Coming up on 94 hours of Standby for the Month.

[realityman]

KMAN,

Show me where I called you any names.

I said if you aren't happy, you might consider employment elsewhere.

I didn't tell you anything like STFU. I said that every time you open your mouth on this message board it's negative.

But it was YOU that said you could be running, swimming, sleeping in a bed, eating meals that you want when you want to, and other such things a number of posts ago.
Naturally, you can do any or all of those things in your rest time, if you so choose. But you're complaining that you can't do them when you're on duty. And you referred to the fact that you can't do those things as 'abuse'.

Maybe what scheduling does sometimes is wasteful. Maybe it could be described as useless. Or unnecessarily redundant. But abuse? Hardly.

If you fly trips, or sit standby at the FBO, or sit standby at the hotel, it's what we're paid for. If you really don't think it's a vacation, then what difference does it make where the standby takes place? Yeah, FBO's, especially crappy ones, can be fatiguing. So call fatigued when you're too tired to fly. That's part of the job too.

I can tell you with a fair amount of certainty that we are NOT paid to go running, swimming, lounge in luxury, sun ourselves at the hotel pool, or any other number of leisure activities you may want to do. If you can do them during your time off, great. Otherwise, what's the big deal?

Personally, I like the numbers matrix. Make it look like we're doing something. I'd hate for them to say, "Gee, we have x number of pilots sitting in hotels doing nothing every day. Maybe we can operate more efficiently with less pilots." Hope you're not too close to the bottom of the seniority list when that happens.

 

[realityman]

Point taken. That is the way that gets me through the week. I guess it works for this lowly SIC. Maybe someday when I make the pic money I can say they "pay me to do a job." Until then I will pull gear and fetch coffee. How do you like yours?

Hate coffee. How about fetching me some Gatorade? It'll help after my on-duty running.

 

[Willy21]

"The water sucks, it really really sucks"

 

[kman]

a·buse a·bused, a·bus·ing, a·bus·es
1. To use wrongly or improperly; misuse

The abuse I was talking about is the massive crew rot mission they have put us on for the last several months. When I use the word abuse, im am talking about the misuse of crews for standby for punishment and for the sake of just so the numbers look good.

Prime example, TEB 3 weeks ago, at least 5 good airplane on standby. We fly in and get 3 hours of standby fine what ever. Another crew(same ac type) shows up an hour after gets assigned 4 hours of standby. About two hours into it, they release the later crew for a 17 hours overnight to standby the following night, we know this because most of the crews where hanging out in the lounge. We get extended two hours into a 10 hour turn. WTF? The second crew even started 2 hours afters us( about 9am ). Would you think maybe this would be the misuse of a crew? Abuse.

 

[fischman]

Looks like we have a volunteer for the negotiating committee.

 

[kman]

gladly

 

[realityman]

a·buse a·bused, a·bus·ing, a·bus·es
1. To use wrongly or improperly; misuse

The abuse I was talking about is the massive crew rot mission they have put us on for the last several months. When I use the word abuse, im am talking about the misuse of crews for standby for punishment and for the sake of just so the numbers look good.

Prime example, TEB 3 weeks ago, at least 5 good airplane on standby. We fly in and get 3 hours of standby fine what ever. Another crew(same ac type) shows up an hour after gets assigned 4 hours of standby. About two hours into it, they release the later crew for a 17 hours overnight to standby the following night, we know this because most of the crews where hanging out in the lounge. We get extended two hours into a 10 hour turn. WTF? The second crew even started 2 hours afters us( about 9am ). Would you think maybe this would be the misuse of a crew? Abuse.

Well now, this appears to be a little different from what we were talking about. I thought we were just discussing standby in general.

Under the circumstances you described above, I suppose I'd be pretty angry too, and would want some follow-up into what that was about. Did you have the scheduling committee look into it? Did they get back to you about it? If so, what did they say was going on?

Not asking those questions in any sarcastic way whatsoever. I'm honestly curious if you got some answers about it, because I actually agree (Gasp!!) with you that the situation you described is wrong.

But as for standby in general, I did a lot of it this week. I'll sit wherever they tell me to until I'm tired or we reach the end of my tour. That's what my salary gets them.

 

[Freight Dog]

There's nothing wrong with trying to improve on what you already have, but it never ceases to amaze me how good some people have it and will continue to piss and moan about "abuse" and how they are not being treated right.

