Unfortunately NeoPilott is right. I know several people (non pilots) that have gotten laid off and they MAY be back at work in a few months time. They have also cancelled their summer vacation plans. Multiply this in the millions. Unemployment numbers will be out tomorrow and they will only get worse in the next couple of months. I think it will take 12 months to 2 years to get back to normal as the recovery will not be V shaped.

Companies will also be looking at cutting their overhead travel expenses. With so many people telecommuting now, companies may cut back on meetings and conferences to trim overhead.

I hope both NeoPilott and I are 100% wrong for all of our sakes.

I hope so as well.....my CJO from EDV was placed on hold indefinitely so I hope things come back to normal soon, but I am very skeptical. My wife had also cancelled our summer travels as a precaution so that's that. My dad's company (fuel delivery company) asked him to work reduced schedule (4 days out of 5.....for now) just a week ago = less pay.....he was planning to visit his mother in September, he might be reconsidering as well.....my mom is a stylist in NYC and all those placed closed this past Monday so she is not making anything....... My buddy CFI who is building time for airlines just lost his part-time airline consulting gig this morning on which he was relying a lot to stay afloat.

Got a call from my chief pilot today. We are all on the payroll next month dependent on what the bail-out provisions are. If the provisions do not cover basic payroll, reductions will have to be made. No real charter work and the owners are not going anywhere. Their vacation spots are all in areas where there is limited medical support and the local home base area is not strained with ample hospital beds at this time.

Instead of making a business trip they are doing on teleconference or by phone.

Well, not to gloat, but it's a good time to be a medevac pilot, long as you don't mind some Covid in your coffee...

An update from me:

In addition to losing of all of part-time CFII work, lost my part-time engineering gig this week....... sales are drastically down, production stopped yesterday due to confirmed case at the shop floor.

My father pretty much lost his truck driving job, been sitting at for a week now, company is saying the demand at the gas stations is low, only six out of 70 drivers are working....will be most likely filing for UI next week....go figure for those hoping this will be a quick recovery.....majority of the families are staying at home, no income, no idea if their old jobs will be there in coming weeks or months. Please tell me how can they possibly be planning their summer/fall trips?

NeoPilott,
Sorry about that. That is awful. I’m think the recovery will take anywhere from 6 months (best case) to 24 months (worst case scenario). I think you will be back doing part time engineering sooner than flying. I think that sector will pick up quicker. Again, I hope the recovery is just as fast as the drop but unfortunately there is always a lag and I don’t think the lag will be as short as some predict. I sure hope I am wrong.

A few friends of mine are flight school owners and business dried up for them by 80% plus. Even when we get the all clear, I have a feeling a lot of those students will not be coming back as they may be too nervous to use money on discretionary spending as in getting a PPL to get the $200 burger.

A question for the Tradewind pilot.

How much notice was given prior?

Did pilots feel management was transparent?

Or did their actions leave a bad taste in people’s mouths in a way that even when offered to come back people will turn it down based on how the company treated them?

I have a feeling when hiring resumes lots of pilots will be gun shy about joining certain 135’s based on the actions employers took. I understand it is a business but there is a right way and wrong way of going about things.

100% agree with the above!! Stay safe and healthy!

I think our management team handled it as very best they could. The notice that furloughs for 85% of the pilot group and many office folks in HQ would begin came on Monday night the 23rd effective on March 31st for most pilots and this came directly from the mouth of the CEO to the entire company on a Zoom conference. Every single employee would be paid at their regular salary until the end of the pay period (March 31st). Every department made cuts in staffing and the remaining employees have taken big pay reductions and reduced hours. Managers also took severe pay cuts, including the CP, DO, and ADO. We have furloughed 3 check airman, including all our simulator staff, and Director of Safety and Director of Training (myself) are both furloughed and our roles taken on by our managers for the time being, we are also both instructors. Remaining dozen or so pilots (down from ~80) are working 8/4 schedule on reduced wages and are exclusively our pilots who are dual qualified for the CJ and PC-12. Everyone is extremely hopeful for a quick return to work and we are currently running a remote ground school that we got authorization for last minute in order to insure we can recall people straight into checkrides and avoid having to waste time with ground training. This was offered to everyone who would require any ground school until the fall. Some folks were laid off as part of the reduction but they were a minority.

The situation is un ideal but Tradewind is doing what they can to insure the survival of the business. Desperate times call for desperate measures.

An update on my previous post, we were informed this evening that for the time being all furloughs, lay-offs, and pay-cuts are being postponed. Our CEO and management team are working their very hardest to keep people working and paid and creating some loyal employees for it.