NCA Info

[Take A]

Looking for good info on NCA.

Contractors?
Pay?
Upgrade time?
Trips, days off, length of patterns.
sick leave, vacation, scheduling?

I've recently heard that ANA sold their interest in NCA. So am I to imagine that NCA is a stand alone company without any Japanese influence? (I heard the Japanese aviation folks are messed up).

Everyone says that it is a pretty good contract gig--even better than JetBlue (Yes....JB is still a "Contract gig")

I've seen the HACS website advertising jobs for 747 pilots but I would like to get info from someone in the know.........

Thanks

 

[dojetdriver]

Fill out Hawaii Aviation's Online Resume, they send you an app along with the contract terms. The website doesn't list all the required qualifications, in addition to 3000tt 1000 in commercial jet, you need a commercial jet type rating as well. Doesn't matter what type of comm jet, just a comm jet type rating. And no, an SIC type doesn't cut it, I asked.

Go to pprune.com and do a search, you'll find some info.

Pay is around 90,000 a year with a retirement contribution and medical benefits. Apparantly Parc Aviation pays more ($110,000) but with no retirement contribution and possibly no medical. They give you a commuting allowance (albeit, a small one). US pilots get the SFO or JFK base. They have only had one guy upgrade so far. I was told on the phone by a recruiter that you are applying for a contract job as a First Officer on a 747, that's all you should expect.

 

[CSY Mon]

They have only had one guy upgrade so far. I was told on the phone by a recruiter that you are applying for a contract job as a First Officer on a 747, that's all you should expect.

Yup, that is true.

Have done a couple of 747 F/O contract jobs in the past. You are indeed applying for a job as a proffesional F/O and will be treated as such.

Broke my last contract and flew back to the good old USA.
Got a 747 job in the right seat and upgraded to left shortly thereafter.
(Non-sceds are good for quick upgrades)

Then, and only then with some left seat time, ya can go back over-seas and get a "captains contract".
All of a sudden ya are a different person with a different personality and flying abilities....

So, yes, up-grades MAY happen over there, but it is not usual.

(Only one guy from my Japanese class, and none from my Arabian class )

 

[Draginass]

I looked into NCA about a year and a half ago. Pay was good, as dojetdriver posted, but schedule was only 10 days off guaranteed, with only 8 guaranteed consecutive. The actual schedules may be better than that, but that's all your guaranteed. Commuting pay was only $300/mo and I don't think you can jumpseat on US carriers, so you're pretty much stuck buying a very expensive last minute ticket or living within driving range of base.

The days-off thing killed any interest that I had in NCA.

 

[dojetdriver]

I looked into NCA about a year and a half ago. Pay was good, as dojetdriver posted, but schedule was only 10 days off guaranteed, with only 8 guaranteed consecutive. The actual schedules may be better than that, but that's all your guaranteed. Commuting pay was only $300/mo and I don't think you can jumpseat on US carriers, so you're pretty much stuck buying a very expensive last minute ticket or living within driving range of base.

The days-off thing killed any interest that I had in NCA.

About the scheds, it is true. I was corresponding with a guy on pprune who was SFO based and said it was pretty much a 2 week on and 2 week off for him. As you (and he) said, it can change. I got the impression though it wasn't necessarily a 14 day trip, possibly multi-day trips back to back.

Three friends from my former employer went to the JalWays contract in HNL. Pays less, but they do upgrade American's, the one I knew went to the left seat in about 5 years.