Eclipse 500 Pay

[Miami Freight]

I know a small law firm that is planning on buying an Eclipse 500. One of the partners is a qualified pilot but they want someone else who can fly part time. They've asked if I am interested. When we talk money what should I tell them I am willing to work for. I'm not familiar with this side of the industry and don't want to "lower the bar".

 

[Flybet3]

I'm not familiar with this side of the industry ".

I don't think anyone is familiar. I was just asking about this issue a couple of days ago. Join us in my threat of VLJ info and religion apparently.

 

[Publishers]

First there has to be bar to lower. Are you being asked to be a safety pilot or to really be the pilot for the aircraft. My off the cuff guess is that these are going to be $50k to $60 captains. It is sort of like King Air today. These will become the transition aircraft to jets./

 

[Coool Hand Luke]

Let me see....working for a lawyer, that's also a pilot. I don't think there's enough money in the whole world for that.

But if you must, I wish you good luck.

 

[h25b]

I know a small law firm that is planning on buying an Eclipse 500. One of the partners is a qualified pilot but they want someone else who can fly part time. They've asked if I am interested. When we talk money what should I tell them I am willing to work for. I'm not familiar with this side of the industry and don't want to "lower the bar".

Geez, where do I start...

First of all, it's still a jet aircraft that presumably will be up there sharing the skies with the likes of myself who really likes to get home safely in the evening without the likes of a "qualified" lawyer pilot smacking in to me... As such you should be paid as a "professional pilot" operating a jet aircraft as PIC. Now, down to the meat and potatoes... Tell us which region the position is located within and someone could help.

I say at least 65K + bennies, more if it's somewhere expensive... Now I'm sure there will be someone along telling me that's unreasonable.

 

[jumppilot]

I honestly wonder how truthful that statement is.

who cares what altitude they fly. They have an autopilot just like us, an FMS just like us and really, everything we depend on just like us.

How dangerous can they be? You paint doom and gloom.

What about the 500 hour pilots in the flight levels?

 

[Flybet3]

Geez, where do I start...

First of all, it's still a jet aircraft that presumably will be up there sharing the skies with the likes of myself who really likes to get home safely in the evening without the likes of a "qualified" lawyer pilot smacking in to me... As such you should be paid as a "professional pilot" operating a jet aircraft as PIC. Now, down to the meat and potatoes... Tell us which region the position is located within and someone could help.

I say at least 65K + bennies, more if it's somewhere expensive... Now I'm sure there will be someone along telling me that's unreasonable.

That's unreasonable.....HA! :laugh:

 

[AerroMatt]

What about the 500 hour pilots in the flight levels?

As in SkyWest, Mesa, and a few other regionals hiring 500hr wonders who need to be babysitted by their captains? That's a scarier thought than VLJ's being flown by Doctors and Lawyers, I $hit you not!

 

[h25b]

I honestly wonder how truthful that statement is.

who cares what altitude they fly. They have an autopilot just like us, an FMS just like us and really, everything we depend on just like us.

How dangerous can they be? You paint doom and gloom.

What about the 500 hour pilots in the flight levels?

Let's think about this one for a moment... I would assume the 500 hr. pilots you're referring to are at the regional airlines. Those pilots are operating with other pilots under strict Part 121 reg. between common city pairs to mostly nice long runways. Comparing that to what these VLJ's will be doing is hardly realistic. The training is also very different.

We all know how much luck they've had with Bonanza's and lights twins...

 

[Tgaug6300]

Man, lets all just paint with a broad brush.

 

[atpcliff]

Hi!

DayJet is advertising for Eclipse capts at $50K, but the bennies/schedule are really good (every weekend off, and home in base every night), so for a comparable salary at a normal job the pay would have to be higher.

cliff
YIP

 

[Miami Freight]

The job being offered is not full time. Basically they want me to fly the aircraft to the site where the team, including me, would be doing some work. It is in the Southeast and I would only charge them for the time in the aircraft. I would not be on call nor would I be babysitting the other pilot. He actually has a few thousand hours in the King Air so I think he'll be okay. In a nutshell they hired me as an outside consultant for the firm and said, "by the way would you like to fly the Eclipse too?" Sounds like fun to me but I'm a professional and have to be paid if I lay my ticket on the line. Thanks for the discussion so far.

