Recent Hiring Stats
 

Anyone willing to share their stats when picked up by Spirit? Looking for recent new hires with either CJOs pre-covid or new hires after-covid.

Thanks!

Hired a few years ago, but was recently told they had 3000+ apps on file since reopening the window, are upping new hire classes to 48 per month starting this month, and are looking to go to 60+ a month starting next year.

They are actively looking to add to the delivery schedule, so we’ll need the pilots.

I've helped 2 people get hired within the last 30 days. First person is all civilian 5000+ hours with 2k TPIC. Second was a mil rotor dude who also was a 121 RJ Captain. 3300+ total time and like 700 TPIC in addition to a ton of military quals.

Hired Feb of 2020, 2700 TT, 0 TPIC. Met with recruiters at a job fair, was told I wasn’t competitive. Mentioned I had an app on file that had been there for 5 months, received the invite the next week.


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Applied Jan 2020 with

3000+ TT
250ish TPIC
4 year non-aviation degree from a state university
2 types

hired pre covid

no job fairs or MTC

Hired March 2020 and placed in the pool.
Around 3700TT
Equal mix of FW and RW time
2 type ratings
No MTC or job fairs but had internal lor’s.

Applied a few months ago. 8800 TT, 5 types , no 121 but former 135 CP and DO. BS in aviation and MBA. Still under review. Same at every place I have applied … I’ll probably win the power ball before anyone calls for an interview chance. I’ll keep trying.

All 135 is tough. No prior 121 time is not a big issue but some may see it as “not 121 material”. Not sure what spirit thinks in that regard. I have heard of 135 guys getting hired and then later quitting since they can’t get used to 121 schedules or something of that nature. It’s definitely a different animal. What is your motivation to switch? Going to a MTC event would maybe help.

motivation for switching??? Uh let’s see. Money! Retirement!

I find that hard to believe. As someone who has done a little bit of everything. Anyone I meet who has ever flown 135 them came to a major has never looked back. Unless you are talking about a regional but I can definitely tell you this isn’t a regional.

Sorry should have clarified … I’m former part 135 now 91 for last 9 years. Currently have a worse schedule then on demand 135 was. Just looking for options and I read and hear good things about Sprit

Sprit it great, but I hear Spirit is even better!

why would anyone go back to corporate? Less pay and no retirement. Doesn’t make any sense. For the catering?

I’ve known people to go back to 135 where they were home every night. One guy flew for the same owner, treated well, and his own bed every night. That’s worth a lot; sure sounds like “work rules” to me, the thing we are always chest bumping here

You can definitely get hired here with no 121 experience. I know, because I did it. And no, I’m not going back.

Sim partner was a Part 91 guy his whole career. So it can be done.

Never flew 121 until Spirit OE. I would not go back to corporate. I miss the variety of flying, and not much else.

exactly. QOL at work is better in the corporate world. Corporate can’t touch the QOL at home, of 121.

I've gone to work 15 days so far this year.

Which is exactly why your QOL at home is better.

Im guessing people who work 91/135 and have never worked for a decent airline... there's always a few threads or facebooker posts that pit 135/91 and 121. Its usually the regional turned 135 guys that bash the airlines...or a 91/135 guy that hasn't experienced the other side. And the same.

However, I am on a JA right now, so its not all fun and games...

I have worked all 3. I was at a 121 regional. Went 135 and during my furlough I picked up a 91 gig flying a Challenger 300. My 135 company just recalled me and I’m going back and trying very hard to get back to 121. Not all 91 jobs are created equal. Mine was was pretty brutal. No set schedule. Pretty much 24/7/365. I want the set schedule and benefits of 122. Really hoping I get the call from Spirit soon.

Recent Hiring Stats
 

There are some corporate jobs that sound pretty good. I have a friend that is a pilot recruiter for Disney and knew a few people who got jobs at large company flight departments and they sound ok. But even with those you’re on call almost the whole month. It’s almost like permanent reserve. And there aren’t many of them and some can be next to impossible to get hired at if you don’t know the right people.

