looking for a good schedule???

[atppilot]

I would like some advice on schedules. I will be in charge of a new flight department that will be a 135 ondemand 24/7 outfit. we are starting out with 2 planes. and must likely 3 pilots maybe also 1 part-time guy. I would like to try something like 5 on 3 off, or 6 on 4 off. i would like to give everone the best quality of life possible at 24/7 operation.if you have any ideas that will work or will not work i would like to hear them?

Thanks

 

[Gulfstream 200]

On demand 135 is rough work, no doubt....and you will inevitably have high turnover...

However, I do think you can minimize it by giving absolute HARD DAYS each month - even of only a handful...it makes all the difference. Not.."Oh we now need you, our most important client needs to go to KPBI" type HARD DAY...I mean, "we aint calling you for $hit" day!!!

A few days of absolute relief and a decent wage goes a LONG way with on-demand pilots.

Good Luck!

 

[MD80PILOT]

What kind of planes, where are you located, and what approx. will the pay be?

 

[Captain4242]

Gulfstream is right. Guys who are in the 135 game don't care about money; they do care when their day off is around the corner. If you completely leave them alone on their days off, you'll probably have a group of pilots that do well for you.

 

[C.Warrior]

My previous company had a hard day system of 7 Hard Days and 3 soft days. The hard days were untouchable. If we were asked and wanted to, we could sell them for $350 a day. They really did not want to do this. The soft days were known on the 15th of the month prior, and were subject to change. If we did not get them, we were paid $125.

It will be difficult to do with the min. staffing level you have. 3 full time to fly 2 airplanes will leave 1 airplane on the ground.
I would really shoot for some days that the pilots can absoulutely look forward to having off period.. Your formula is obviously up to you. We had 3 pilots for 1 airplane so the above formula worked fairly well. For any quality of life, one has to be able to schedule Dr.s appts, and family events.

 

[slowto250]

Are these 2 aircraft single pilot types ? With 3-4 pilots, I sure hope so. If not, I see a lot of "no days off" schedules in your future.

 

[atppilot]

I flew 135 a few years back so i do realize the importance of hard days off. The plane are not single pilot but i should of said 3 or 4 crews not pilots. I was hoping someone was working for a 135 operation like ours and had a schedule that works. i dont think both planes will go out very often at the same time. i would say it would be more like plane A would go out in the AM, then plane B later in the day. i know that you still need just as many pilots even if they dont go out at once but i was hoping to end up with something like 1 crew ready within 1/2 hour call up and maybe crew #2 on a 3 hour call up etc. any ideas??? i gues what im trying to avoid is having everbody on a 1/2 hour call up. at least with a two tier system you could at least finish dinner when your pager goes off.

 

[aeronautic1]

Our crew

We have three pilots assigned to our G200. The schedule is worked out by the three of us. Instead of the 6 on - 4 off routine, we all agreed that we wanted more hard days off in a row. So, we work a 2 weeks on and 1 week off rotation. We love it!!

You sound sincere. However, I have seen my share of pilots who go off to head a flight department somewhere and forget where they came from. What we deserve is a medium salary, good health and dental, scheduled pay reviews and increases and excellent mainentance. Oh, and no room sharing at the Red Roach Inn and a per diem other than a $6.99 chinese buffett.

Is that asking too much?

 

[limodriver1]

school teacher has good schedule!

school teacher has great schedule 185 days work and off all the holidays and weekends!

Nice there is job for you, my man...


135 is hard work, you work for every penny!

 

[pilotyip]

100% hard days off exist at USA Jet Airlines for DA-20 pilots. 10 days off picked from a bid schedule based upon seniority every 28 days. We fly you home and leave the airplane uncovered for a period of time if necessary to honor days off. We know our pilots have lives beyond being married to our airplanes, and we respect that. Turnover is very low at USA Jet. This is also good for the company; the savings in training costs allow us to pay our DA-20 pilots above average pay for our sector of the industry that allows our pilots to here until they find their career position.