Decline in Charter

[CopilotDoug]

Yeah, our competitors are giving airplanes away. We can't even compete. One our schedulers quoted 45 trips yesterday and didn't get one! We lost out to a company next door who did one of those trips in a bigger airplane for $4,500 less! They are just doing anything to get cash flow. We've lowered our prices significantly but we certainly are not going to fly at a loss. Better off to let the airplanes sit.

Try losing a trip in a CJ because an Challenger operator will do it for the cost of gas! I see alot of operators taking one way trips in hopes that they'll find a trip home/somewhere else at the destination. Very bad business sense if you ask me. Say someone charters their jet for the cost of fuel...is it really worth the risk? Burning cycles/hours, AND risking (heaven forbid) and incident with the aircraft? All for no money? Number one rule in business...

 

[joelo88]

One of my friends who is Chief Pilot for a Gulfstream charter outfit in CT, kept asking me to come out and be an FO for them, and offered to type me in the G-III, but on a two year contract.

They were really busy, but I had a decent gig going in Boise doing winter Weather Mod and summer aerial firefighting, and was not in too big a hurry to pack up and move out east.

It is a good thing too, they went from 4 planes to 1, and now it is just him and his FO there. I would have gotten laid off and would have been in a really bad position right now. They arent flying much, and are trying to big anything they can find to keep the plane flying, (but not at a loss).

yeah good thing you stayed put. i think i know who you're talking about and my company is in the same area. i can tell you this... there are NO jobs to go to around here if you get laid off.

 

[BEfly]

Try losing a trip in a CJ because an Challenger operator will do it for the cost of gas! I see alot of operators taking one way trips in hopes that they'll find a trip home/somewhere else at the destination. Very bad business sense if you ask me. Say someone charters their jet for the cost of fuel...is it really worth the risk? Burning cycles/hours, AND risking (heaven forbid) and incident with the aircraft? All for no money? Number one rule in business...

Wow. I'm at a loss for words, but not surprised. I don't wish more pilots on the street but I do wish the strong operators, like my own, can hang in there and the process will do away with the bottem feeders. They can't keep doing that forever, all they are doing is creating cash flow. Brokers contact us everyday wanting 1 way pricing. How are people doing this? How are outfits with this business model successful?My old roommate has a buddy at TMC that sat in Socal for like 5 days, and they weren't at no Days Inn either. There's probably 15 or 20 of their crews at any given time doing the same thing. We've tried that, it's too risky for us. Worked well when times were good.

On a lighter note, we're making a come back! I flew 20 hrs in Jan, 30 hrs in Feb, and 50 last month. All revenue legs. At this rate I'm gonna be an ungrateful, underpaid, whiney pilot by June! I'm seeing alot more movement out there too. Good luck everyone

 

[BEfly]

BTW, Just checked climbto350. Full page of job postings.

 

[wrxpilot]

I still keep in contact with my old charter employer... They were really slow in Jan/Feb. Now they are slammed! One of my friends there couldn't even get a day off for two weeks in March! They have King Airs and Lears, south FL.

 

[StarHustler]

BTW, Just checked climbto350. Full page of job postings.

Mostly heavy Iron stuff overseas though.

 

[atpcliff]

Hi!

Interesting thread-hopefully things are picking up.

I was at USA Jet-mostly freight charter, and they died (almost) because of over-reliance on Detroit.

I'm currently doing exactly the same thing, same aircraft, except out of Nairobi.

Another x-usajeter is flying a lear out of OH on pax charter. They were looking into moving the plane to Africa to improve their $ situation. THere is LOTS of flying in East Africa.

cliff
NBO

 

[52Vincent]

BTW, Just checked climbto350. Full page of job postings.

True, but if you look closer, most of the flying jobs are overseas, and that's the way it's been for a while. the other positions are non-flying.