 

[Thedude]

How dangerous can they be? You paint doom and gloom.

What about the 500 hour pilots in the flight levels?

I have a feeling the insurance companies will take care of that

 

[AA717driver]

Miami--I'd say the daily rate should be in the $400-$500 range, especially with your experience. (Whether your experience is relevent or not, I'd play that card to the hilt! )

In corporate, if you touch the airplane, you get the daily rate--trip length doesn't matter. Good luck and remember: you flare at 5 feet, not 100 feet. TC

 

[Miami Freight]

I can imagine the first time I land a small plane in a few years. The mantra would be "flare at 5, flare at 5". Thanks for the input. I agree, a few hundred per leg at least. I'd be saving them a bundle on their insurance due to my time.

 

[Bumz_Rush]

Eclipse

AA717; In Europe we are thinking the rate should be 800$ per day.....

I am also looking at providing a mentoring package for VLJ's.



Miami Freight; 5ft is a big surprise......

Bumz

 

[CRJ2008]

what are the minimums to fly with Eclipse?

 

[CRJ2008]

The eclipse I mean.

 

[miles otoole]

Hi!

DayJet is advertising for Eclipse capts at $50K, but the bennies/schedule are really good (every weekend off, and home in base every night), so for a comparable salary at a normal job the pay would have to be higher.

cliff
YIP

How can every CA be at home every weekend? If so, are you done at midnight Fri night and back at it Monday at 6 AM? The devil's in the details. Interesting to see how it really pans out. Management has a way of spinning things.

 

[iaflyer]

DayJet is advertising for Eclipse capts at $50K, but the bennies/schedule are really good (every weekend off, and home in base every night), so for a comparable salary at a normal job the pay would have to be higher.

Yeah, that will last - until a customer wants to fly somewhere Saturday morning and someone else wants to return on Sunday. Nope, passengers never want to do that. Or fly at night.

While I admire their goal, it's just not realistic in an air taxi type of business.

 

[jea]

pw in maui is planning on getting the eclipse for "executive passengers" and hey they pay their captains 2500 a month- this vlj will likely give them a raise to 2700 or so ha ha ha sorry i used to work there. im sorry

 

[Photoflight]

Posted this up in the general forum...a former engineer for learjet tells why eclipse is/has failed.

http://eclipseaviationcritic.blogspot.com/

 

[AerroMatt]

Posted this up in the general forum...a former engineer for learjet tells why eclipse is/has failed.

http://eclipseaviationcritic.blogspot.com/

I see lots of inflammatory headlines on this blog. Won't get a chance to read any of it before this weekend. The one headline about the change in engines did grab my eye as a legit concern, but my first impression is that this fellow is grinding his ax against Eclipse and Mr Rayburn for some unknown personal reason. Perhaps the blogger should instead concentrate his journalistic efforts on a more lucrative field of blogging, like wacko liberal democratic fundraiser?

I've been impressed with what Eclipse has pulled off so far. I do agree that it isn't what Vern Rayburn unveiled 6 years ago, but what new airplane design has made it into production unchanged? The simple fact that they have acheived certification with a different powerplant than what the airframe was designed for is a testament to some pretty decent engineering. If nothing else, Mr Rayburn and team managed to make it to market first (just like Mr Lear), and by doing so is defining a new market.

I do remember that there was a competitor way back in 2000 to the Eclipse, it was called the Safire. Nice looking design, all composite airframe. Only trouble as I saw it back then was they were designing their airframe around a powerplant that had been designed by an engineering firm with NO production experience. No matter how sweet it might have looked on their 'puter drawing boards, they hadn't a clue how tough it would be to get their engine certified, let alone into production.

So what if Eclipse isn't what was originally marketed? At least it has made it to the market. This blogger seems to be so single-minded as to do nothing but criticize, he needs to remember all the naysayers that existed against Bill Lear (his old boss) and his crazy idea of converting (yes, converting) a Pilatus single seat jet fighter design into an executive transport!

I for one will be waiting to see how things go for Eclipse, but my employer is actively toying with the idea of ordering one. I won't turn my nose up at it...

