Corporate Vs. Charter

[pushntin]

Go 91 all the way! I made the switch about 8 months ago. Left the 135 gig with nice planes to go to a 91 deal. Smaller plane but way better pay and QOL makes no comparison. Stability is worth its weight in gold. Get it while the getting is good.

 

[capt601]

I'd go with the 91 operator also (in fact, I'd love to find a job like that!).

Some of you talk about per diem as additional income. I've always thought of it as covering my expenses on the road, and since I like to eat and drink well, it is usually a wash (at best!). Am I the only one who feels this way?

Or maybe you get per diem *and* your meal and incidentals paid for at the 135 operator?

Some_dude - I have always wondered the same thing. It seems that everyone that gets paid per diem always adds that to their pay or salary and says they are making so much more because of per diem. What gives? How do you make any more? Do you not eat on trips? Or do you eat at the places you an find so you can make an extra $10 on that trip? I can just hear them at the end of the year - Woo hoo, I made an extra $5000 this year, and I only ate 1 meal per day!

Not picking on airline guys, but i have not met one that does not include his/her per diem in his pay. Isn;t it designed for you to eat with, not as pay? All I can figure is they eat the peanuts as there breakfast, lunch and dinner!!

 

[Flyerjosh]

I strongly agree with Time2Spare... go with what you enjoy. Here's my take on it (I fly pt 91 in the Encore)...

A good 91 gig is hard to beat in terms of QOL and pay, but there are some downsides, particularly if you are leaving something like the Gulfstream for the Slowtation (I can say that- I was flying the CRJ before switching to the Encore).

The type of trips, work environment, and equipment/comfort level are all very different in the part 91 world.

I don't know what your 91 gig would be like, but here's my job in a nutshell. The company I work for is a subsidiary branch (regional distributor) for a Fortune 500 company that has revenues in the billions. Corporate operates 3 Challengers 601/604s, and my company operates an Encore.

My trips are a 50/50 mix of company trips and flying that is sold back to the corporate headquarters (fill in when the 600s are broke or otherwise busy.) QOL is great and the pay is better than 6-7 year CRJ CA pay + some great benefits. We fly on average about 30 hrs a month, which equates to 5-7 days a month in the air.

In addition to flying I have some basic administrative duties related to flying, which include some of the paperwork to keep the plane moving, and cleaning the aircraft between trips (inside and out). Call it about 3-5 hrs a week in addition to flying.

I carry a pager/phone 24/7, but most trips are weekdays, and very few overnights. Typically 6 or 7am show, back home between 4 and 6pm.

The downside is that there are many things that I miss about the type of flying I once did. (and many things that I don't miss too). Regardless about what anybody might say, the Citation is nowhere as comfortable as the CRJ or Gulfstream. There's no APU, so you can't fire up and sit there on the ramp all cozy and comfortable (summer or winter), without a GPU. No APU means limited environmental controls in the extreme heat or cold.

No headroom or lav means that you can't walk the cabin and strech on the longer flights (although I rarely fly longer legs than about 2 hrs flight time). Limited avionics capabilites (at least compared to what I was accustomed to- the FMS is certainly lacking, as are some of the major systems... like the fact that the windshield isn't electrically heated and no wipers to mention one thing).

Overall though I love my job (its certainly better QOL than either 135 or 121 that I have done in the past). I'm treated as a valuable member of the team, and don't have to deal with a lot of BS. I get to interact with some very influential people (as opposed to being ignored by them flying charter), and I think that this job is more stable than many others out there. (Our operating budget is roughly 1mil/year for the Citation).

 

[semperfido]

per diem!-- no thanks...one of the things i have always enjoyed is ordering anything i want at any eatery that catches our fancy. long live liberal corp expense accts!

 

[Corona]

The P91 outfit types all Crew Members on all their A/C, free from contracts. The current company asks for 2 years for initial and 1 year for recurrent.

So let's clarify: A two-year "contract" for your initial type. Then, a 1-year "contract" for recurrent training. Odd that recurrent training just so happens to occur once a year, ain't it?

To translate: They (your current company) want you to reimburse them for training when you leave. Since you will be under "contract" indefinitely, they will always want money from you! That seems kinda opposite the normal employer/employee relationship to me...

I say fug 'em, and go Pt. 91.

C

PS: This happens all the time with 135 charter-operator low-lifes.

 

[Gulfstream 200]

per diem!-- no thanks...one of the things i have always enjoyed is ordering anything i want at any eatery that catches our fancy. long live liberal corp expense accts!

AMEN!!!!!

save the wendys dollar menu for the RJ drivers and the Netjets clowns!

 

[sydeseet]

RUN, DON'T WALK, TO THE PHONE AND ACCEPT THEIR OFFER.

In a year you will look back at this decision and chuckle at your hesitation. I recently made the switch and life has never been better.

 

[sydeseet]

AMEN!!!!!

save the wendys dollar menu for the RJ drivers and the Netjets clowns!

Now that we've made his decision for him I'd say it's time to hijack the thread! Speaking of liberal expense accounts, who here holds the record for most expensive dinner for two, booze included?

JC

Signed,

New member of the liberal expense account club.

 

[SoundBarViolatr]

Semper PerDiem

aight since I started this... I did a contract job on a P91 trip to Gatwick and the CP and I in one setting racked up over $600 of sushi and booze at Herrods. And yes, this tearful event did come into account in the thought process for this current decision. Semper Per Diem. :beer:

 

[501261]

$830

Now that we've made his decision for him I'd say it's time to hijack the thread! Speaking of liberal expense accounts, who here holds the record for most expensive dinner for two, booze included?

About two weeks ago I set a personal record of $830, granted it was for 4 people. The bossman had invited us to a wine-tasting/dinner. A new restaurant in a town we frequent, invited "certain" people (i.e., da boss) to a special dinner that included a 10 course (that's right 10 course) dinner and the winemaker talking about his wines.

I actually saved a copy of the menu.