Complete list of surveying companies
07-31-2018, 11:01 AM
#11
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Aug 2016
Posts: 667
Originally Posted by Pilotjoe91
It's funny how some of the low-time pilots on here are complaining about the choice of hotels. Spoiled. From 250TT-1500TT, find the company that builds the time the fastest. I understand pay is important due to the outstanding debt, but 90% of companies that provide jobs to low hour pilots won't give as much. Be humble. Suffer now and enjoy your future later.
07-31-2018, 07:39 PM
#12
Line Holder
Joined APC: Jun 2015
Posts: 39
Originally Posted by Pilotjoe91
It's funny how some of the low-time pilots on here are complaining about the choice of hotels. Spoiled. From 250TT-1500TT, find the company that builds the time the fastest. I understand pay is important due to the outstanding debt, but 90% of companies that provide jobs to low hour pilots won't give as much. Be humble. Suffer now and enjoy your future later.
I know a lot of pilots who do these jobs as a career and enjoy the lifestyle, they should be compensated according to what the market can bear.
What I'm saying is that not all paths lead to the left seat of a widebody at a legacy carrier. So no, don't suffer today so you can enjoy someone else's idea of what a pilot should be tomorrow. Find a position that matches your goals and lifestyle and if that job doesn't exist then consider your options closely.
08-03-2018, 05:03 PM
#13
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Feb 2017
Posts: 272
AA really isn't as bad as people make it out to sound. You get out of it what you put into it. I spent a year there and had a blast, built ~900 hours with 350 of that multi. They aren't doing their hiring rounds until August/September this year though, like every other company.
You end up having the most freedom here compared to any other major Picto company, which is great but it is also why AA gets some hate.
You're a 1099. Oh well. So you pay a bit more in taxes but you also can write off pretty much anything you want. I did my taxes myself and just kept track of everything I spent, every hotel, daily meal based on gov rates, headset, ipad, etc. Choose your hotel, the airport you base at.
Potential downside is you get per diem for your hotel. If you're by yourself (rare) in a pricey area, good luck finding a decent affordable hotel. I made nothing but friends here so we would get Airbnb's or hotels to split which made things way better if you can afford the little less privacy. Another potential downside - insurance. They offer insurance to cover their deductible for a whopping $350ish a year, and AA reimburses you like $200 of it.
You end up having the most freedom here compared to any other major Picto company, which is great but it is also why AA gets some hate.
You're a 1099. Oh well. So you pay a bit more in taxes but you also can write off pretty much anything you want. I did my taxes myself and just kept track of everything I spent, every hotel, daily meal based on gov rates, headset, ipad, etc. Choose your hotel, the airport you base at.
Potential downside is you get per diem for your hotel. If you're by yourself (rare) in a pricey area, good luck finding a decent affordable hotel. I made nothing but friends here so we would get Airbnb's or hotels to split which made things way better if you can afford the little less privacy. Another potential downside - insurance. They offer insurance to cover their deductible for a whopping $350ish a year, and AA reimburses you like $200 of it.
08-07-2018, 01:48 PM
#15
Line Holder
Joined APC: Jul 2015
Position: CRJ FO
Posts: 94
Originally Posted by yrbroom
AA really isn't as bad as people make it out to sound. You get out of it what you put into it. I spent a year there and had a blast, built ~900 hours with 350 of that multi. They aren't doing their hiring rounds until August/September this year though, like every other company.
You end up having the most freedom here compared to any other major Picto company, which is great but it is also why AA gets some hate.
You're a 1099. Oh well. So you pay a bit more in taxes but you also can write off pretty much anything you want. I did my taxes myself and just kept track of everything I spent, every hotel, daily meal based on gov rates, headset, ipad, etc. Choose your hotel, the airport you base at.
Potential downside is you get per diem for your hotel. If you're by yourself (rare) in a pricey area, good luck finding a decent affordable hotel. I made nothing but friends here so we would get Airbnb's or hotels to split which made things way better if you can afford the little less privacy. Another potential downside - insurance. They offer insurance to cover their deductible for a whopping $350ish a year, and AA reimburses you like $200 of it.
You end up having the most freedom here compared to any other major Picto company, which is great but it is also why AA gets some hate.
