Make up your fuvking mind!

[GravityHater]

I have a gig where the organization calls about 2x per month and I go for a 1/2 day or a day's flight.
They are totally scatterbrained and cannot keep a schedule. I am at my wit's end with them this week. I got a call about 10 days ago; 'need you Thurs the 7th'. Then Monday it was off. Tues it was on again, with more details of when and where. Then Wed it was OFF AGAIN. Get Your Fuvking Sheet together you dooches! From the last call, until Thurdays departure time, I was wondering if they would change it yet again....but they did not. This is not high level biz meetings, its all personal crap, and people who can't plan beyond their next glass of Shiraz. I make zippo to be on call for them.
I can't remember a trip that did not have 2 changes in destination or departure time, all at the last minute, and I know enough about their personal lives that they could easily have known and told the pilots in advance. Apparently they have zero consideration for us hoes.
Once we were to go pick up a pax and the schedule on that was relaxed, so we were going to leave to give us an hour's leeway at destination for this pax. If we had left 5 mins earlier we would have missed the car racing towards us on the ramp "I forgot to tell you, the trip is off"!!! Geeeezzzz!

I am about done. Thankfully I don't need this gig. I think I might step aside and let some other slut take their disrespect and lack of consideration. Hopefully they can institute an on-call fee - ha, fat chance of that.
Thanks for listening, fellow hoes.

 

[G100driver]

Do the changes mean you do not get paid? It is not personal, it is just the way it is ...

Seriously, have you considered 121?

 

[GravityHater]

I got paid nothing,

 

[GravityHater]

I think I won't give notice of quitting.
Next time they call for a trip I will accept and then show up.....but refuse to fly. I will give an angry, long-winded, arm-waving tirade about how they are going no place today just so that they can see for themselves what it is like to be constantly jacked around. Then I will quit.

/wishful thinking.

 

[con-pilot]

I think I won't give notice of quitting.
Next time they call for a trip I will accept and then show up.....but refuse to fly. I will give an angry, long-winded, arm-waving tirade about how they are going no place today just so that they can see for themselves what it is like to be constantly jacked around. Then I will quit.

/wishful thinking.

I will make the assumption that you are free lancing for the folks, yes.

The only way I broke people from doing this to me, back when I free lanced, was to charge them when they canceled a trip with in a pre-established time limit.

Go to the owners of the aircraft and explain to them that your living is dependent upon flying for people that own aircraft who do not have full time pilots and that by tiring up your time and then canceling the trip cost you money. Therefore, you need to set some type agreement that when they contact you for a trip, at a certain time period the clock is ticking.

One other approach is to sign them to a retainer for a minum of so many trips a month and that they will have first call on your services.

If they refuse to go with either option, time to start turning them down and you need to find other customers. Hard to do I know, from personal experiences.

Good luck.

 

[Headwind]

Another thing you can do......Next time they cancel, more than 24 hours out, then call to say the trip is on just tell them you have accepted another flight.
Looks like they're not going to give you any respect unless you force then to.

 

[Gulfstream 200]

You say they call maybe 2X a month and cancel half those?

Stop answering the call, certainly does not sound like its worth the aggravation.....or triple your rates.

Dont fight with them, you wont win. Regardless of how flaky they are you want a good reputation as a contract pilot...

 

[ksu_aviator]

Best thing is to have a 48 hour cancellation policy.

 

[GravityHater]

You know some other sap will be all over this job, which will reinforce their thoughts that we should shut up and confine ourselves to contritely asking 'how high'.

 

[gern_blanston]

Walk away from these ass hats. They have obviously have been allowed to walk all over their crews for long enough that they see no problem treating you like crap. Unless they're paying $2,500/day, just say 'no thanks' the next time they call. You'll be happier in the long run.
What other shenanigans do they pull? Any sort of decent SOPs? Any regard for duty time or decent hotels and food for the crew? Good maintenance? That kind of operation is generally deficient across the board.
There are a couple of outfits that I have done contract work for that I simply won't fly for anymore. A polite "No thanks, you guys don't run the kind of operation that I want to be involved with" and they'll quit calling.
Putting up with that kind of crap is like flying for a hundred bucks a day and a Subway sandwich, or paying for right seat time. Hurts the industry in general.
Sure, someone else will probably end up doing it, but it needn't be you.
Do you want these guys on your resume'?

 

[ditchpilot]

Take the chalange to HELP them streightn out their flight department.

 

[G100driver]

If you are not getting paid ... then you should just stop answering the phone ....good luck with these guys.

 

[CA1900]

Just double-book the time. If something else comes up, take it and cancel on the indecisive people. If nothing else comes up, you have a potential to make money with zero risk. Clearly they've demonstrated they don't value your time, so I'd feel no guilt at all about canceling on them if a more reliable job popped up.

 

[FO4life]

Do the same thing to them. Accept the call, the next day an cancel. then call later that day and say you can. then on the day of the trip ( if they show up) show up 5 min pefore the trip dressed and say you got another trip for some one else SORRY!
Then put them in your rear view mirror.
Or make the cancel fee half your daily rate. no if ands or buts.

 

[Amish RakeFight]

Rich people are fickle. Get used to it.

You're just hired help.

 

[340drvr]

The squirrel-mode for trip scheduling is pretty standard for many operations, but not getting compensated for time being jerked around is not (or should not be, anyway.) That kind of on-call availability demands compensation, whether a full-time salary, or some kind of trip cancellation policy for contract work. If these folks aren't willing to pay adequately for your time spent with no-go or cancelled trips, then it's time to walk. But as said above, do the walking in a professional manner.

 

[gutshotdraw]

No matter what, be professional in how you deal with them. Don't go on a rant, don't try and tell them how to run their operation, and don't badmouth them to other pilots or operations. Aviation is a REMARKABLY small world.

Instead, I recommend approaching them in a professional way with a carefully written letter that explains that from now on:

A) Your rates have gone up $100 per day.

B) Request for availability is 1/2 rate per day of standby.

C) Scheduled trip cancellation policy is 1/2 rate for cancellation within 48 hours and full rate within 24 hours.

Be pleasant, be matter-of-fact, perhaps even a touch "apologetic" in explaining that this is the way you need to conduct your BUSINESS. If they stop calling, you have lost nothing but you have taken the high road. And if they stop calling, use the time to cultivate other clients that operate under a concept of mutual respect.

My free advice and probably worth every penny

 

[GravityHater]

You guys are good....and calming, too. I am looking at options.

 

[gutshotdraw]

14 years of contract flying teaches a lesson or two. Good luck and keep at it.

 

[TMMT]

14 years of contract flying teaches a lesson or two..

Yup, be polite, be professional but above all have a plan to kill everyone you meet!