Q's about Kalitta

[linecheck]

I was wondering if any Kalitta pilots could answer a couple questions if you have time. I've done a bit of research on your new contract, and it seems pretty good.

Do you guys view Kalitta as a long term place to hang your hat? Does Kalitta have a growth strategy that you feel confident in? How have management/ pilot relations been lately?

With your monthly schedule, is the company good about getting you home on your last day? When you're on the road, do you know where, and when you're going for that period of time? Or is it like a fractional, where you don't know what the next day will bring. How's reserve for the junior guys?

I'm wondering, what are the hiring plans for 2008?

Thanks for the help. All the best.

LC

 

[pilotyip]

Which Kalitta? Kalitta Air (747), Charters II (727), Charters (Lears)?

 

[vegan butcher]

If linecheck has been researching contracts, sounds like he wants the only company with a union, i.e. Kalitta Air.

 

[pilotyip]

Kalitta Air is hirng, they are expereincing turnover with major recalls. A good part of their flying is war related. How long will that go on?

 

[LR25]

If you can handle the 17 days out, you can stay awhile and make 6 figures easily.

You bid for a line of flying like any other airline, you can do reserve like any other place.

I get home on time or early most months. But like every other airline, scheduling dept, is just that.

More airplanes coming. They are in pretty good shape

I think we have the best schedule of most of the 747 operators. Just remember, there always the good, bad, ugly.

 

[linecheck]

Thanks Lr,

The time away doesn't bother me so much, so long as there's a good stretch at home.

When you bid your line, does the line (with your 17 day stretch) include both hard trips and reserve days?

For instance, could you fly to HNL, and then sit on reserve there for 3 days? Or could you sit reserve a few days at home before leaving for a trip? Just tryin' to get a feel for life on the road, and how tough the schedules are.

I noticed on the Kalitta Air website under "schedule" that there are many offices all over the world. Are those locations that you would routinely fly to? For instance, Hamburg, Germany?

Again, many thanks for the info.

All the best,

LC

 

[Guam360]

yes to most of your questions. It is possible at a slower time to sit at home before you actually receive a flight assignment. Most of the time the send you to either EWR or JFK for example and keep you in the hotels there. You are getting per diem during this time. You would normally call in every day to check in for an assignment. a hard line may contain reserve days. since I don't have one. someone else will have to chime in on issues with that.
A typical assignment would be EWR to Leige sit for a day or two then fly to Bahrain, sit for a day, fly to Hong Kong empty, sit for a couple days, the fly to PANC via Khaborask, or Sapporo.
Once you get to any of these destinations, it completely changes. except PANC, you are on your way to the lower 48.

some one else may have some good info....please

 

[LR25]

Kalitta is an easy gig, other than the 17 days. But the 13/14 days home are nice, and where else in our industry could you be in the left seat of a heavy in 1 1/2-2 years?

Im not a company cheerleader by any means, but there are worst places to be. We have had furloughed guys quit there jobs when they got recalled, soooooo.

But, if you have a family, the 17 days can get kind of long, so just make sure if you do come here, know that the new car smell WILL wear off and there youll be.

Its a good time to get on, we are short crews, and a quick upgrade will soon follow, most likely.

 

[Junkflyer]

Don't expect to sit at home on reserve, it may happen once in awhile-figure on being gone for the whole bid period. It can be hard especially if you have little ones at home. Most destinations are the same Amsterdam and Lax also. Sometimes pop-up trips which can be interesting.
Hard lines are not supposed to have reserve days they are called layover days in the new contract and you must call in once every 24 hours. You do often sit for 2 or 3 days at the outside stations.

 

[linecheck]

Thanks everyone for the great feedback. Much appreciated.

Sorry for all the questions, but I'm wondering if the fast upgrade is based on growth, or attrition. If age 60 changes sometime in 2009, how do you think the movement will be?

Do you think senior management's vision is to grow a viable, long-term cargo operation to the likes of Atlas/Polar? (If that's a good comparison)

Lastly, someone said a lot of Kalitta Air's revenue is driven by government contracts. How secure and stable would you say these contracts are? Just tryin' to understand the stability of the business..

Thanks again.

All the best,
LC

 

[landlover]

what kind of flight time are guys getting called for an interview? do they have mins posted anywhere?

 

[Batfish]

mins

On APC the mins are 4000TT. They had mins on the Kalitta site before, when they listed the pilot position in the careers section. Don't see the position listed there now.

When the new contract was approved the mins went from 2000tt (I think, may have been 2500) to 4000tt that day.


batfish

 

[Junkflyer]

Contract min is 1500. They like to see around 4,000, but it is not a hard number. Heavy and international time helps too. A feb. class for 14 f/o's has been announced and the rumor mill says at least another 2 or 3 are planned plus a few upgrade classes.

 

[Junkflyer]

Contract min is 1500. They like to see around 4,000, but it is not a hard number. Heavy and international time helps too. A feb. class for 14 f/o's has been announced and the rumor mill says at least another 2 or 3 are planned plus a few upgrade classes for next year.

 

[RJslim]

1. Does Kalitta Air provide crew meals and if so how are they?

2. How do you pack for a 17 day trip?

3. Would the 25" perdy neet bag work or should you get the 27'?

4. How often do the months back up to one another and then you work 34 days in a row?

Thanks

 

[propsarebest]

Do ya'all stay at the 5 towns while in JFK??

 

[Floyd R. Turbo]

RJSlim

1. All flights are catered. Quality varies, but overall I think it's pretty good.

2 + 3. You can do laundry or get it done nearly everywhere we go, so I don't carry much. In the summer when I'm wearing the same shorts and t-shirt pretty much every day, the small PrettyNeat bag works fine. In the winter when I have to carry warmer clothes, I have a $40 Korean special that holds plenty.

4. It's the luck of the draw. I only got one back-to-back when I was in the bottom half of the seniority list, but I wasn't there long. Maybe some junior captains will chime in.

 

[Guam360]

since there are half as many Fo's as CA's, you will pretty much get a bid that does not set you up for back to back unless you bid that on purpose, like I plan to Dec-Jan. I will bid off late Feb. I can have a month off to travel. sounds crazy, but I will have one month in Brasil!

 

[dbrault17]

On your time off while working, what is there to do in each city? Or do you guys work pretty solid while on?

 

[airgator]

Do ya'all stay at the 5 towns while in JFK??

Yes we stay in the 5 Clowns.

On your time off while working, what is there to do in each city? Or do you guys work pretty solid while on?

One of the nice things about Kalitta is we don't do alot of India and Africa like alot of the other cargo outifits. It's mostly Brussels, Amsterdam, Liege, Hong Kong, Dubai, Bahrain, Anchorage, and Honolulu. There's plenty of stuff to do in each, just depends what you're into. When you see us, most of us look pretty beat up, but I can tell you it's usually from playing too hard, not working. It really is about as easy as a job as you can get.