AvantAir again

[countbat]

Just my experience interviewing with Avantair. Being in furlough from another company and don't want to go back I applied at Avantair.
I got my interview date. Everything on my dime: airline, hotel. Total bill about 560 dollars. That's OK. I knew about it.
I have to underline few points:
1. One day before my interview I called a lady by name Elizabeth few times to get infos about interview time and arrangements. No call back. Never.
2. Medical insurrance for family too high. Approx 250 USD per pay check
3. 18000 USD vs 1 year. That would be OK but you are 18k liable for any reason. Termination, company chapter II, wash out,fired, laid off etc. (That would be a good way of making money. Fire all the pilots and go after their money.......this is supposed to be a joke...... I hope.....you never know)
4. Interview relaxed, laid back, very nice people. Scarry rapid growing.Kind of too nice to do not make you wonder.
5. Cute plane
6. I left the interview with the feeling that I got the job. I was told that I will be called in max 2 days. Never received a phone cal. THAT I DIDN;T LIKE IT. If I took the time and money(not very cheap) to go to Naples to see them (invited) I believe it would have been nice and polite for Avantair to call and let me know if Yes or No.
Thank you for reading my thread

 

[On Your Six]

Just my experience interviewing with Avantair. Being in furlough from another company and don't want to go back I applied at Avantair.
I got my interview date. Everything on my dime: airline, hotel. Total bill about 560 dollars. That's OK. I knew about it.
I have to underline few points:
1. One day before my interview I called a lady by name Elizabeth few times to get infos about interview time and arrangements. No call back. Never.
2. Medical insurrance for family too high. Approx 250 USD per pay check
3. 18000 USD vs 1 year. That would be OK but you are 18k liable for any reason. Termination, company chapter II, wash out,fired, laid off etc. (That would be a good way of making money. Fire all the pilots and go after their money.......this is supposed to be a joke...... I hope.....you never know)
4. Interview relaxed, laid back, very nice people. Scarry rapid growing.Kind of too nice to do not make you wonder.
5. Cute plane
6. I left the interview with the feeling that I got the job. I was told that I will be called in max 2 days. Never received a phone cal. THAT I DIDN;T LIKE IT. If I took the time and money(not very cheap) to go to Naples to see them (invited) I believe it would have been nice and polite for Avantair to call and let me know if Yes or No.
Thank you for reading my thread

Hopefully the quality of your writing wasn't an issue. Move on and apply to Netjets if you qualify... Good luck.

 

[countbat]

Thank you for advice my friend. I still have 15 years of part 121 and if the 65 years will apply I will get 20 years. I got called back by my company with an upgrade to B747 Capt. I am good for now.
My english is poor 'cause I finished my Master in '85 and is been a lot of time since and my short and long memory are not functioning as used to. My 286 pentium is getting harder to keep up with you young people. Don't worry you will get there too.
Beeing an old school as I am and used to say back "HI" when someone else is telling me "HI" I couldn't stop to notice that Avantair has no respect to people who spent their own money to go to Naples for inteview.
My experience with fractional will stop here I hope.
Have a good day

 

[asayankee]

What are Avantair mins? For some reason I cant get their website to work on my computer.

 

[Ill Mitch]

What are Avantair mins? For some reason I cant get their website to work on my computer.

As of late, they are posting 1000 multi so you can sit in the right seat of a single pilot airplane and play with the radios. Not that there's anything wrong with that.

 

[asayankee]

How does that work as far as logging time. Do you only log legs you fly? Or is it one of those situations where their op specs reqauire 2 pilots so you can log it all....just not as pic

 

[Noodles]

Two pilots are required, so you can log it however you want. Some FO's log their legs as turbine PIC, since no type is required.

 

[blueridge71]

It would be wise to make a separate column for this type (FAR 61) turbine PIC. Most airlines want FAR 1 PIC where you sign for the airplane.