I also have a few friends at NetJets which I’ve heard is one of the better places to work and it sounds kinda miserable to me. Never knowing where you’re going. Having your schedule changed mid flight. Sitting in FBOs waiting to be released to goto the hotel. FOs having to clean and cater the airplane. Captains who will never retire.

But to each their own. A good 121 gig is hard to beat in my opinion. Regionals are a different story.

After almost 20 years of 91/135 flying, the thing about the good jobs is they’re only good, until they aren’t. Having a rental car all the time, staying in nice places, traveling around the whole world, while eating your catered meals, not going through security, and things like that is what makes corporate good. That’s why I say QOL at work is better there, but as you mentioned, you’re a slave to the job making the QOL at home, worse. They both have their pros and cons, but I have no plans of ever leaving here, and I’ve had some “good” corporate jobs.

but...but...you get a crew meal!!! Lol

One thing that would never set well are my friends that are on 24/7 call. To have to plan beer time in advance would be a drag for me

They tell me it’s not a big deal to “duty off” when needed but I do love how in 121 when I’m off, I’m off. And the only way I’m picking up a phone is if I want to make $$$

You’re preaching to the choir brother! Just the other day I went on duty at 7:30 AM est, flew 4.5 hours then the company said get to a hotel ASAP and duty off for a 10pm mst departure back to east coast…. Needless to say I walked in the hotel at 4:30am est. Do the math, I was up for right at 24 hrs. There’s not a crew meal on this earth worth putting up with this for a long period of time. Hoping for the Spirit call any day now.

We didn’t have crew meals at the place I worked. We got $45 a day for per diem. And if I only worked part of the day it was reduced. It was one of those corporate jobs everyone tries to avoid. They sold it as a great job, it was anything but.

The variety of destinations and ever changing schedules isn’t such a big deal once you accept that you’re their’s for the full term of the duty day. And you end up in some pretty good places with nice stays. At least NJ’s has an actual contract unlike the rest of the fractionals. Sitting at FBO’s isn’t horrible either. You’re getting paid to surf the web, watch TV and grab a decent meal. I always wondered about the guys who were antsy in the crew lounge. I don’t need to work hard, and that’s usually what’s on tap if they call you out of the crew lounge.

Btw, it’s not FO’s who clean and cater the planes. It’s both pilots. If you end up with CA Flirtsalot who hangs with the pretty CSR’s expecting you to do all the work then you head inside, grab a cup of coffee or whatnot, , have a a seat and make it well known that ****** isn’t getting done until his lazy posterior is out there helping you. It’s a two man show to do it well. I spent a decade plus in the fractional world. Anyone who thought of it as a retirement job, a way to make fun money or an easy gig once the left seat was attained was disabused of that notion in short order.

Recent Hiring Stats
 

From what I hear it’s common to sit in the FBO until you duty off just to goto a hotel and have a short overnight and not have time to do anything. And even if the captain is helping you’re still cleaning up after your passengers. But I’m not saying it isn’t a decent gig or that no one should like it. I personally just wouldn’t want to be tied to a company cell phone that much.

I've done the 91/135 thing - then 121 for many years - back to 91/135 during Covid.

Hands down 121, I CAN NOT WAIT to get back to the reliability of a 121 schedule. Sure it varies occasionally and sure you may not get the line you want. But you know your show times, days off are off. When you get to the hotel you're off until your next show time.

91/135 has perks, rental cars, pick your hotel, nice FBOs and expense accounts. But I only get paid by the day - so they have to call - and scheduling a family around IF they call is crazy. Fortunate to not really need the charter gig so I've been clear about unavailability for pop ups.

Obvious to each their own, but 121 is a MUCH better fit for me and my family. (not to mention pays WAY more in the long run)

in all my years of 91/135, I never sat in an FBO and waited to duty off. I know those jobs are out there though.

