Flight Express Hiring

[Boris Badenov]

I figure it's been the requisite few months, so it's time to post that FLX is hiring. Standard 135 IFR mins boilerplate applies. Try it, you might like it. I do, but then I'm crazy. I think the company is currently in "show up and we'll put you in class" hiring mode, so if you've got the time and can fly on instruments, give Gary a call. 1-800-OPS-KORL ext. 613

Pay information here: http://www.airlinepilotcentral.com/airlines/cargo/flight-express-20051002169.htm
is accurate.

 

[Piper877]

I figure it's been the requisite few months, so it's time to post that FLX is hiring. Standard 135 IFR mins boilerplate applies. Try it, you might like it. I do, but then I'm crazy. I think the company is currently in "show up and we'll put you in class" hiring mode, so if you've got the time and can fly on instruments, give Gary a call. 1-800-OPS-KORL ext. 613

Pay information here: http://www.airlinepilotcentral.com/airlines/cargo/flight-express-20051002169.htm
is accurate.

Thanks for the info. I don't have the time yet but hopefully I will soon. Could you tell me what the daily routine is like? Loading/unloading your own airplane, paperwork hassles, maintenance etc? Thanks!

 

[Dassault747]

Flight Express Daily Routine

Each pilot arrives at the airport 1 hour prior to departure, sometimes slightly earlier depending on their particular route procedure. Each pilot has their own dedicated route of airports they fly to each day, with minimal changes in destinations from day to day. Routes are awarded based on seniority. Once you are awarded a route, it can't be taken away from you except for extreme circumstances.

Time on duty can range as short as 4 hours to as long as 14 hours. Flight time could be as short as 2.5 hours per day to perhaps 7 hours. Luckily, we are paid per duty hour, not flight hour. During your layovers you are free to do as you please. Some pilot get second jobs at a layover if they are there long enough during the day.

Here is an example of a route out of Orlando that I currently fly:
Check in: 0610
Depart ORL: 0710
Arrive TLH: 0840
0900-1530 Borrow the crew car, surf the net, sleep, and play pool. And getting paid the whole time to do it!

1530 Start loading cargo
Depart TLH: 1625
Arrive CRG: 1725

Unload and reload
Depart CRG:1800
Arrive ORL: 1855
Check out off duy: 1910

Total duty period: 13.0 Yup, $130 per day, and I spend half of it asleep usually.

Available runs are awarded at the end of ground school, preference is given to highest final exam test, and awarded on down. You could get lucky and get your first choice domicile and run right out of class, or may have to wait a couple of months. It just depends on what you are looking for.

Daily paperwork is minimal. You have a data sheet that you log all your cargo and weights with. Weight and balance is of course required and that's about it. Flight plans are prefiled for you everyday.

Maintenance is top notch. Sometimes it may seem like there are a ton of planes broken at one time, but maintenance somehow always has a plane ready for each departure. I have never been cancelled due to aircraft availability. Not delivering our cargo is simply not an option!

Boris Badenov is right about requiring 135 mins, but if you have the night, cross country, and instrument time requirements met, Gary is willing to consider hiring you with only 1100 total time.

Hopefully this helps answer a few quesions!

 

[Boris Badenov]

All of the above is accurate. For another example, my current run:

0530 - On duty CPS
0630 - Depart CPS - SGF
~0745 Depart CPS - HRO
~0830 Depart HRO - ASG

0900 - 1600 Sit around, surf the net, borrow the crew car, post on flight info, etc etc.

1610 - Depart ASG - HRO
1645 - HRO - SGF
1726 - SGF - CPS
1900 - Off duty

You definitely load your own cargo, but a 210 only holds about 1000lbs max and you're rarely 100% full, so it's not what you'd call back-breaking.

Both the runs featured in the thread are pretty long, which is good for the pay. There are other options. If you want to log a decent amount of time but not be at work all day (and you're independently wealthy), there are some short ones, too. 615 out of HKS was my first run, and as I recall it was something like 5 hours, with maybe 3 of flying. Still paid the daily minimum of $75.

Paperwork as stated above is pretty minimal. You have to call in your times and weights at the end of the day, and of course you have to do the weight and balance.

I also concur on the maintenance. The planes are old and they've seen a lot of service, so stuff is going to break. That said, if you squawk something, it gets fixed. I've never been pressured to fly with anything broken, and never in weather that I judged to be dangerous. It's a balance, of course. You can't just sit on the ground when there's a cloud in the sky, but in the rare instance that I've delayed for weather (t-storms right over the field), I never heard a word about it from anyone.

Basically, the job is exactly as advertised, which is a refreshing change from other aviation jobs I've had. And you do learn *a lot*.

 

[N7167L]

I am curious to know your route-map; I checked on the website and I did not see one. Thanks.

