Kalitta Air Interviewing

[landlover]

home based? how does the airlining thing work? do you get airlined to where ever the airplane is? do the days airlining count as days worked or days off? can someone put a number on the pay?

 

[embpic1]

What are the benefits like... family health/dental monthly costs etc? Do most pilots get only the monthly mins or is there more flying done in the 17 days? Thanks.

I use my wife’s medical but I believe it’s pretty good here. When I looked at it as a new hire it was $80/mo for family coverage. The deductible escapes me but I remember it as being reasonable.

As far as breaking guarantee (60.5 hrs/mo) some people are, some are not. It’s kind of a crap shoot. Nov and Dec are very busy for us and most people break it without trying (I had 100 hrs pay in Dec). The first quarter is typically slow for us but this year we have been very busy. I am looking at breaking guarantee this month as are several other crewmembers I have talked to.

 

[embpic1]

home based? how does the airlining thing work? do you get airlined to where ever the airplane is? do the days airlining count as days worked or days off? can someone put a number on the pay?

We are not home based. Everyone is based in YIP. Technically travel to and from work is done inside of the 17 days. This is based on travel from YIP. If you live in Florida for example and you want the company to pay for a ticket from your home, you will have to travel out on your day off. All times are based on Zulu. So let’s say your first day on in EWR is the 15th at 0001Z. You would have to travel on your day off (14th) to arrive in EWR by 0001Z (7PM local). Traveling home is done on you last duty day to your actual home (not YIP). So it is really only a problem going to work. I live in Lansing, MI which is only an hour dive from YIP. Since most of our reserve is R2 (2 hour call out) I have spent many days sitting at home on reserve. It hasn’t happened for a while but it does happen. Another nice thing about living close to YIP is that I just show up in the parking lot at 0001Z on my first day of my line. Since this is 7PM local it is usually to late to get me on a flight to my starting point (90% of time EWR of JFK). So I usually get a free night at home and travel out early the next morning.

One other nice thing is that there is no junior manning. When your days off are approaching you can insist that you are in a position to travel home on your last day. This might cost you some flying but you will make it home on your first day off.

 

[hkgorbust]

. . . One other nice thing is that there is no junior manning. When your days off are approaching you can insist that you are in a position to travel home on your last day. This might cost you some flying but you will make it home on your first day off.

That's right, no junior assignment! You can actually answer your phone on days off and decline to fly. They may beg and plead, but you cannot be forced to come out on off days.

Regarding the end of duty days; In reality, the company won't usually buy a ticket to get you home from an international location. If you are at an international location on your last day, the company will expect you to operate or deadhead on company airplane back to the U.S., even on days off. This doesn't happen all the time, and they will not keep you out longer than a couple of days. The contract has provisions for this. If you do end up in that situation, it will be your choice to either get paid above guarantee, including waiting @ 2.75 hrs/day or arrange additional days off to make up for the lost days.

Another thing to note is that recurrent training has historically been done on off days. Contractually, it's the company's option. There is compensation, but it applies towards guarantee, rather than above guarantee. The company says they would like to conduct training on duty days, but low staffing levels and previous poor scheduling practices would not support both the flying and recurrent training concurrently. Perhaps with some responsible scheduling, it will happen. The new scheduling manager has been quite impressive.

 

[80for80]

That's right, no junior assignment! You can actually answer your phone on days off and decline to fly. They may beg and plead, but you cannot be forced to come out on off days.

We have that too. But, you still have us beat by having EFIS in your 747s.

 

[hkgorbust]

We have that too. But, you still have us beat by having EFIS in your 747s.

Could that classify as "EFIS envy"?

Probably not!

 

[embpic1]

Regarding the end of duty days; In reality, the company won't usually buy a ticket to get you home from an international location. If you are at an international location on your last day, the company will expect you to operate or deadhead on company airplane back to the U.S., even on days off. This doesn't happen all the time, and they will not keep you out longer than a couple of days. The contract has provisions for this. If you do end up in that situation, it will be your choice to either get paid above guarantee, including waiting @ 2.75 hrs/day or arrange additional days off to make up for the lost days.

That is a better way of describing it. It really doesn't happen often. For me the latest I ever got home was 4 hours into my day off. Maybe I have just been lucky. The good thing was that I got paid 2.75 hours for being 4 hours late.

 

[gear_yanker]

Pay is not so good but there may be light on the horizon in that area.

Do you have some super-secret information the rest of us aren't privy to? The "light on the horizon" has been there now for the 4 years since the contract became amendable. The last negotiating session ended with a "take this offer or go back to square one" statement from the company, so I think your comment is somewhat misleading.

For those considering joining Kalitta Air, please make sure you can live with the terms and conditions exactly as they are, because things may never change. The union (Teamsters) is highly ineffective, but you'll be required to join and pay dues from day one of employment.....even though you will be on probation and can be terminated "with or without cause" during the first year.

 

[27 driver]

I have to agree that no matter how much you polish a turd, it is still a turd. I know a few that have quit Kalitta recently even though they didn't have another job yet. That has to tell you something. It is ACMI therefore you are the bottom of the barrel in pay, benefits, QOL, etc. If you decide to go there take it for what it is, a time builder. Go into it knowing that and have fun. A positive attitude will go a long way and make your stay much more enjoyable. I will say that everyone I know that quit cited management as the reason. The crews are usually cool people. If you have another offer I would take it.
Good Luck,

 

[Trogdor]

Anyone know why walk-ins are not recommended? Seems backwards to me.