Just the retirement benefits alone are worth it, not to mention dealing with lavs, bratty children crushing Oreos into the carpet, and all of the other insanity of GA flying.

exactly!

I have never heard of another job outside major airlines that offers a 401k non-elective (DC). And especially at what majors are offering 15 to 16%.

Your retirement is losing big time not working for a major airline.

yeah I just had to say that because, I’ve actually had a corporate guy try to convince me to leave Spirit and fly 135. And his argument was because of the nice crew meals they get.

I just rolled my eyes...It wasn’t even worth trying to educate him.

My buddy at NetJets says it isn’t uncommon to fly a passenger or empty plane into Teterboro, then sit in the FBO just in case another passenger needs a ride, then time out and goto a hotel only to have to duty on again the next morning with a short overnight. Maybe he was just *****ing and it isn’t as common as he made it out to be but he’s a close friend of mine and I have no reason to not believe him. He said it isn’t uncommon to have numerous NetJets crews sitting around at busy GA airport fbos. Maybe things have changed.

Fractionals operate a little differently than what I’d call a traditional charter company. A lot of charter airplanes, actually the majority (maybe), are owned by an individual or a company, and they place them on a charter certificate for tax reasons, and to offset the operating costs. Fractionals operate similar to an airline, so as a customer, the plane that drops you off won’t be the same one that picks you up.

That means the flight crews are sent from place to place just picking up and dropping people off, so they have to wait for the sales department to sell a flight. Sucks to be them. On an airplane that is owned by somebody, or working for traditional charter company, it doesn’t always work that way. We never did that a single time. They’d never sell a charter, inside a charter. Typically, the owners will use the airplane 50%-70% of the time and charter the rest.


When we took a trip, we sat until they were ready to come home. Sometimes they were day trips, and we did have to spend the day in the pilot lounge, but most of those places are nice, and have snooze rooms and courtesy cars. If we were there more than 8 hours, we got a day room. Not ideal, but not terrible. Every spring break, you could count on spending a week in Cabo in an all inclusive resort, while collecting per diem, or spend the week in Aspen. You can take your golf clubs and play while you’re there. Sometimes, with the owners, we could take our families.

You pull up on the ramp and they pull your rental car right up to the airplane, throw you things in, and head off to, what was usually, a nice hotel. When it’s time to go home, you drive the car out to the plane, and leave. We would spend a week in Europe, New Zealand, Tahiti, Ireland, Ect.....and you’re there to do whatever you want, or sometimes you be stuck in some crappy town you’ve never heard of, bored out of your mind.


Yes, as pointed out above, sometimes the passengers could be a lot to deal with, but honestly, that doesn’t happen a lot. Most of them are respectful to you and the aircraft. I can tell you, I never once had to call law enforcement to meet me on the ground, like I’ve already done so many times here. No security, no busy airports, and when you have a sit, it’s not in a crowded terminal. I got far more rest on the road doing that, than what I get here. Red eye flights happened, but were rare.


Without a doubt, I’ll have to make captain here before I even touch the pay I left, but having an actual real schedule, and the retirement make up for it. Not that we had a bad 401K, but it’s nothing like a 121 retirement.


So not all charter is like flying for a fractional. I won’t go back to charter, but a lot of it was a lot of fun. I got to see and experience a lot of things I won’t get to do here, but being able to have a life away from work is more than worth the money I temporarily left behind.

Thanks for the explanation. Sounds like you had a pretty sweet job.

Depends on the frac. Not all of them round out a 12 hour duty day with standby like NJ’s. The running joke is wondering if it’s actually a crew lounge if there’s not a NJ’s crew in it.

I much prefer 121.

This is an excellent picture of a great 91/135 job. Been flying 91 for 6 years now, and my experience has been very similar. However, the unpredictable schedule is a HUGE offset for QOL, which is exactly why I’m hoping for Spirit. IMHO, schedule flexibility more than makes up for all the 91 perks that get forfeited with a move to 121. 401k is icing!

You are very correct, and good luck on getting hired, because the grass is indeed greener on the other side.