Airnet Barons

[labbats]

erik, i'd change your handle from erika bro

 

[uscpilot]

Erik
I am not going to get into this $7000 discussion
Alot of the guys telling you to jump at this job are single. If you have a job that allows you to fly nice equipment and see your family that sounds pretty good to me.
If you have any reservations about taking this job that should be it (and it sounds like it is), not the $7000.
Its a great company dont get me wrong. I have been here for about 2 1/2 years. But it is hard to justify moving a family every six months to a year, which means you have to jumpseat back home on the weekends. That is no picnic, you spend the whole time wondering if you will be able to get back. So you will do what I did and buy tickets half the time to ensure you can get back to work. You might luck out and get a run near home or bid something near home 6-8 months after you start.
Having said all that, we all knew getting into this that the first 5-10 years would require alot of moving. People who complain about this remind me of teachers who complain about low pay; they knew getting into the profession the pay sucks. Your family will have to be flexable.
I am sure you were aware of all this, and your intelligence has probably been insulted by reading my condescending rant. I just had not seen the situation addressed in this way.
This isnt me trying to keep the competition out, I have too much senority with airnet for you to affect me.
I am sure you know as well or better than me how hard it is going for long periods of time without seening your family.
Good luck,
usc

 

[CMH Floater]

You could luck out and be based in your dream city, which makes AirNet an awesome place to work. But...it might take you 6-12 months to get there. Or you could get it right out of class which is what happend with Miami last month. It went un-bid and the guy that finished first in his class got it. It's all timing.

 

[panampilot]

Here's a question for anyone in the know: What prop bases are available as a domicile? The list on the website is incomplete or has been changed because I know Birmingham is a prop base but it isn't listed on the website as a prop base. Thanks in advance.

 

[jbDC9]

It's nice when you call the CP and he knows who you are.

Except when you have a twin brother working there as well... on the rare occasion I called CMH about something, I got the standard question; "Which one are you, Omaha or Tulsa?" Took 'em awhile to figure us out.

 

[JBcrjca]

Yeah, and a few times CMH sent my paycheck to you and vice-versa...that was a bit of a pain. But other than that, what a great company to work for. Craig was one of the coolest CPs a guy could ask for. I don't work there anymore, so I'm not brown-nosing.

Ok, so back to the original topic for a moment...because I got bored with the $7000 discussion. My high time Baron at USC was good old 1653W, got a tad over 900 hrs in it. It was built in 1972 without icing approval, but was later upgraded with 100 amp alternators, electric prop heat, a windshield hot-plate, and heated fuel vents.... those in addition to the usual boots made it approved for flight into known ice. I used the boots quite a bit in TX and OK, but not nearly as much as those poor guys up in BUF, SYR, etc. It worked pretty well for me. What I hated was the planes with alcohol props and windshield. I remember doing a low ILS into LBB one night (covering an Air Exchange run, anyone remember that company?), using as little alcohol as I could to keep the windshield clear....and of course I ran out and had an interesting time landing and taxiing to the FBO. And of course you gotta love the smell of the alcohol seeping in thru the gaps. When I got back home, made a trip to the store and bought a big case of those little alcohol bottles....there I was on the ramp dumping each bottle into the tank while freezing my butt off. Ahh, those were the days. Looking back, I wouldn't trade that for anything. I need a moment to compose myself now...just noticed in my logbook that it was 10 yrs ago this week, my last trip for USC. I'm getting a little verklempt(sp?), so please talk amongst yourselves.

 

[WrightAvia]

"I'm feeling so VERKLEMPT"...(hey, do a search...it's what popped up)

http://www.danheller.com/images/California/SanFrancisco/FolsomFair/drag-queen05-big.jpg

 

[labbats]

manhands!

 

[CMH Floater]

Off Hand:

AGC BDL BNA BUF CMH CPS DAL DTW IND LUK MDW MEM MKE NEW OMA OPF ORL PHL RIC SDF STP TEB TUL ALB BHM CLT CAE AVP ABE

Here's a question for anyone in the know: What prop bases are available as a domicile? The list on the website is incomplete or has been changed because I know Birmingham is a prop base but it isn't listed on the website as a prop base. Thanks in advance.

 

[panampilot]

Thanks for the help. It looks like there are about 6 new bases than the website says.