Flight Options Job Offer/Decision

[rockwings]

I have been offered a pilot position at Flight Options. I was not aware of maybe how bad the morale there might be until reading the posts on this board... I now wonder what to do... Should I take a $16,000 pay cut to fly cool new jets and hope conditions improve with the recent buyout and tentative Union contract? The Flight Options pay scale has more top end potential than my current company but, it will be years at this current Fight Options scale to get back to a decent wage. Is the 8 on/7 off schedule a good one or are you completely burnt out by day 8? Do they work you to death with multiple 14 hour days? How often do they make you work past day 8? I would domicile in LAS. I am not looking for time building since I am late in my career (53yrs old flying C-208s for a FedEx feeder with a fairly decent schedule-home almost every night, although sometimes gone up to 13 hours a day with 5 of them in a hotel, and 2 days off each week). I really wonder how long it would take to recoup the initial pay cut since I am now investing 20K each year into my 401K and I would have to cut that back to only $4,000 for a few years. What are usual upgrade times? I am leaning towards accepting the job mainly because of the H.I.G. buyout and the new plane order looking like a good time to come on board, but I would really love some objective inside advice from current employees...both disgruntled and content. It seems like the new changes will be good for the future to me but, I am pretty naive as to the current conditions. I welcome any advice to aid in my decision process. Thanks!

 

[choppengruven]

I worked there for 5 years. All I can say is "Run Forrest Run!!"

When the shiny jet syndrome and the hope of "things getting better" you'll come to the realization that you're stuck at the worst job you've ever had. When 8 year captains are bailing for 45K year jobs that should speak volumes to you. The 8 day rotation is about as bad as it gets. You'll be dragging your tail into the hotel after only day three with min rest to boot. The word upgrade will be non existant.

 

[Duke of Ale]

Have you applied to Netjets? You can be based in LAS and the company matches 50% of your contribution to the 401k up to 15%. Plus they also match the catch-up money but you have to max out the 401k first. ($15,500) + ($5000) /2 = $10,250 by the company. Health insurance is free for the family.

 

[dime line]

I have been offered a pilot position at Flight Options. I was not aware of maybe how bad the morale there might be until reading the posts on this board... I now wonder what to do... Should I take a $16,000 pay cut to fly cool new jets and hope conditions improve with the recent buyout and tentative Union contract? The Flight Options pay scale has more top end potential than my current company but, it will be years at this current Fight Options scale to get back to a decent wage. Is the 8 on/7 off schedule a good one or are you completely burnt out by day 8? Do they work you to death with multiple 14 hour days? How often do they make you work past day 8? I would domicile in LAS. I am not looking for time building since I am late in my career (53yrs old flying C-208s for a FedEx feeder with a fairly decent schedule-home almost every night, although sometimes gone up to 13 hours a day with 5 of them in a hotel, and 2 days off each week). I really wonder how long it would take to recoup the initial pay cut since I am now investing 20K each year into my 401K and I would have to cut that back to only $4,000 for a few years. What are usual upgrade times? I am leaning towards accepting the job mainly because of the H.I.G. buyout and the new plane order looking like a good time to come on board, but I would really love some objective inside advice from current employees...both disgruntled and content. It seems like the new changes will be good for the future to me but,

I am pretty naive as to the current conditions.

I welcome any advice to aid in my decision process. Thanks!

No your not, just read this board. All these pilots that talk trash about FLOPS can't be all wrong.

This has to be the worst job I've ever had (was the best)

> We sit crew rot all day, 12-14hrs is not unherd of.
> Copilots will sit crew rot with no captain.
> When Micky D's is better than a free crew meal, hmm
> Hotels...where do I start. Days Inn, Quality Inn, Sleep Inn
> we now have to wait at the airport terminal in NY, for our partner to show up. ex. one pilot airlines in at 11am and the other airlines in at 3pm, the 11am guy has to wait for the 3pm guy to show up, then they both go to the FBO
> Day 8, you are not the primary concern. Unwritten policy =no airlines before 3pm, so duty on at the FBO at 7am and wait till 5pm airlines to get you home in 15 hr and 55 min. Company policy on day 8 is 16hrs.
> health insurance sucks
> rules change every day

and I'm sure if you do a search you will find a lot more fun and excitement here at FLOPS. But please just talk to a few pilots on the road they will clue you in.....

Oh and "cool new jets".....where did you come up with that one?? Most of these jets have 6000+ hrs on them, so no there not new

And Maintenance..... Most airplanes have at least 10 MELs on them at any given time. Anytime scheduling needs a plane out of mx, they just sign it off "could not duplicate". Oh and If the company could MDL, yes MDL, a motor they will. Its up to you to say no, they WILL try to talk you out of writing things up.

And last but not least the FEDs are investigating us at this time....