 

[glasspilot]

Just my experience interviewing with Avantair. Being in furlough from another company and don't want to go back I applied at Avantair.
I got my interview date. Everything on my dime: airline, hotel. Total bill about 560 dollars. That's OK. I knew about it.
I have to underline few points:
1. One day before my interview I called a lady by name Elizabeth few times to get infos about interview time and arrangements. No call back. Never.
2. Medical insurrance for family too high. Approx 250 USD per pay check
3. 18000 USD vs 1 year. That would be OK but you are 18k liable for any reason. Termination, company chapter II, wash out,fired, laid off etc. (That would be a good way of making money. Fire all the pilots and go after their money.......this is supposed to be a joke...... I hope.....you never know)
4. Interview relaxed, laid back, very nice people. Scarry rapid growing.Kind of too nice to do not make you wonder.
5. Cute plane
6. I left the interview with the feeling that I got the job. I was told that I will be called in max 2 days. Never received a phone cal. THAT I DIDN;T LIKE IT. If I took the time and money(not very cheap) to go to Naples to see them (invited) I believe it would have been nice and polite for Avantair to call and let me know if Yes or No.
Thank you for reading my thread

I think I found your problem. Avantair isn't in Naples. It's in St. Petersburg. You went to the wrong interview.

 

[HazMat]

Interview reviews seem to go one of two ways. Those who get the job are usually pretty pleased. They post things they did and believe will help others who are trying to get a job succeed. Some of those who don’t get an offer tend to rant about how terrible their experience was. I find it curious that these same people take no responsibility in their part of having not gotten a class date. I find little in the way of help in these posts. They read more like excuses and blaming. It reminds me of Aesop’s Fable of “Sour Grapes”.

As explained during my interview, Avantair is entering its fifth year in business. It began business in May of 2002. At that time they started with 1 aircraft and 2 pilots. These were the Part 91 days. They have since grown to a fleet of 24 aircraft and over 100 pilots. They have transitioned from a straight 91 operator to a Part 91K fractional / 135 on demand charter operator. At this time they operate the Part 23, Single Pilot, Piaggio P180 Avanti and soon the Avanti II aircraft. There are unconfirmed rumors of fleet growth everywhere, including this website.

The benefits they offer are in line with the market they currently share. They are what they are and I understand they have improved dramatically with the growth of the company. I can only assume they will continue to improve as the company continues to grow.

The growth plans are the reason they give for requiring the higher minimums. The opportunity to rapidly transition to the left seat is based your personal ability and is greater than at any other fractional or regional company that I am aware of. They are transitioning pilots at their one year re-qualification ride. Their have been a couple pilots who did not make the transition but the majority do.

My advice: Do your research before you send in your resume. Where ever possible, talk to the pilots on the ramp and get their input. Company references are a big plus. After you send in your resume be prepared for the telephone interview. Not everyone gets one. That would be the time to ask any unanswered questions you may have about the company. Don’t ask the kinds of questions that have answers that are easily available.

The face to face interview is the final opportunity to see if everything is right for both you and Avantair. There are no guarantees. Not everyone will get hired. While some get the call and the offer of a class date, some get a rejection letter. The letter takes longer to get than the call. Flying is a small percentage of the job they do. Pilot skills are only a small part of what they are looking for. They assume you have the pilot skills and perhaps that’s why they don’t require a simulator evaluation.

People, service and thinking skills are a distinctive part of what they are really looking for. An ability to interact with owners, fellow pilots, mechanics, flight center and a multitude of people is the reason people skills are a must in this industry. Grumpy, rude, cocky and obnoxious people with bad attitudes or bad pilot skills need not apply. Nobody wants to work with them and it makes everybody’s day tougher when they have to. The fractional environment is already demanding enough. They don’t want to add to your workload by forcing you to sit next to a pilot like that.

I see plenty of opportunities at Avantair and at the same time there are plenty of other opportunities in the aviation field. Choose the company you want to work for wisely. After all, it is your choice. Thank a Veteran for that.