Airnet Questions

[Tonala2k]

I read the "hire in to Bases" line and what I got out of it was, if they really wanted to hire me, I mean beyond meeting their needs and expectations of a pilot, and if I would only be available for say a few bases, they would consider putting me on a waiting list.

 

[osu_av8r]

Seems to me that the "hiring into a base" is during those circumstances when they can't pawn it off on anyone else. There's bound to be someone in the hiring pool who would want to go directly to a base such as TEB for example. I SERIOUSLY doubt it's because they come across their dream candidate and will do anything to get them to come aboard. I'm laughing just thinking about that.

 

[MrPink1911]

as far as i know, no one has been hired into specific bases..... there has been talk of doing that, but i think i has been just talk..... how it works is as soon as you pass your check ride, if you are PIC qualified you start bidding on what is available...... i passed my check ride on Feb 27 and didn't get to my first base until the end of April..... it may be shorter now, imagine this: they hire you into city X specifically, so when do you start training??? do they call you when they have an opening in city X? if so, then you have to be trained, PASS training, which is no guarentee, and then move.... this process is at least 4 weeks long.... in the meantime they are paying a floater to cover your run, plus per diem.... really, i dont see it happening.... i think they keep doing it the way they have done it all along.... if you have any questions PM me.... granted i am no expert, but i do work there in TEB which is historically the least favorite of all the bases.... hope this helps, but do make an educated decision based on what you think will have the least impact on your family.... this industry is tough on families, maybe the best choice is to have patience and network in your home town....

 

[N60OSU]

Back to the subject at hand...

We can jumpseat on pretty much any regional. SWA and NWA are the only majors, but think that may change with CASS. We also can go on many of the large cargo operators and a few tour type charter operators. I think CASS will get us FedEx since we are going with the photo database. I'm based in MEM so FedEx will be a BIG help.

I agree that you should not mention it in your interview. Every airline would prefer that their crews live in their base, so Airnet is not unique in that respect. However, it is a good recruiting and retention tool for all airlines, so don't feel intimidated into moving. Just realize that getting back to your base is your responsibility. Airnet does not have the reserve coverage to cover you if you cannot make it back.

As far as the logistics go I've found it to be a fairly painless, if not time consuming, process. With a little experience you learn the ins and outs. I've been jumpseating weekly for the last year or so. Until recently I was able to get through security with my badge but since the first of May I've had to start getting a security pass from the ticket agent to get through. I've never been hasseled by ticket agents, security, or gate agents. Actually they've all been rather pleasant and accomodating.

I understand your situation having a family and not wanting to uproot them, especially for a job that may or may not be a long term situation. In my case my wife is the breadwinner so it doesn't make a whole lot of sense to give up a higher paying job to relocate for a lower paying one. I suppose most of us in the freight dog world are outearned by our spouses. Commuting has worked out well for me but I suspect I've been pretty lucky. It depends largely on where you are based and where you live. MEM - TUL is a pretty easy commute.

PM me if you have any specific questions about Airnet or commuting.

 

[MNR]

A long time ago, this was before 9/11, TSA, I commuted while working the Cargo side for Airnet. Denver to Pheonix every weekend. It was fine most of the time but honestly after about 6 months it got really old. I would not recommend it to anyone.

You get done with your run at lets say 6 or 7 am on Friday morning. You start jump seating, I would get to Pheonix by maybe 2 or 3 in the afternoon. I would need sleep so, to bed I went. Usually got up about 6 pm or so. Did dinner with the then girlfriend (now wife), went out etc. had all day Saturday and Sunday. However Sunday I would be watching the wx in Denver to see if I had to start working my way back early. Monday morning it was back to the Airport to jumpseat back. That was if I knew I could get back to Denver in time to get the rest I needed before my flight started on Monday. Otherwise I was jumping back Sunday afternoon.

So you have 2 days home but I was really dragging those 2 days. I might need to head back early. Also since it was always possible to get bumped I would have at least 3 or 4 backups. I never wanted to call the CP and say I couldn't make it to cover my run.

Now, understand this is just me. I know some guys who did the commute thing for years and it worked for them. I know for myself however if I am ever in a situation where I have to commute again my wife and I have already agreed we will move. Not an option for you maybe. My wife teaches music out of the house and has her own home based business that can go anywhere so its an easier for us.

