Connie did it again

[hkgorbust]

A four year B747 Captain at Kalitta makes $112/hour. It's not cheap, it's pathetic.

But in any case, your poor sap is out flying a B747 at $112/hour. To make 200k for the year at an hourly rate of $112 per hour, it's safe to say that your buddy spent well over 80% of his/her life last year on the road flying for Connie.

Not a lifestyle that most would brag about regardless of the money.

What's really pathetic is that someone who speaks with such great authority, from such an elevated position of enlightenment, can come across sounding like an argumentative sap.
If you don't like KA of CK, fine. There's really no need to cop an attitude.
Insulting a carrier or a pilot group does not harm them, but speaks volumes of you!

 

[leartwenty4]

I know they have a lot of incentives beyound straight hourly pay, union looks out for their guys, they seem generally happy over there. I know there pay is no where near a Captain at USA Jet that gets $122.00/hr for flyign a DA-20 and $173.00/hr for flying a DC-9

Wow pilotyip nice of you to compare 4 year pay to 16 year pay.

So a 16 year cpt at USA jet makes $93,420 on gnt, and a 16 year cpt at KA makes $109,368 on gnt, according to APC. Why don't your DC-9 captain's gnt match the other positions at 55hrs?

leartwenty4

 

[LR25]

I made about 80K in the right seat here in Connie land last year, and worked no extra days other those scheduled on my 17 day line.

Not bad for turning the pitot heat on.

 

[FBN0223]

Insulting a carrier or a pilot group does not harm them, but speaks volumes of you!

No insult to Kalitta pilots intended as I know several and they are all some very fine aviators. I simply believe that for what they do, they are underpaid.

Also there are often many on this board who use it as a resource for determining "quality of life" at various airlines. I think it would be a disservice to those hunting for a jet job to portray Connie as the "Airline Deity" and all Captains are living the dream making 200k a year.

 

[pilotyip]

Incentives

Wow pilotyip nice of you to compare 4 year pay to 16 year pay.

So a 16 year cpt at USA jet makes $93,420 on gnt, and a 16 year cpt at KA makes $109,368 on gnt, according to APC. Why don't your DC-9 captain's gnt match the other positions at 55hrs?

leartwenty4

The hourly pay is an incentive to pick up open time when we are busy, a 10th yr DC-9 Captain can make as much 2K a day for flying on thier day off. Our top guy last year was over $160K. The pilot base stayed the same as it was when they had a 55 hr guar, but with a 45 hr they got an hourly increase to maintain the same base, but could more easily break guar when we were busy.

 

[leartwenty4]

The hourly pay is an incentive to pick up open time when we are busy, a 10th yr DC-9 Captain can make as much 2K a day for flying on thier day off. Our top guy last year was over $160K. The pilot base stayed the same as it was when they had a 55 hr guar, but with a 45 hr they got an hourly increase to maintain the same base, but could more easily break guar when we were busy.

So the DC-9 Captains didn't get a raise except for the months where they break gnt? You said the top guy made 160k? Well what did the AVERAGE dc-9 capt make?
leartwenty4

 

[OrionFE]

A four year B747 Captain at Kalitta makes $112/hour. It's not cheap, it's pathetic.

But in any case, your poor sap is out flying a B747 at $112/hour. To make 200k for the year at an hourly rate of $112 per hour, it's safe to say that your buddy spent well over 80% of his/her life last year on the road flying for Connie.

Not a lifestyle that most would brag about regardless of the money.

You really do not have a clue on what you are talking about. You should do your homework on this industry. I made well over my min. guarantee and flew less then min. guarantee (hours). It is the nature of this business. The pay is low all over. Get on APC and look at all the rates. Compare all the 747 cargo guys and see what the trend is. Do you think Connie, or Evergreen, SAI, etc is going to pay FedEx/UPS rates? We have Capt. and FE's that make well over $200K. In this business during the fall into the holidays is when you make the most money. Last year when things got slow after Christmas and some carriers layoff, we never slowed down.

 

[dojetdriver]

I made about 80K in the right seat here in Connie land last year, and worked no extra days other those scheduled on my 17 day line.

Not bad for turning the pitot heat on.

Not to be nosy, but what year longevity were you on?

Thanks.

 

[avbug]

I have to ask about that...if gaurantee covers a minimum number of hours, how do you break gaurantee if you don't fly over those hours? Flying on off days? I'm not doubting your veracity; just curious how this is done.

Also curious about breaking 80 grand as an FO for Kalitta...lots of flying above gaurantee and very senior? Seems high for Kalitta. Again, not questioning your statement, just wondering how.

 

[OrionFE]

I have to ask about that...if gaurantee covers a minimum number of hours, how do you break gaurantee if you don't fly over those hours? Flying on off days? I'm not doubting your veracity; just curious how this is done.

Also curious about breaking 80 grand as an FO for Kalitta...lots of flying above gaurantee and very senior? Seems high for Kalitta. Again, not questioning your statement, just wondering how.

Bid line guarantee is one way. When you bid a 85 hour line, you get paid for that whether or not you fly it. Flying Open Time on days off pays an additional 50%. Again, all the pay scales and the contract is on APC for your reading enjoyment.