You're a 1099. Oh well. So you pay a bit more in taxes but you also can write off pretty much anything you want. I did my taxes myself and just kept track of everything I spent, every hotel, daily meal based on gov rates, headset, ipad, etc. Choose your hotel, the airport you base at.
Potential downside is you get per diem for your hotel. If you're by yourself (rare) in a pricey area, good luck finding a decent affordable hotel. I made nothing but friends here so we would get Airbnb's or hotels to split which made things way better if you can afford the little less privacy. Another potential downside - insurance. They offer insurance to cover their deductible for a whopping $350ish a year, and AA reimburses you like $200 of it.
08-10-2018, 01:56 PM
#16
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Feb 2017
Posts: 272
Originally Posted by BLURCEO
What about all the pushing to fly in bad weather? Or the aircraft in bad shape? What about rental cars?
Sure there's aircraft in bad shape. You're going to get that at any company. I've heard bad things here and there about every major picto company out there. We were given a lot of leeway with our plane's maintenance. Don't like something? Go take it to local maintenance.
As for rental cars - that's what the per diem is for - although your per diem will definitely not cover a Marriott and your rental car if you're not splitting one or both. Or stay at a hotel with a shuttle.
08-28-2018, 11:20 AM
#17
Line Holder
Joined APC: Apr 2017
Posts: 27
Originally Posted by BLURCEO
What about all the pushing to fly in bad weather? Or the aircraft in bad shape? What about rental cars?
Per diem is $120/day plus $25/hr with 2.5 hours guaranteed per day.
Pay wise, Air America is pretty good for a low time pilot job.
Bad weather: I, and other pilots I know, were definitely pushed to fly in bad weather, or with broken equipment. I suspect that being pressured to fly was a contributing factor in Paul Graham’s death. Of course, that will never be known.
Maintenance: Most of the time you could have local mx fix stuff with no problems. But there were plenty of times that I, and other pilots I know, were asked to put off needed mx till the next 100 hour was due. The company mechanics that would do the 100 hours were almost always overworked, hurried, and pressured to save the company money. I have lots of horror stories about company mx that go far beyond the “every company has those issues” bumpersticker reply. For example, a plane I flew had so much illegal mx done it that local mx refused to touch it. Company told me to try a different mx shop. 3 more local shops refused to touch it as well, for the same reason.
Safety:
The AA safety model: But, did you die? Then it was safe.
When i was at AA, there was a pilot who was a proud company man. Said there wasn't a plane there that he didnt feel safe in, except one.....the one that had an engine fire...twice. If you ever talk to him, he’ll say the company is perfect in every way.
BTW, if you refuse to fly a plane one day, for a valid reason, but management disagrees with your assessment, expect to be put on unpaid standby (punished) because “there not enough work to go around right now” ...Didnt happen to me, but I know who it did happen to.
If you go there, start applying for other jobs at 500 hours and get to 500 hours as fast as you can.
I know pilots from other survey companies. Those companies dont have even half of the above mentioned issues.
Check out Surdex.
10-18-2018, 10:26 PM
#18
New Hire
Joined APC: Oct 2018
Posts: 1
Keystone Aerial Survey is one of the best
Starting pay is between $32k to $35k per year plus overtime. Per diem is $50/day. They give you a credit card to use for car rental and hotel. It is up to you to negotiate a hotel price and rental rate as it will be part of your efficiency performance. Due to pilot shortage rotation right now is 3 to 4 months. It is the pilots responsibility to comply all maintenance specially AD’s and keep airplane airworthy. I am only require to report to chief pilot every two weeks. Very relax company to work for.
10-19-2018, 08:40 AM
#19
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Apr 2017
Posts: 3,590
Originally Posted by Jop0519
Starting pay is between $32k to $35k per year plus overtime. Per diem is $50/day. They give you a credit card to use for car rental and hotel. It is up to you to negotiate a hotel price and rental rate as it will be part of your efficiency performance. Due to pilot shortage rotation right now is 3 to 4 months. It is the pilots responsibility to comply all maintenance specially AD’s and keep airplane airworthy. I am only require to report to chief pilot every two weeks. Very relax company to work for.
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
