Has anyone tried this solution to PFT?

[English]

I've meet several people this week who paid for their own training. I'm not talking small potatoes, either - I mean Gulfstream type ratings. That's some big cash. I might be a little too judgmental about PFT'ers, and tend to have less respect for pilots that do this. It got me thinking about possible other ways people can move ahead without whoring themselves out. What do you guys think about this as an alternative?

Let's say your potential employer offers you a position flying an airplane making 90k a year. He is going to type you in an aircraft and the type rating will cost him 20k.

What are the downsides, to an employer and to the employee, of the employee making 70K the first year, and receiving an incentive bonus at the end of 12 months of 20K? The employee would still make 90k and the employer would have a way to ensure a full twelve months of work for his investment. The salary would go up to 90k plus a few percent (or a merit based increase) the second year.

If the employee quits during the commitment period, he has no opportunity to earn the bonus. If he is fired, he would earn a prorated share of the bonus (say he was fired in month 11 of the agreement, he would earned 11/12ths of the 20k bonus).

What do you think?

 

[CUBMAN]

English;

I dont think there is anything wrong with this myself. I have never done PFT except to pay for my own Private, Commercial, CFI, etc... but what if all you did was contract work, which is exactly what many people do! Who would be the one to pay for initial/recurrent in this situation? My thinking is that it would be the contract pilot. Not quite the same but I think the principle is.

In my own opion it is not PFT as we all seem to view it. Most people who go this route would probably already be experienced pilots.

Cubman

 

[slowto250]

I've meet several people this week who paid for their own training. I'm not talking small potatoes, either - I mean Gulfstream type ratings. That's some big cash. I might be a little too judgmental about PFT'ers, and tend to have less respect for pilots that do this. It got me thinking about possible other ways people can move ahead without whoring themselves out. What do you guys think about this as an alternative?

Let's say your potential employer offers you a position flying an airplane making 90k a year. He is going to type you in an aircraft and the type rating will cost him 20k.

What are the downsides, to an employer and to the employee, of the employee making 70K the first year, and receiving an incentive bonus at the end of 12 months of 20K? The employee would still make 90k and the employer would have a way to ensure a full twelve months of work for his investment. The salary would go up to 90k plus a few percent (or a merit based increase) the second year.

If the employee quits during the commitment period, he has no opportunity to earn the bonus. If he is fired, he would earn a prorated share of the bonus (say he was fired in month 11 of the agreement, he would earned 11/12ths of the 20k bonus).

What do you think?

As a matter of fact.....Been there, done that. Very similar to what you have outlined. These were 2 year contracts, with the first year pro-rated. You were essentially off the hook after 12 months, so we never really understood the purpose of the 2 year time frame, except to raise ones sense of committment. I believe these types of contracts are becoming more commonplace.

I still prefer my current employers practice. Just a handshake.

 

[G100driver]

English, this is exactly what they do at Executive Flight in Wenachee, WA. They operate and actually own their own Lear's and a Challenger. They pay for your training and give a cash bonus, I last heard, of about $18K after 3 years. No contracts.

It just goes to show, there actually are respectable charter companies out there. Amazing isn't it.

 

[CapnVegetto]

There's nothing in the world wrong with that scenario. As long as you're not buying a job from someone, or if someone expects you to shell out a bunch of your own money for a type rating that they should be paying for, that's not bad at all. Back when I was still at my regional, and hated every second of it, I got offered a job as a 135 BE-400 captain, but turned it down because they wanted me to pay for my own type rating. NO WAY. I'm not going to shell out $20K of my money just so I can have the honor of working for you. That's an employer's responsibility, not the pilot's.

 

[kingairyahoo]

...and here i thought you didnt like Sunset's way of doing business

 

[Wang Chung]

They pay for your training and give a cash bonus, I last heard, of about $18K after 3 years. No contracts.

I interviewed there not too long ago, never heard about the $18k deal.

They did tell me about a Lear type option that they offer, though. When they send you to Lear SIC initial, you have the option of typing yourself and paying a couple thousand bucks out-of-pocket to offset the cost difference. Then, after one year, they reimburse you for the extra $$. Otherwise, they would type you as an SIC after one year.

Definitely a pro operation!

 

[G100driver]

I interviewed back there in 2000 during the boom years. I do not know if they still do it today, however.

We have used them for supplimental lift and they are a pro operation. It is hard to find a lear operator who is willing to do it right.

 

[TimsKeeper]

I'm sure you got someone to pay for your Multi-Engine Land rating also? right? or how about your ATP.....it's all training to get a job....crying about PFT is sour grapes...I haven't needed to do it ( actually I can't afford it) but it's not my place to judge someone else.

 

[Flybet3]

I agree

I'm sure you got someone to pay for your Multi-Engine Land rating also? right? or how about your ATP.....it's all training to get a job....crying about PFT is sour grapes...I haven't needed to do it ( actually I can't afford it) but it's not my place to judge someone else.

You know what? I agree with you 100%. I have a couple of friends that are contract pilots and that's all they want to do, so they have paid for at least 1 of their many types. Secondly if paying 20K for a Gulfstream type to get a job is whoring yourself, than that means that most of the southwest pilots are a bunch of whores, most of them had to go to higher power aviation and paid for a type to get a job. Not trying to offend any SW pilots. But lets face it, on Gulfstream jobs, either you're current and typed on the airplane to get the job or you dont get the job. We've all done PFT at some point, paying for a CFI to get a job at your flight school seems like PFT to me, I knew alot of CFIs that bought ALOT, or even penciled in multi-time b/c that was the only way they could get enough multi time to qualify for a freight job. I think that if you dont do it, someone else will.