Any Cocal-Cola drivers on here?

[say again]

I'm perfectly happy flying my "little" Hawker. I have no desire to fly the "big" in our fleet. Yeah the pay would be better, but would be away a helluva lot more. My QOL is just fine for now, and pay is equally as good. It's all personal preferences.

 

[JJET44]

Anyone heard the term "the bigger the airplane the bigger the suitcase"?
Guys flying big airplanes have to be paid the big buck because they have to pay all their Ex-wives.
I flew a 767 around the world for a short time and made some good $ doing it but I realized that if I stayed there I was going to wind up divorced.
Let the guys with the "small weenie" complex fly the big jets. They can go home to their corvettes and empty apartments a few night a month. I'll go home to my wife and kids every night.

 

[willNOTfly4free]

Anybody know the secret handshake to enter the Gulfstream community? I want the jacket.

 

[Gulfstream 200]

Anyone heard the term "the bigger the airplane the bigger the suitcase"?
Guys flying big airplanes have to be paid the big buck because they have to pay all their Ex-wives.
I flew a 767 around the world for a short time and made some good $ doing it but I realized that if I stayed there I was going to wind up divorced.
Let the guys with the "small weenie" complex fly the big jets. They can go home to their corvettes and empty apartments a few night a month. I'll go home to my wife and kids every night.

Now there's some faulty generalization....

Im home far more flying a Global Express than I ever was flying a Westwind or any other smaller bizjet. I was home mostly every night...after everyone was asleep and I was exhausted from flying some small junkbox 4 legs+ a day. Id rather go away for a week then come home and be left alone for a stretch of time.

Shop the job carefully. From my experience the key to QOL is staffing. I personally would give up other parts of the job for the days home. Some G/GLEX jobs pay a lot of money, but put you on the road an unpredictable number of days. Obviously not ideal for everyone (me for example) Some want the money.

At my current (very average) job we work (fly, train, etc) 10-14 days of work a month, with 8 RONS being the norm. 250-275hrs a year. Not ideal, but not terrible....and off the top of my head, I think 3 out of our 16 pilots have been divorced (just a quick guess)

I dont think you can blame the job for the divorce rate amongst pilots....its usually more their stellar personalities...

 

[semperfido]

My experience flying and QOL has been similar to G200. I think I flew 220 hrs last year. Home a lot more than away. I do have a BIG suitcase, so I can have all my creature comforts. This isn't a pissing contest- and it isn't good to stereotype.

 

[satpak77]

what is "good" for one is not "good" for another. International trips in a G-5 are "good" for some kid who is wagging his tail and just got his Commercial ticket at Embry Riddle

being home every night so I can kick the soccer ball with my son is "good" for me.

takes all types

enjoy the G-5 job

 

[Gulfstream 200]

International trips in a G-5 are "good" for some kid who is wagging his tail and just got his Commercial ticket at Embry Riddle

Or maybe for some kid who wants to make 150-250K in this business and actually enjoys the International trips and QOL offered with a decent company? Not possible I suppose?

Throw in the job security and the flexibility having those ratings offers in this industry? Id rather shop for a job with a G550 rating than with ">1500hrs PIC time in a King Air"

and really, what does Embry-Riddle have to do with anything? Guess I missed something?

just another generalization?

Its great you are lucky to have a job that suits you well, but dont think for a second others cant have that QOL (and far more) in a G5 or another aircraft...again, shop the company, people, and QOL - not the airframe.

 

[400A]

what is "good" for one is not "good" for another. International trips in a G-5 are "good" for some kid who is wagging his tail and just got his Commercial ticket at Embry Riddle

being home every night so I can kick the soccer ball with my son is "good" for me.

takes all types

enjoy the G-5 job

Right on!

I loved my job when we had the Beechjet. Now that the Brand New Hawker is here, I have died and gone to heaven. We fly between 5-10 days per month, Ron's are rare, Based at the Factory service center, Part 91 0nly, 2 days notice is a "pop-up" and we are treated like Kings. Heck, the Boss even sponsors the ball teams I coach. Home on all holidays too!

Maybe when the Kids are grown I will try the globe trotting thing, but for now, no interest.

Unlike my Brothers at the Airlines, I have not missed one Christmas or Thanksgiving. Only missed a couple Birthdays.

Nice equipment can make a good gig great, but I would fly a King-Air for this guy. (No disrespect intended to King-Air Drivers)(I loved my time in the King-Air)

 

[BoilerUP]

This thread seems proof-positive that one man's desire is another man's dread.

Long live the straight-winged 0.62M roadblock of the skies that brings me home most every afternoon to my wife and pays my mortgage!

(and here's to hoping our growth continues and goes to the west coast so we can get a larger, more capable aircraft)

 

[Rook]

Great posts BoilerUP and Satpak. Had big airplane envy for a while. And my career's been in the Sh*tter ever since.