You're probably right re: all of those aircraft numbers, NJA Capt. With a caveat: the Challenger 300 is a brand new program (about 4 delivered so far), and it's already sold into the high teens or twenties. That's
backorder, baby.
It's no secret that in recent years that the Flexjet fleet has shrunk due to
both a soft market and a drive to be ultra lean and efficient.
All of this points to a fundamental difference between the two companies. FX makes a concerted effort to keep and operate a
profitable number of airplanes on the books. Be it 70 airplanes or 200, the strategy is to not have a bunch of airplanes (read: fixed costs) sitting on the books generating big smears of red ink. There's no money in owning excess airplanes. I suppose we could snatch up airplanes as fast as the factory could build them, and bleed $40 million/yr. too. That's just not what we choose to do.
QS likes to announce to the Aviation Press, God, and everyone else that they're buying 700 Cessna 673XLP super catfishes (at a discount), and if they're delivered and unsold, Uncle Warren is left with the tab.
But I have to admit... Netjets has been in this business longer than anyone else, and they are obviously the largest frax. They have an excellent record of safety, I'm sure the service is superlative, and the crewmembers (based on the fine gentlemen in this forum and my NJA-employed friends) are certainly superb. The QS business model simply carries a lot of red ink, which well-known corporate welfare proponent Warren Buffet will gladly sop up like so much gravy. That's all well and good. You will soon have a 100% pay raise and be living on a private island in the Caribbean.
Now this whole thing about the calendar boggles my mind, even more so because I thought we've already covered this!! Can we finally put this to rest? What difference does it make about the length of the month. We're all paid on a daily rate, so who cares if we bid 28 days, 30 days, 14 days, or 180 days?? How 'bout if you base it on a year, and say that we work anywhere between 182 and 260 days/yr (at the theoretical extremes - I doubt anyone could work those if they tried), the average being 219. But really, the important thing is daily rates.
L4F, your numbers are all screwed up. A
3rd year Capt. (ex 4th yr. FO) here can easily make $65K, if they are a little more industrious, ~$70K if they are
very industrious, or $58K working less than 17/bid.
Minimum is about $50K.
4th year FO at FX makes $61K as you stated. 17x12=204 days worked per year. Daily rate is $299.00
4th year CA at NJA makes $58K. 15.2x12=182.4 days worked per year. Daily rate is $318.00
Honestly, buddy, you're like talking to a brick sometimes. I'm not spending any more time on you.
Gulfstream200: Excellent point. But that's ok, I'm glad he's happy elsewhere.