Avantair low-time pilot program?

[BoilerUP]

There's a new ad on climbto350.com for Avantair hiring schedulers. After "9 to 12 months learning the company and working in Pilot Services", they will be trained in the Avanti as a FO. Minimums are 1000tt, "some multi engine turbine time" and actively seeking the ATP. Pay is $25K to start.

As a low-time guy myself, I think this is an excellent opportunity for pilots to come up within the ranks of a company and make their way to pilot. I'm sure they have good procedures in place to seperate the wheat from the chaff as far as piloting ability, but I'm curious what the current Avantair guys and gals (and other Frax pilots) think about this program.

Saw an Avanti in JVY a couple weeks ago and spoke briefly with the crew. Its a beautiful plane!

 

[av8orboy]

Yeah but they work those guys to death. QOL? Another problem with Avantair is they sell 1/16 shares. It hard to satisfy all you customers on the busy day when you have a lot of 1/16 share owners and few or no core aircraft. I think selling 1/16 as a start-up is a very risky idea. Lastly the aircraft is a maintenance hog/ hard to get parts for. Sound like good time building though.

 

[RichardRambone]

Sounds good but I could spend those 9-12 months building flight time.

 

[Flying Illini]

So when is the "low time" moniker removed from your title? When does your pay bump up to that of a "normal" FO?

 

[ClubORD]

$25K is the "normal" FO pay.

Pretty sad huh...I interviewed there and declined the job because of the pay rates.

 

[avbug]

That doesn't sound like a bad opportunity for an inexperienced pilot, but let me ask this: aren't all the operations conducted under Part 135? Someone could come aboard as a 135 SIC, but they're still going to need to meet Part 135 PIC minimums to upgrade. Probably not a big deal, but what are the upgrade requirements for a SIC at Avantair?

I would guess that a SIC who has already spent a year in the office learning the business is going to be fairly company and customer savvy...I would guess that that individual would be a good asset to the company.

Conversely, is that person going to be an asset, if he or she hasn't flown for a year, in the cockpit? Also, what is the company paying people in the office, and is going to the cockpit a step down in pay?

If the copilot pay is twenty five grand, and it's not a step down, ouch. That is, someone going for an opportunity to fly, but having low experience, accepts a non-flying position just for the opportunity to fly a high performance turboprop, and survives on those wages for a year before ever getting in the cockpit...it's probably a great opportunity, but...

I couldn't survive on that wage. Then again, my child support is nearly more than that...

Conversely (just thinking out loud), it's still better than a lot of regionals. Then again, at the regionals, they'd be flying and moving closer to an upgrade. I have no idea what current regional upgrade times are, but I recall hearing recently that many are getting longer and longer, and even some where the promise of a quicker upgrade was a draw for many years, are slipping to not-so-quick.

Do any of the other fractional operators presently hire pilots into the right seat with that low of experience? Is there any basis for comparison, here?

 

[CL604DRVR]

I believe the avanti is a single pilot AC. If so then I think the autopilot would have to be inop to require a 135 sic. Therefore you might have trouble claiming the time.

I have heard of at least one Florida 135 operator selling turbine SIC opportunities in an AC with an allegedly inoperative autopilot.

 

[transpac]

I believe the avanti is a single pilot AC. If so then I think the autopilot would have to be inop to require a 135 sic. Therefore you might have trouble claiming the time.

I have heard of at least one Florida 135 operator selling turbine SIC opportunities in an AC with an allegedly inoperative autopilot.

As painful as it is to address an issue that has been flogged mercilessly on this board and has been the subject of numerous written opinions by the FAA Chief Counsel......

All airplanes operated under Part 135 IFR flight are required to be flown by a flight crew consisting of a qualified PIC and a qualified SIC. Operators may receive authority to substitute an autopilot for the otherwise-required SIC in airplanes that don't require a SIC by the type certificate. But, this is a privilege, not a requirement, and the operator may continue to use a qualified SIC in airplanes with or without an operative autopilot. Whether or not an autopilot is operative has absolutely zero to do with whether or not SIC time can legally be logged.

 

[avbug]

Transpac is quite correct. I was going to say the same thing, and he beat me to it. Being a single pilot aircraft has nothing to do with the issue, but being operated 135 does.

 

[PRO AV8R]

so flight express and airnet pistons require two pilots? None of the 210s at flight express have autopilots and I dont think they have two pilot crews???