 

[Gorilla]

I can imagine the first time I land a small plane in a few years. The mantra would be "flare at 5, flare at 5". Thanks for the input. I agree, a few hundred per leg at least. I'd be saving them a bundle on their insurance due to my time.

This is SO true. When I career-progressed post-9/11 from the 777 to the 737, I had unbearable ground rush in the roundout and flare, and dropped it in many times... some of the ugliest landings of my career. The 737 is not the easiest landing AC in experienced hands. In mine, it was grim. Very embarrassing.

 

[Photoflight]

I see lots of inflammatory headlines on this blog. Won't get a chance to read any of it before this weekend. The one headline about the change in engines did grab my eye as a legit concern, but my first impression is that this fellow is grinding his ax against Eclipse and Mr Rayburn for some unknown personal reason. Perhaps the blogger should instead concentrate his journalistic efforts on a more lucrative field of blogging, like wacko liberal democratic fundraiser?

I've been impressed with what Eclipse has pulled off so far. I do agree that it isn't what Vern Rayburn unveiled 6 years ago, but what new airplane design has made it into production unchanged? The simple fact that they have acheived certification with a different powerplant than what the airframe was designed for is a testament to some pretty decent engineering. If nothing else, Mr Rayburn and team managed to make it to market first (just like Mr Lear), and by doing so is defining a new market.

I do remember that there was a competitor way back in 2000 to the Eclipse, it was called the Safire. Nice looking design, all composite airframe. Only trouble as I saw it back then was they were designing their airframe around a powerplant that had been designed by an engineering firm with NO production experience. No matter how sweet it might have looked on their 'puter drawing boards, they hadn't a clue how tough it would be to get their engine certified, let alone into production.

So what if Eclipse isn't what was originally marketed? At least it has made it to the market. This blogger seems to be so single-minded as to do nothing but criticize, he needs to remember all the naysayers that existed against Bill Lear (his old boss) and his crazy idea of converting (yes, converting) a Pilatus single seat jet fighter design into an executive transport!

I for one will be waiting to see how things go for Eclipse, but my employer is actively toying with the idea of ordering one. I won't turn my nose up at it...

I'd say read itbefore you rush to judgement. He goes into some pretty good details as far as performance/payload etc...that he foresees the eclipse coming up short on...real short. Seemed to make sense for the most part to me. However the writer doesn't seem to have a whole lot of love for the CEO of eclipse.

 

[miles otoole]

Yeah, that will last - until a customer wants to fly somewhere Saturday morning and someone else wants to return on Sunday. Nope, passengers never want to do that. Or fly at night.

While I admire their goal, it's just not realistic in an air taxi type of business.

Or flying from Pensacola to Tallahassee with one passenger on board to pick up a second and then off to Daytona, for example. These won't be all direct flights. Many times, you'll have to stop somewhere and pick up or drop off others. I can see picking up the last passenger and there's no more room for baggage. It will be a neat novelty at first, but I see people with very tight schedules or worse yet, moving schedules, running late for the last Dayjet flight home and the plane has left as the 3 passengers already on board "demand to leave now!" Fist fights galore.

 

[Publishers]

I don't think that you understand the model they are operating on. While it may change, they are looking for the out and back in one day business flyer. It is the leave Miami at 8am go to TPA by 9 come back at 5 be here at 6

 

[miles otoole]

I don't think that you understand the model they are operating on. While it may change, they are looking for the out and back in one day business flyer. It is the leave Miami at 8am go to TPA by 9 come back at 5 be here at 6

I do understand very well as much of the grip and grin involves breakfast or dinner, which often means an overnight stay. They don't dicatate the model, the customer does. For what they are going to charge, there will be more than a few frustrated or disappointed customers expecting the planes to wait for any number of reasons. If they were the only passenger, fine. Add 3 other type A's who don't know or care about each other and all heck is going to break loose.

 

[JimNtexas]

I think you are going to have to pretty skinny to be an Eclipse pilot if they really plan to routinely carry four passengers.

 

[CrimsonEclipse]

Take this opportuntiy to get experience as a safety pilot and get a
type rating. Then establish a daily rate, like $300-500/day. Then
rest your services out to multiple companies and owners and mabie
even sell/lend yourself to Eclipse as a designated examiner (later on).

Being your own boss is an admirable goal, especially at the early part
of your career.

CE