 

[LR25]

Not to be nosy, but what year longevity were you on?

Thanks.

Just over 2 years, I am due to upgrade anytime. I had a lot of overtime, but non of it was on days off. Im sure its luck of the draw, but there are guys making a whole lot more because they work days off, and Im sure some are making less.

We do have guys making alot of money here, but they spend time out on days off, not my cup of tea.

 

[woody]

I have to ask about that...if gaurantee covers a minimum number of hours, how do you break gaurantee if you don't fly over those hours? Flying on off days? I'm not doubting your veracity; just curious how this is done.

Also curious about breaking 80 grand as an FO for Kalitta...lots of flying above gaurantee and very senior? Seems high for Kalitta. Again, not questioning your statement, just wondering how.

Im also an FO at Kalitta and made close to 90K! Im 3rd year and picked up some day off flying (pay X 1.5) but very minimal. I also bid high time lines. and live where I can start and end my line. Any trips on days off are over guarentee and time and a half. The guy saying he made over 80K is speaking the truth! We had a Captain that just recently went back to the FE seat that was bringing down 240K a year! While this is not the Norm some crewmembers have learned to get the most out of our system!

 

[pilotyip]

Rasies every year up to 17 yrs

So the DC-9 Captains didn't get a raise except for the months where they break gnt? You said the top guy made 160k? Well what did the AVERAGE dc-9 capt make?
leartwenty4

Raises every year up to 17 yrs for DC-9 Captains. (see airline central) Average DC-9 Capt. made $96K last yr. The average was biased low, the top 8 out of the 20 captains who broke 100K last yr averaged $125K. We make no claim to anything other than what we are; a on-demand charter operator flying out of YIP in 30-40 year old airplanes. BTW as far as pay goes, in the top 10 incomes in the ops dept only three are management, DO, CP, ACP, I am not one of them. The other 7 are line pilots, in fact the highest paid person in the ops dept in a line pilot, picks up tons of open time. I have never made $100K/yr in my life, most of the pilot who were hired at the same time I was make more than me. I do not care. I fight for our pilots everyday since I came here. Since I came here, starting pay has doubled, days off has gone up 50%, all of which are hard, never junior manned, you have to pay your dues someplace and this is just one choice.

 

[aviatrix767]

Kalitta Air Eyes Domestic Venture

Kalitta Air is considering the launch of a new domestic air freight charter airline to replace Kitty Hawk Airlines, which ceased scheduled service in early November after failing to emerge from Chapter 11 bankruptcy.

On Jan. 9, officials of Kalitta Air briefed over 55 members of the Air Forwarders Association on a conference call on the proposed Aug. 15, 2008 launch of a nine aircraft charter airline based at Kitty Hawk's former facility at Ft. Wayne, Ind.

The fleet will consist of 727-200s, A300s and the possibility of a 70 Series DC8. The airline will operate four nights per week and include road feeder service to major cities. The airline will provide only overnight, first-come service.

Connie Kalitta, founder and CEO of Kalitta Air, will own and operate Kalitta Air Freight, but participating forwarders will be required to provide seed money upfront that will be returned if the venture does not get off the ground. If, however, the airline is launched but fails after a short time, the seed money will not be returned.

Each forwarder will also be required to pay a fixed monthly fee based on the16 cities served initially. No more specific information on the fee arrangement was provided.

The cost to Mr. Kalitta "will be in the range of $15 million for acquisition of assets (aircraft) and the associated start up costs," said the proposal.

The forwarders will be asked to form a working committee to work with the principles on the new airline. "In addition, we are asking them to participate in a rebate system that will be based on profit," said Bob Hunter, a Kalitta Air principal, who is spearheading the new venture, and will become president if the charter airline is launched. "If this business is profitable, the participants will participate in some of the profit," Hunter said.

Hunter stressed that the new venture, "will be a completely separate entity that has nothing to do with any of the other Kalitta companies," he said.

Hey, that sounds like the same exact fleet as Astar! Hmmmm......

A300:​

6

DC8:​

8

727-200:​

29

 

[erichartmann]

Hey, that sounds like the same exact fleet as Astar! Hmmmm......

A300:​

6

DC8:​

8

727-200:​

29

My dear, that suggestion has already been made elsewhere (and hotly denied by someone who claimed to be with Astar). Still, the proposed fleet mix is suggestive. There are other A-300's (ex Tradewinds or Express Net for example) DC-8's (Murray Air I think) and 727's available though.

I doubt Connie would buy Astar, as I feel certain their their CBA has a clause in it similar to ours requiring the new owner honor the CBA. Connie would not want to deal with the union, or the payscales. An asset sale though....

A minor point, I don't think Astar still has all 29 of the 727's. I believe one or perhaps two have already been returned to the leasing company. Astar apparently owns 20 of the 727's. Rumor has it that they will return the nine leased 727's during the course of this year.

Astar also owns at least two of the DC-8-70's. Haven't heard anything about the leased -8's recently. The A-300's are supposed to be slated for return to the leasor next year. The Astar folks claim they will be replaced with the B767-200ER's DHL has purchased.