 

[white knuckle]

I would appreciate if one of the fine Flight Express folks would PM me the runs and times that are available out of FTY (or runs one could hold living in the Atlanta area). Thanks in advance.

 

[Piper877]

Hey thanks for the great info. I've still got about 350 to go until 1200 but I'm currently looking for companies to apply to down the road a bit. Do you guys work like 5 on 2 off or is it 24/7?

Oops guess that's in the FAQ. Never mind on that one.

Here's a link to the domiciles/bases page: http://www.flightexpress.com/domiciles.htm

 

[NuGuy]

Heyas,

Does Ernie Anderson still work there?

Nu

 

[Boris Badenov]

Ernst is D.O., if we're talking about the same gentleman of Norweigian extraction.

 

[NuGuy]

Ernst is D.O., if we're talking about the same gentleman of Norweigian extraction.

Heyas Boris,

I'm wonding if it's the same guy. Ask him about Nebraska winters sometime, or what he thought of 124GP after the gear collapse.

Nu

 

[Boris Badenov]

Judging from the type of airplane 124GPs registration comes back to, I think we're talking about the same guy. PM me if you like.

 

[paulsalem]

Those times Zulu?

 

[Boris Badenov]

In my case, no.

 

[bogey383]

Flight Express is a great company; I have never heard anyone talk it down.
I have one of the longer runs

Starts at: 0500 and stops at 1800-1900.. paid the entire time, to do what you like on down time. Flys about 5-7 hrs a day. You can't beat it. Maintenance and people top knotch.

 

[Boris Badenov]

7167L: To my knowledge, there is no public route map. If one were enterprising, one could probably use FlightAware to get an idea of our route structure.

 

[Dassault747]

Flight Express Needs another 10 pilots immediately!

Alright guys, if you haven't seriously considered Flight Express yet, let me mention the pay structure once again.
Pilots are paid per duty hour, NOT by flight hour. $10 per hour regardless of equipment, domicile, or longevity with the company. Some initial hires are holding maximum duty runs that pay nearly $140 per day. You do the math, and you can easily gross over $35,000 per year with a maximum duty day run of 14 hours.
On the flip side, if you have a very short run, specifically less than 7.5 hours, then you are paid a minimum of $75 per day, even if you work for the company for as short as 30 minutes!
Additionally, per diem is added at the 6 month, 1 year, 2 year, and 3 year marks. They pay $2, $5, $10, $15 per day respectively.
Furthermore, upon successful completion of your initial checkride, you are given a $1,000 bonus check. This check must be returned only if you leave the company within six months. Many pilots that don't intend to stay for six months, simply don't cash the check, and hand it back to management when they leave. Recruiting bonuses are also offered. If an applicant lists a current line pilot on their resume and successfully gets hired and stays with the company for at least 3 months, the name on the resume is awarded a $1,000 for recruiting the pilot.
Current domiciles: ORL, CRG, BNA, OPF, FXE, BHM, HKS, LIT, FTY, TPA, LUK, TRI, and maybe one or two others in the gulf coast area.
Flight Time requirements: Part 135 Single Pilot IFR, all mins must be met except for total time requirement. Mangement is willing to hire with only 1100 in this category.
Gary Hillyer is the recruiter, can be reached at 800-677-5675 ext 613.
And by the way, no interview or sim eval!! Yes you heard me, if you can fly a plane, and are willing to go through one of the most thorough, stressful, and tough ground schools around, then give us a call!!

Dassault747

 

[labbats]

Ground school isn't tough, it's just busy. If you can fog a mirror, you can pass the sim ride. I'd suggest not trying to show that it's really impressive to make it into Flight Express, but rather that their maintenence is top notch and it's at the top of the pile of 135 cargo operators.

If you're going to fly 135 as soon as you hit 1200 hours, I think you should go to Airnet, Flight Express, MAC, Ram Air, etc. rather than some mom and pop outfit with some run-down Aztecs. You did hit on an important point for those of us looking to get into the regionals, and that is the fact that there is no contract to sign (unlike the year at Airnet) so you can leave as soon as you get the call from whomever.

The C210 is an easy plane to fly, and should get almost anyone up to speed quickly on their runs. I enjoyed the people and my short time at Flight Express and you'll never be as good a pilot as you are while you're there.

 

[Pattern-Master]

I was wondering if ORL is usually available out of training class, unfortanately I can't move from the Orlando area due to my wifey's job and the fact that we have a house here.

 

[Way2Broke]

They are always hiring.

 

[Boris Badenov]

ORL wasn't available for my class. Your mileage may vary. Generally, the company is pretty hard line on the idea that you must be willing to move anywhere. That said, if you can tough it out somewhere for a month or two, you can almost certainly hold any base in a relatively short amount of time. It's also possible that you'd get ORL right out of training...just depends on who quits, upgrades, or moves. It can't hurt to ask, anyway. See the number above.

Regards,
Boris