Hope that helps. Just figure commuteing adds at least another half day per leg if not more to your work week.

 

[falconvalley]

Here's what I think about the hiring into base thing:

I was talking to a newly hired, fellow Airneter a while back. He said he really wanted to get based in TEB. He did his SIC there and got an apartment. He wasn't hired into TEB, so when he finished his SIC, he came back to CMH. "They" actually BALKED at assigning him to TEB as a PIC. I can't remember the details of the story, but I do remember thinking that it was kinda screwed up for them not to jump at the chance to get someone into TEB that would stay there. I think he just wanted to stay there until a run there opened and they told him to come back to CMH or something. He was confused, because, at the time there was a line of newbies waiting for runs to open. We thought it wouldn't make any difference if he just stayed in TEB as a reserve until a TEB run opened.

So, I think that it's a problem with a new idea becoming a policy and the willingness of management to actually use it.

 

[N60OSU]

It's simply a matter of the company's policy on assigning runs to new pilots. It's true that few pilots at Airnet actually want to be in TEB and I'm sure the Flight Department is thrilled to have someone who does. That said, they have procedures to follow with respect to how new pilots are assigned runs and the circumstances you describe are in sync with those procedures with respect to new pilots sitting reserve in LCK until they receive their initial PIC assignment. Your friend may rest assured that TEB is regularly open so he should be able to transfer into that base in short order.

 

[falconvalley]

The issue was where he would wait to be assigned a run. There wasn't a guarantee that he would get TEB as a first assignment, but he was already there, had an apartment there and figured it'd be no big deal just to stay there for a couple weeks.

As far as I know, there is no written policy on where PIC upgrades float before their first assignment. They just bring them back to LCK and have them stay until the first assignment.

A trivial debate, but he wanted to take his lease as long as possible there and they didn't seem to care. I think that if Airnet doesn't provide any assistance during the relatively short (but long enough to hurt financially) SIC program, they could at least be understanding when someone asks for an amended temporary assignment. They don't have to take flying away from permanent floaters.

 

[N60OSU]

The basic policy is that all pilots are Columbus based unless otherwise assigned elsewhere. The reason for that is accessability to the system for quick placement on a reserve assignment. There are circumstances where a pilot would be allowed to float while not assigned as a reserve pilot but awaiting a run following SIC to PIC upgrade is not one of them. The flight department follows established policy very closely (I've been on both sides of that practice recently) and is not inclined to make exceptions except in extreme circumstances. Say what you want, but as an employee it is nice to know exactly what to expect.

I flew as an SIC for about 3 months last summer. I went to training with 950 TT and only 37 MEL. Airnet is the only company I know of that pays SICs (prop) and offers them the same benefits as other full-time employees. The other SIC policies of which I'm aware involve the time builder paying for training and at best getting to ride along for free. Then there is no guarantee of a job once they reach PIC mins. I'm sure I'm not aware of all companys' policies but I doubt any treat time builders better, if even as well as, Airnet does.

 

[idoitupsidedown]

I think that if Airnet doesn't provide any assistance during the relatively short (but long enough to hurt financially) SIC program, they could at least be understanding when someone asks for an amended temporary assignment.

i agree with N60OSU and have this to add. Pilots sitting standby before their first PIC assignment and especialy SICs need to keep in mind a few things. First, they are being paid for a job that doesn't need to exist so, yes, we do provide more than adequate assistance during the SIC program. We call it single pilot frieght haulin' for a reason and the PICs didn't sign up to give instruction on how to do this job. We could easily stop paying people until they hit 1200 hours or, even more, until we assign them a run. They knew how it worked before they got here or at least had plenty of time to figure it out during training when they saw all the recently upgraded SICs sitting around at LCK with nowhere to go and nothing to do. The company had no obligation to treat him any different just because he decided to split rent out there instead of finding a crashpad to pay month-to-month like every other SIC. If the company let him have his wish, i think we'd start seeing alot more SICs going to BHM so they could sit around in the daytime waiting on the next bid sheet instead of watching GGW reruns at LCK at o'dark thirty. It's just the way it is and the flight department has more important things to worry about than people asking for special treatment because they didn't think ahead.

On an earlier point, we actually have hired one pilot with the intent of putting them into a specific base - you guessed it, TEB. Unfortunately, this trainee had several problems in training and washed out. We haven't done it since, but that doesn't mean we won't do it again.