Welcome to Flightinfo.com

  • Register now and join the discussion
  • Friendliest aviation Ccmmunity on the web
  • Modern site for PC's, Phones, Tablets - no 3rd party apps required
  • Ask questions, help others, promote aviation
  • Share the passion for aviation
  • Invite everyone to Flightinfo.com and let's have fun

Avantair low-time pilot program?

Welcome to Flightinfo.com

  • Register now and join the discussion
  • Modern secure site, no 3rd party apps required
  • Invite your friends
  • Share the passion of aviation
  • Friendliest aviation community on the web
Part 91K ops require two pilots. Autopilot or not.

Not many flights at Avantair are flown Part 135. All flights that go international (Canada, Mexico, Carib,) are Part 135 at Avantair because of the Customs regs that require all such fract flights to be listed as "commercial"; hence the Part 135 quals of its pilots.

Sitting for 9 months to a year doing crappy paperwork/etc is not as conducive to actually flying the line. In a month or two on the "line" you as a pilot will become fully knowledgeable about the company's ops/procedures, etc. You do not need to sit at a desk to learn this, unless you were eventually angling for a managemment slot within Avantair. And I contend that a management pilot should have extensive line experience before he/she sits at a management desk.

25K for Avantair's FOs is crappy, you will work hard here (as well at other
frax), the "line" is the best way to learn this side of aviation, on the line you will see what the company is failing to do to support the crews, you will deal "first hand" with pissed off pax who show up at the plane and find out that things requested by them for their trips was not done or specified to the crews, you will deal with ATC delays, tight turnaround times between legs, etc, etc.

I would like to see "retired" or "seasoned" pilots go to the office duties and do flight following, pilot services, travel, catering, customs, owner services, etc. These people have been there, done that, and got the T-shirt on the line. They know what the "line" crews are going through on a daily basis to move that plane. Unfortunately by the time you have finished a career on the line, you are burned out and have no desire to continue in an office "support" role.

I know, I have no desire to do those things. Maybe others do. A good office support staff would be nice to have, as the "line" pilots have to sort out the errors and unrealistic tempo when they get briefed for the next days flying in the frax world. But to put low time pilots in that role just doesn't make sense; its not going to help them in the line; to me flying skills and the operational things that go with it (flt plans/customs/notams/pax relations/catering/etc, etc, etc) are more important. You can always sit at a desk later.

My 2 cents.
 
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???


§ 135.101 Second in command required under IFR.
Except as provided in § 135.105, no person may operate an aircraft carrying passengers under IFR unless there is a second in command in the aircraft.

Regardless of weather the aircraft is approved for single pilot operations or not, or weather the company is approved for single pilot with autopilot in lieu of a SIC, under 135, the company always has the option of using the SIC (if the SIC is qualified) instead of the autopilot, under 135.101, if the flight is conducted under IFR.

To answer your question, if a company has a single pilot authorization they don't need the SIC. However, at any time, they may use the SIC because 135 always requires and permits it, even when granted a single pilot with autopilot authorization. It's part of the basic regulation. Even if the autopilot is working, if the company has a trained SIC and wishes to use the SIC instead of flying the aircraft single pilot with autopilot, the company may elect to do so.

This is just as true in a Cessna 210 as any other aircraft.
 
PRO AV8R said:
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???

Not required for cargo only ops.
 
imacdog said:
Not required for cargo only ops.

Exactly. Wecome to my world - no SIC, no Autopilot, 5 hour trips, 5 trip weeks.
 
imacdog said:
Not required for cargo only ops.

Correct. The SIC requirement is only for IFR passenger-carrying operations or operations in aircraft with 10+ seats (VFR/IFR)

The references are 135.99, 135.101, and 135.105
 
As a pilot for Avantair for the past 2 years, I can say that they treat they treat their employees very well. All the pilots receive profit sharing quartery. In the past, it has been as high as $4,500. They do sell 16ths, but the average ownership size is 1/8th and we average 7.5 owners per plane. We have 20 planes now and receive 1 to 2 per month for at least the next 24 months. Our average aircraft age is 2.5 years. Dispatch reliabiity is actuay really good, and the planes are very well maintained. It's a great company to work for.
 
"I can say that they treat they treat their employees very well. All the pilots receive profit sharing quartery. In the past, it has been as high as $4,500."........."and the planes are very well maintained. It's a great company to work for."

Oh man! I 'bout blew my coffee through my nose laughing at this one! Joliman, honestly, is someone there payin' ya to say this or what!?

I'm not sure that I've ever been more lied to, used up, and taken advantage of by any other employee or business relationship in my life. I'm all for someone being satisfied with their job and more power to you, but I and many, many others there are/were on the opposite end of that spectrum.

I especially like the new payscale that stops paying the bonuses (that I rarely received), and instead pays $3,000 per year DEFERRED for 3 YEARS. Right, like we'll ever see that.....a ploy to keep people around.

Just another veiwpoint.
 
Hey Joliman:

As of Aug 1, Avantair stopped profit sharing for the pilots. They went to a 3 year deferred bonus plan.

Sort of keeps you on the hook for 3 years if you want that money.
 

Latest resources

Back
Top