 

[gunfyter]

A guy signs up for FlightInfo today... Makes his first post. Is 53 years old flying night freight in a Cessna 208 and wonders whether he should take a paycut by accepting an offer to fly @ FLOPS...

LOL.

"You guys are Dangerous..."

 

[fischman]

I have been offered a pilot position at Flight Options. I was not aware of maybe how bad the morale there might be until reading the posts on this board... I now wonder what to do... Should I take a $16,000 pay cut to fly cool new jets and hope conditions improve with the recent buyout and tentative Union contract? The Flight Options pay scale has more top end potential than my current company but, it will be years at this current Fight Options scale to get back to a decent wage. Is the 8 on/7 off schedule a good one or are you completely burnt out by day 8? Do they work you to death with multiple 14 hour days? How often do they make you work past day 8? I would domicile in LAS. I am not looking for time building since I am late in my career (53yrs old flying C-208s for a FedEx feeder with a fairly decent schedule-home almost every night, although sometimes gone up to 13 hours a day with 5 of them in a hotel, and 2 days off each week). I really wonder how long it would take to recoup the initial pay cut since I am now investing 20K each year into my 401K and I would have to cut that back to only $4,000 for a few years. What are usual upgrade times? I am leaning towards accepting the job mainly because of the H.I.G. buyout and the new plane order looking like a good time to come on board, but I would really love some objective inside advice from current employees...both disgruntled and content. It seems like the new changes will be good for the future to me but, I am pretty naive as to the current conditions. I welcome any advice to aid in my decision process. Thanks!

I do not fly for FLOPS, but would not recommend going there.

You more than meet the qualifications to come to NetJets. Send your resume there. You will start off at $56,875 on the 7&7 schedule $62,563 on the 15 day or $68,188 on the 18 day. Plus the above mentioned 401k match, company paid for medical, dental, and vision.

Good luck with your decision.

 

[rockwings]

Thanks for the info.

I really appreciate the info on the schedules and MX issues. By "cool new jets", I was referring to the Phenom 300 orders. I realize it will be a while until they are online. I fly 20 year old Caravans so anything is new comparatively. I actually fly during the day and usually as a "Hot Standby" at the airport as a backup. Quality of Life has always been more important than money to me. Is Flight Options really that awful that everyone hates it? Or, is the animosity mostly due to low pay that might be somewhat resolved with the hopefully impending contract? I can guess that the 8 on/7 off schedule sounds OK on paper until you have to work 8 consecutive 14 hour days... I would guess that maybe most of those 7 days are just spent recuperating and catching up on home projects instead of having fun... The staff interviewing at Flight Options gave me the impression that they believed the new ownership meant a fresh start for the company. I did notice a huge cadre of about a dozen FAA guys there during my visit though. This is an important decision for me and the main variables with the new ownership and the Union negotiations make this a tough decision. I notice that most of the posts here are extremely negative about FLOPS. Does anyone hold out any hope of a contract improving conditions and morale? There is something to be said for single pilot flying with boxes that don't complain too... My job is pretty low stress. I would hate to bail and find myself in a nightmare scenario. I had been excited about starting at Flight Options (except for the pay cut) until I started reading the posts here. I am really having second thoughts now...

 

[dime line]

My post was not sugar coated, Ask away about my comments to any FLOPS pilot and I know you will hear the same thing. Prove me wrong.

You said your looking for QOL, this is not the place to be looking for that......

 

[1po'dpilot]

Rockwings,
I left Options and I would not recommend the place to my worst enemy. It is hands down the worst run company I have ever worked for! Options does everything in their power to skirt the regs or flat out violate them, and are in complete disregard of safety (yes I speak from experiance). The only thing keeping Options afloat is their crews, the pilots are the best thing that Options has going for them and they routinely fail to realise this...
The phenom order is just that - an order. When they show up on property then I'll believe it.
I flew cargo before leaving and it was a much better job than the one I took at Options, when I started there it was a good job, the turnover in management changed that quickly.
As far as the sale to HIG, dont think because theyve been sold that they are in better hands. Look at HIG's past record with Gemini and Amerijet... Anyone that thought Options was stripped to the bone now, wait until HIG is done with them. I was in training at my present job with a guy from Amerijet and he had nothing but bad things to say about HIG (sorry to rain on anyones parade).
Rock if youre interested in fractional flying - youve got the mins to go to a real company like NetJets, they treat their pilots with dignity and respect, you will make more, the company match is better, you can live where you want... just my .02 worth...

 

[be-400xpdriver]

I was listening to a senior negotiator at NJA. He said he was in the the negotiating room when the turning point in the 05 negotiations happened. That was when Moisture realized that the nja pilots where ready to burn the place down rather than take the company offer/continue with the 98cba. FLOPS pilots will not get a contract until then make managment realize they are ready to burn the place down..