Airnet or Airlines?

[starcheckdriver]

I don't quite understand how anyone at Airnet working Monday-Thurdsday with every weekend and most holidays off can complain about quality of life. Sure, you work the back side of the clock, but after a few months your body adjusts. And flying 8 hours a night...isn't that why you got into flying? I love flying 8 hours a night rather than sitting on my a$$ at some clapped out pilot lounge under a passenger terminal. At least flying freight, if I have to sit around, it is in a nice FBO.

This board just reminds me of how lazy pilots really are. A pilot working a 40-50 hour work week will always complain that he works too much and that his QOL sucks because of it. In four days, I generally work 40-50 hours, the same as anyone with a 9-5 job five days a week. The lucky thing for me is that I enjoy 3, almost 4 ful days off before returning to work.

If you don't like to work and all you want is time off, quit your job and go on welfare. You can join the rest of the lazy Americans in this country. I guess my final though/question is....why should a pilot be entitled to 18 days off a month or committed to only working 20-30 hours a week?

 

[3blade]

I'd say in a perfect world fly for Airnet 6 months and then go to a solid regional. Flying cancelled checks,Hazmat,mice,poop,the AIDS virus, in the middle of the night in some seriously old beat-up airplanes really isn't a career for most people.

The flying on the other hand is a whole heck of a lot of fun you won't regret the experience as long as you don't do it for very long.

Most of the pilots you'll meet at Airnet have an unhealthy hatred for Regional airlines and the like, personally I never understood why. I never hear guys/gals at the airlines standing around bashing Airnet and other freight companies. There's just a lot of insecurity going on there.

If you're hired at Airnet just tell Craig Washka to keep the rose-tinted glasses and the extra strength cool-aid, take the job for the great experience and move on.

 

[I Hate Freight]

dude that is the most retarted quote i have heard all day, QOL sucks big donkey d&*** you have to be on the night schedule that screws your body in the long run,

The word is "retarded." "I" should be capitalized and how about a period at the end of a sentence instead of a comma?

I guess our children is not learning.

 

[freemind270]

that is exactly what i meant

 

[flying2jd]

Im dumb

What is QOL?

 

[Princedietrich]

I'm not sipping kool-aid. I'm not sipping anything.
And yes there are better places out there to work, but VERY few if any are with the regionals. Seriously, have you even SEEN what those guys get paid first year? Some of them are getting 14k the first year, and that's BEFORE taxes. Most of them are 21k and under. How can you get a decent quality of life when there are flight instructors pulling in more cash than a three-striper at Great Lakes or Mesaba.

 

[Doc Holiday]

PIC recip prop time means nothing. Go to the airlines.

Don't think I'd go that far. A PIC in a 135/121 operation is the one signing the paperwork and making the decisions. If that means nothing than right seat time in a shiny new jet is even more worthless. It's all about the PIC time, granted turbine PIC is what really counts these days.

 

[EatSleepFly]

Most of the pilots you'll meet at Airnet have an unhealthy hatred for Regional airlines and the like, personally I never understood why.

Are you kidding?

 

[Superpilot92]

QOL= Quality of Life!

your welcome

 

[3blade]

Are you kidding?

no I'm not.

 

[trybysky]

Frieght! I don't regret this route, I'm having a blast and have never been sharper on instruments. Also I got to build multi turbine PIC after 3 months, something I would have had to wait a couple years for with most Regionals. Of course I'm in an old beat up beech, and they're flying some beautiful jets.
Whatever floats yur boat. Good luck.

 

[cforst513]

how many guys went from freight into corporate? i'd like to avoid the airlines, if possible. my CFI got a class date at airnet so if i'd like to go that route he would definitely walk in my resumé. but after that, i'd like to get with a good corporate outfit. have any of you guys done this?

 

[3blade]

Airnet supplies a lot of pilots to the corporate side of flying, I think it's where most guys go that drove the Lear around for a while. NetJets, FlexJet, Citation shares, Flight options to name a few.

 

[Goose Egg]

How can you get a decent quality of life when there are flight instructors pulling in more cash than a three-striper at Great Lakes or Mesaba.

Go to a different airline? Wait a year? Spend your money on food and rent instead of booze? If you think that I'm making more than the guys at Great Lakes, Mesaba, or any other regional, think again. And if I can make flight instructing work financially...

-Goose

 

[Dave Benjamin]

First of all I'd avoid making career decisions based on first year pay.
Look down the road 5, 10, 15 years and ask yourself where you want to be. Although Airnet is a fine place to build experience you also have to look at how much of their flying will be lost due to continuing implementation of Check-21.
Turbine PIC, preferably with a glass cockpit is what many carriers prefer. Although I'm not saying you won't get hired by a good paying major straight from Airnet how much more of a chance is there of getting hired from a 121 carrier?
You'll have to suck it up first year at a regional.
Second year you should be making in the 30's though.
A 5th or 6th year turboprop captain can make $60K plus. In the RJ it's in the $70's.
Where I work we are losing a steady stream of guys to Southwest , Jet Blue, UPS, and Fed Ex.