Information on this company please. Whats the schedule? Didn't it used to be 7 and 7, now its 8 and 6? Whats the deal? What kinda hotels do they stay in? Upgrade time? Whats a typical week like? Do they do a good job of getting you home? Training? Whats the extra day pay? Overall thought? Thanks
Only current or past employees please post. Thanks
Ohhhhkay. I'm rotting in an FBO right now, so I guess I'll tackle this. the schedule used to be 7&7. They could travel you on day 8, but they couldn't work you. It was overtime at 1.5 daily rate. Now, we are 7&7, but they can work you on day 8 (and they mostly do) and it is at the standard daily rate. They can travel you(but not work you) on day 9, wich is on double time.
This is supposed to revert to the old schedule by the end of June. Our president has promised this, and I believe him.
We mostly stay in Holiday Inns now. Sometimes Hilton properties, sometimes Marriots. Basically, we expect a shuttle, free internet, and a free breakfast. Personally, I complain if the door opens to the outside, or the bed is poor, or the place just generally sucks. Sometimes when we wind up in the middle of nowhere, we get what we can take, and most of us understand that.
Upgrade time is currently 3 years plus, but I expect that to drop due to a better market for pilots in the not too distant future. Obviously, I'm guessing, and I could be very wrong. I certainly have been in the past.
They try very hard to get us home, but if your Burbank based, and wind up in Boston, things are going to be tough, no matter who you fly for. Also, right now, we don't know which of three days we will get home. As I stated before, I expect this will change.
Like all fractionals, our work weeks are highly variable. We work like dogs during the holiday season, but right now, not so much. Overall, in the past year, I'd say I average one min rest a tour, although sometimes they stack up. I've had three in a row, and then we both told our OCC that was enough. That stuck, also.
Training is okay. Basically, the instructors are excellent, standards are explicit, and checking is fair. However, we get at least one fewer sim session than either most instructors or students would like, so expect them to be jammed.
Overall, I like it here. I have been an FO far longer than I expected, or was led to believe. However, the economy is largely to blame, and others have lost jobs, so I am grateful to have one.
I like who I fly with, and what I do. Only come here if you expect to work hard, and can take not knowing how your day is going to go. This is not an airline. We do it all. I like that, but not everyone does.