Cessna 401/402 Aerial Survey Pilots (Home Based)

[johnt1969]

We have staffing issues for the same reasons. My bosses try to stretch it out on every job. Anything more than two weeks for most people is too much. I am working on building a rotation for my pilots that gets them home to their families.

How are your PTO days distributed? Can you put them in the middle of the 20 days?

Can't find any operators either. What are you paying yours? We pay 15 bucks an hour plus expenses including food. Some of them get 80-90 hours a week.

We bust our butts! Actually, I am getting ready to go fly right now!

The PTO can't really be taken in the middle of a rotation. It's always at the beginning or end. Usually we have to get it approved a bit ahead of time as well. Just like any other job.

I don't know what the operators get paid. They're all salaried employees as well. They get the per diem just like the pilots do too.

None of our pay is flight time dependant. I like it that way. Especially in the summer because if you're trying to do DMC in Florida you could go weeks without getting a dime. If it was all flight time dependant then the guys on DMC and ADS would get screwed compared to the people on Lidar. I believe the moral is better with everyone as salaried employees that have a set schedule. Even though everyone would like it to be less than 20 days on... it's way better knowing what the schedule is a year out than wondering what it will be from week to week. I can easily plan the rest of my life.

 

[The_Russian]

Russian, what kind of planes do you fly? How does the travelling happen, on the airlines or do you fly them to the different jobs?

The Nam-a-jama PA-31-325 Aerospacecraft.

Traveling can be done on an airline to get to the plane or you can take the plane from your base if it goes home with you. Depends on the situation and the job.

 

[The_Russian]

The PTO can't really be taken in the middle of a rotation. It's always at the beginning or end. Usually we have to get it approved a bit ahead of time as well. Just like any other job.

I don't know what the operators get paid. They're all salaried employees as well. They get the per diem just like the pilots do too.

None of our pay is flight time dependant. I like it that way. Especially in the summer because if you're trying to do DMC in Florida you could go weeks without getting a dime. If it was all flight time dependant then the guys on DMC and ADS would get screwed compared to the people on Lidar. I believe the moral is better with everyone as salaried employees that have a set schedule. Even though everyone would like it to be less than 20 days on... it's way better knowing what the schedule is a year out than wondering what it will be from week to week. I can easily plan the rest of my life.

We have a min pay per month and flight time goes on top of that. Certain contracts permit per diem and certain ones the company pays the expenses. It all depends.

 

[Captain Morgan]

I've got limited time in a PA-31 and quite a bit of time in a Baron 58 and Cessna 310. I've done Aerial Photography in a Cessna 182 with a bearing mounted swivel mounted in the bottom of the hull. We flew the missions in the Southern California area. I've also flown traffic watch (following freeways at 1000' agl) in SoCal as well. I am about 192 from the bottom of RAH's seniority list so I might be looking for a job soon. I'm interested in this kind of flying but I have a wife and daughter and I just wonder if the schedule would be too much for a family man. Do you currently have any pilots that have families and if they do, how does it work? Thanks.

 

[The_Russian]

I've got limited time in a PA-31 and quite a bit of time in a Baron 58 and Cessna 310. I've done Aerial Photography in a Cessna 182 with a bearing mounted swivel mounted in the bottom of the hull. We flew the missions in the Southern California area. I've also flown traffic watch (following freeways at 1000' agl) in SoCal as well. I am about 192 from the bottom of RAH's seniority list so I might be looking for a job soon. I'm interested in this kind of flying but I have a wife and daughter and I just wonder if the schedule would be too much for a family man. Do you currently have any pilots that have families and if they do, how does it work? Thanks.

Having a girlfriend and my dog at home, it is difficult for me to be away for long periods of time. Three weeks is about all I'll do unless the money is right. Just depends on the situation.

However, my girlfriend doesn't mind when I am away and the time apart makes us stronger in our relationship. If your family doesn't like you on a four day trip, they will hate this job. You will be in the air 8-12 hours a day and will be out of contact for four+ hours at a time. 2-3 weeks on the road. The flying is challenging and rewarding if you want to increase your stick and SA skills. (Especially on those low-level, night, mountainous terrain missions)

I am about to hire a pilot with a wife and two kids. We will see how it goes.

 

[Captain Morgan]

Keep me posted how it goes. I'd be interested to see how he likes the schedule.

 

[Dassault747]

I fly a Lear doing survey using an IFSAR system and our rotations are 35 days on and about 28 days off. Definitely not conducive to having young kids at home!

 

[johnt1969]

The CP has hired 2 guys that started yesterday. He's still acepting resumes but he's not going to hire anyone else until he sees how the new guys do and how the schedule shakes out when they get going.

I do believe we will hire at least one more guy because we found out yesterday that one of our pilots finally got called in to work for ATC so he's leaving. He's a guy that had been working here for almost 4 years.

 

[The_Russian]

I fly a Lear doing survey using an IFSAR system and our rotations are 35 days on and about 28 days off. Definitely not conducive to having young kids at home!

PA Group?

 

[Dassault747]

PA Group?

Nope, Intermap out of Colorado