Contract or Salary?

[Vmax]

I was wondering what everyone thinks the latest trend is in Corporate/Charter flying. Are more companies using contract pilots instead of full time salary people? I have read a couple of articles to that effect but am curious as to whether this is happening in all parts of the country? Thanks for the responses.

Vmax

 

[banned username 2]

Speaking for my company (Fortune 100) operating 8 aircraft, we don't use any contract pilots, all pilots (28 of us) are full time, salaried employees....

 

[h25b]

We'll typically use contract help now and again to make sure vacation time is covered, or if a new airplane type comes on line we'll use someone that has ton experience in the aircraft to help us get our feet wet...

Bringing in someone as contract is a great way to look at someone before hiring full time. Helps lesson the risks on both sides.

 

[Dep676]

There are a lot of companies around here that use contract pilots. I have been doing contract stuff for over a year. No big equipment though. But I agree it is a good way for the company to test the pilot out. Also a good way for the pilot to check out the company out too. Most of the companies around here use contract guys so they don't have to hire them andd give them any benny's and stuff. I wish they would hire instead and maybe I would have a full-time job.

 

[Capthuff]

I've been flying purely contract for three years. The good thing about it is getting experience it different types of A/C. The down side is you can never count on anything. Starve one month - eat like a king the next. I was just hired full time and bennies for one of the companies I had been contracting with. They finally had a full time slot and they musta liked me. It will be a refief to my G/Fs blood pressure.
Cappy

 

[Gulfstream 200]

Any reputable corporate operator has full time salary pilots, and the occasional fill in (maybe) contract guy to be SIC during vacations, etc.....or use a manufacturers rental pilots to break their own guys in on a new plane....but...
Any operator using mostly contract guys is looking to save $$$ on benefits, etc....in return they send their A/C with "unknown" pilots, no standardization, etc......you get the picture...
The amount of contract outsourcing says a lot about the quality of the outfit.
Nothing against contract guys here.....just the departments who use them as practically full time pilots...

 

[flywithruss]

Contractors ...

My company is a one-airplane, two-pilot operation ... both of us are full-time, salaried. We use contract pilots for SICs if one of us is unavailable (sick, vacation, etc.), but will always have one of us that are company guys on board ... two contract pilots would not be flying our airplane at any time. If both of us are gone at the same time (i.e. recurrent) the bosses know the airplane stays parked. Our passengers wouldn't be comfortable without one of us there, in any case!

I agree that over-reliance on contract pilots is the sign of a cheap organization. I for one am lucky to work for a corporate department that doesn't argue our bills for maintenance or recurrent!

Tailwinds, y'all ...

R