Flight Options-Competitive

[JetBlast2000]

...that must be a Caravan. I have seen that view before. In fact I bid the run to get the turbine time for Flight Opts. Too bad they changed the requirement to multi turbine after I bid the run. Oh well, it was a great plane. It took another year but I met the requirement in a Lear. All part of the adventure.

Sure is a Caravan. One fun night in the Northeast. Don't feel too bad, I do have the multi turbine but don't know anyone at options. Lears are great a/c. I used to work on them in my mechanic days.
JB2k

 

[FracCapt]

So where do Fight Opts pilots hang out (preferablely in the LA area).

There are no real specific places that crews hang out in any city that I know of...especially since we aren't in any cities(except MX bases, of which LA isn't one of them) on any regular scheduled basis. Different people like different things. Even when there are 20 of us at a hotel at a MX base, most of us go our own way in groups of 2-4.. The company is large enough that we can't know everybody...especially if they're in a different fleet.

 

[On Your Six]

Thor,

I agree with you. Unfortunately, some people start new jobs without thoroughly investigating the pros and cons before taking the job - they drink the coolaid without doing a proper review first. Don't go to the frax if you are expecting big money and perfect schedules - it ain't gonna happen. Best thing is to find people who work there and ask them for their honest opinions. This website is also helpful in providing additional perspectives. Flying nice airplanes to a very wide variety of destinations is not enough for some people...

Look before you leap....

 

[flyboycpa]

Just my $.02.....

After I got hired early in '03, I was able to get 10 of my buddies over here, over a period of a few months. It really does take the internal recommendation to get on here. I don't think it's intended to be snooty, just with the job market like it is, HR wants to make sure that those coming in the door are people that you would be willing to spend 8 days with. There might be some that have been hired off the street, but with nearly 1000 pilots, all with friends that want jobs, there has been a plentiful supply of internally recommended folks to hire from.

As far as hours go, those that I have helped on have ranged from 2000TT (but lots of that LR-JET time) to over 5000TT (all civilian time). I met a newhire around 3 months ago, that just barely had his 1500TT (and only around 35 turbine) when hired, but the strength of his recommendation got him through the door. He is a great guy with a good attitude, and the company put him in the King Air (which he thought was a wise move) to bring his times up.

As far as hangin' out in LA, try Santa Monica (SMO) at the Supermarine FBO, we are there a lot. Hope this helps, and good luck!

take care,
fb

 

[JetCapt69]

Heavy Set

I read that newhires recently had the choice of the CE525 and the B400A (in a recent class - it's probably different in other classes). In terms of route variety and hard hours flown monthly, which would be the preferrable airplane to start in? Both have limited range (shorter flights are nice). I hear both are nice to fly - does the CE525 have EFIS?

Last question: how's the Legacy program doing? Any newhires hired into the Legacy?

The B400A is a busy fleet. All fleets have picked up intensity, but others work much harder than others, ie, B400's & Hawkers.

The CE525 has an EADI & EHSI on the captains side, MFD in the center & standard instruments on the copilots side from what I have seen. I have also seen this configuration in the older Beechjets too.

Legacy program is booming from what I hear, but no new hires get hired into that aircraft. It is all based on seniority now.