month... Several good realtors here to help you in your search... If you select to be at their mercy and let them send you wherever they need you then they give you $750 per month for housing or you can stay in one of their crew apartments with other pilots. They are decent in a good location here in SJU but you have roommates. Also you will have a car to share between your roommates... That is a nice perk... I found finding a good reliable car here to be the hardest part... There are car brokers here that can help... If you buy a used car here you don't have to pay saxes tax as PR only charges the Tax when the car or truck sells the first time... One trick that some of the new guys are using is to be on the flex plan and take the $750 per month for a couple months then change to make SJU permanent. This way you get your rent paid for a few months by the company... 6 month leases are a little hard to come by here but they can be found. If you know you want to be here in SJU you can negotiate huge rent discounts signing an 18 month lease. Hope this helps...
#33
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Oct 2015
Posts: 235
So if you select SJU as your permanent base you have to find your own place to stay... The economy here is in the crapper and there are a lot of decent furnished places near the airport and beach for between $800 and $1,200 a month... Several good realtors here to help you in your search... If you select to be at their mercy and let them send you wherever they need you then they give you $750 per month for housing or you can stay in one of their crew apartments with other pilots. They are decent in a good location here in SJU but you have roommates. Also you will have a car to share between your roommates... That is a nice perk... I found finding a good reliable car here to be the hardest part... There are car brokers here that can help... If you buy a used car here you don't have to pay saxes tax as PR only charges the Tax when the car or truck sells the first time... One trick that some of the new guys are using is to be on the flex plan and take the $750 per month for a couple months then change to make SJU permanent. This way you get your rent paid for a few months by the company... 6 month leases are a little hard to come by here but they can be found. If you know you want to be here in SJU you can negotiate huge rent discounts signing an 18 month lease. Hope this helps...
If I ask for a CT/NY base I'm on my own to find accommodations?
Thanks in advance
#34
Correct. If you request CT/NY, you are on your own.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
#35
Line Holder
Thread Starter
Joined APC: Mar 2016
Position: Legacy C130 Galley Operation Instructor
Posts: 50
The only way you get crew housing or the $750 a month allowance provided is to be at their mercy to send you wherever they need you... Then you get free crew housing with other crew members included wherever they send you... Or you can find your own and take the $750 a month allowance but you are never going to find a furnished short term rental for $750 a month in either place... Guys or girls who take the allowance usually have a significant other and pay the extra out of pocket for a short term rental. Some of the company crew houses do not allow your significant other to live there with you. It is at the discretion of your roommates...
#36
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Oct 2015
Posts: 235
The only way you get crew housing or the $750 a month allowance provided is to be at their mercy to send you wherever they need you... Then you get free crew housing with other crew members included wherever they send you... Or you can find your own and take the $750 a month allowance but you are never going to find a furnished short term rental for $750 a month in either place... Guys or girls who take the allowance usually have a significant other and pay the extra out of pocket for a short term rental. Some of the company crew houses do not allow your significant other to live there with you. It is at the discretion of your roommates...
My question was because when tell call me for the interview they told me I'm supposed to rotate between bases every 4 months. If they send me to CT for some time and then to another place after4-6 months it's impossible to get a place, move all furniture
Thanks to Greenwater also, you are always helping me with my questions =)
#37
Option 1: Request Puerto Rico as your permanent base and ask that they not send you to CT.
Option 2: Request CT as permanent base and ask not to be sent to PR.
Option 3: Put all of your furniture in storage and find a furnished short term lease in PR and then in CT once you rotate back to the Northeast.
There may be some other/better options but those are the three that I would consider if it were me.
Hope this helps.
My amigo C130H may chime in with a better option.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Option 2: Request CT as permanent base and ask not to be sent to PR.
Option 3: Put all of your furniture in storage and find a furnished short term lease in PR and then in CT once you rotate back to the Northeast.
There may be some other/better options but those are the three that I would consider if it were me.
Hope this helps.
My amigo C130H may chime in with a better option.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
#38
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Aug 2012
Position: 'Van Driver
Posts: 148
So if you select SJU as your permanent base you have to find your own place to stay... The economy here is in the crapper and there are a lot of decent furnished places near the airport and beach for between $800 and $1,200 a month... Several good realtors here to help you in your search... If you select to be at their mercy and let them send you wherever they need you then they give you $750 per month for housing or you can stay in one of their crew apartments with other pilots. They are decent in a good location here in SJU but you have roommates. Also you will have a car to share between your roommates... That is a nice perk... I found finding a good reliable car here to be the hardest part... There are car brokers here that can help... If you buy a used car here you don't have to pay saxes tax as PR only charges the Tax when the car or truck sells the first time... One trick that some of the new guys are using is to be on the flex plan and take the $750 per month for a couple months then change to make SJU permanent. This way you get your rent paid for a few months by the company... 6 month leases are a little hard to come by here but they can be found. If you know you want to be here in SJU you can negotiate huge rent discounts signing an 18 month lease. Hope this helps...
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
wannabepilot
Flight Schools and Training
34
07-07-2008 12:15 PM
WhiteH2O
Flight Schools and Training
2
06-10-2006 03:41 PM