There are many of us who would give a left nut to even get a shot at an interview at NJA... hell, I've been applying since the summer of 2006, updated, and then had to send another app in 6 months ago... updated that one a month ago... and not a snowball chance in hell to even get a shot at an interview.

Now, here you are... bitching about sitting at Signature or Atlantic or whatever FBO where you get fed a good meal, where you have Lazy Boys to chill out in, internet access, plasma TV and movies, you name it!

Bring your own laptop and you can run your own business during down time while NJA is paying you to sit at an FBO. It's all about how you manage your time and you can make the best of it without coming off like a spoiled rotten whiny beyatch.

Kman, hate to say it bro, but if you don't like it... take a leave of absence and try 121 for a nice reality check. For an even better reality check, try 121 supplemental... now you're really having fun! Watch how fast you'll run back to NJA and stop your whining.

You are getting a good salary, phenomenal benefits, great equipment, outstanding backing, outstanding training, great accommodations, ability to even stutter "fatigue" and you get a no-questions-asked break. Appreciate what you have bro... many of us can only hope to "get abused" the way you do.

Like I said, nothing wrong with trying to further improve what you have, but don't come across like a whiner.

 

[Captain Morgan]

103 for Aug

I don't know if it was posted before and I'm not going to go through the whole damn post (waste of time), but it really amazes me how many people are jumping to the fractionals and believe it's the holy grail. They then find out what corporate aviation is really like. You sit around a lot! That's corporate aviation in a nutshell. You are taken care of and fed well, but you sit. I hope people that are NJA, Avantair, Flexjet, etc. hopefuls know what they are getting into. I'm not saying it's a bad job, just that, that's the way the job is, and some people don't mind it and some people do. Kman, you should've flown 121 if you'd rather fly more, but then you'd be feasting on Ramen noodles at starving wages.

 

[Captain Morgan]

BTW, when I was at a 121 airline before I went to a corporate flight department I weighed 185 lbs. I am coming back to 121 from the corporate lifestyle and I weigh about 225 lbs. Life on the road was good, what can I say.

 

[kman]

Did the 121 thing for almost 9 years, Whatever on the whiner and beotch comment. Just shows what true pros you are.

 

[Freight Dog]

I'd say pro enough to know when someone's needlessly whining, especially in today's environment.

I'd say count your blessings as thousands of pilots would just love to have your problems.

 

[Mephisto]

Kman, I hate to break it to you, but the MAJOR flaw in your argument is that there is some metric that exists someplace that shows scheduling is doing a better job by having you sit ready at the FBO instead of the hotel.

Please post evidence of the existence of such a metric, and not anecdotal "somebody said they saw it once" evidence.

 

[Ultra Grump]

Grump please remove that stick from ur arse, and MAKE ME STFU! Jetblue? What the he!! are you talking about? (Also I let another 2 guys use my account, so they don't have to pay the 10 bucks)

I know this is FI.com, but namecalling and telling me the STFU is so childish and does nothing but show me what true proffesionals you guys truly are. I bet ur a true pleasure to fly with.

When the NJ MAFIA puts a hit out on me, for speaking the truth. Remember me guys, remember me.

Okay tough guy, here you go:

Think I am one of the few that are going back to the airlines, Its a great job, but its not for me good luck.

At most of the majors A senior captain or Fo 10-20 years of seniority should be able to day trips or only working 11-12 days a month not factoring in vacation. Yes i know I would have to live in base for the greatest QOL. But with commutter clauses, day trips, 4-5 days of less work a month, and the fact that I have 38 years to give, Right now is the time for me to leave.

DOES ANYONE KNOW AROUND WHEN THE NEXT JETBLUE OPEN HOUSE WILL BE? I would appreciate the info.

I never said it was a terrible job, I think this is a pretty dang good job, and will get better down the road, but if i get the chance and the timing is right I will take my shot.

Does anyone on here from JetBlue know the specific details of when, where, and what time the fair is? Also where you go to get the bus or how that all works? I last heard it was going to be April 12th, but I dont know what time it is, and exactly where you need to go in Orlando to attend.

You need to tell your "friends" to stop being so cheap and fork out the ten bucks. They're making you look like an idiot.

Otherwise, STFU and move on, whiner.

 

[gutshotdraw]

Dana White and the UFC should be calling shortly to stage the cage match......

This is getting GOOD!