Need friendly advice please!

[CaptainJaguar]

Hey guys, well it's my first post on this web site sorry I posted in both forums but I wasnt sure which one to post in. I figured I give it a shot to ask for some help. Here's my story..... I am a current corporate/135 pilot flying a Falcon 900, I love flying the airplane and the money that I am making now is fairly decent. I have OK benefits for my self, wife an kids. I'm fairly young I guess you can say (32 yrs) and even though I like flying big equipment and making good money I have considered taking another path. I have a job offer with a start up airline back in my home town I will surely have to take a pay cut, and I guess you can say start over. But although the pay is about half of what I am making now I will have a set schedule, be home more often and have a good schedule where I can go back to school and get a degree is something else. Right now I have no set schedule and I have been on the road quite a bit, so family time is becoming an issue. I guess you can say I am more of a family type individual. So what do you guys think? What would you recommend??
Take the airline job.......
1- Take a salary pay cut
2- Have a set schedule
3- More family time
4- Chance to go back to school.

Or
Hang around....
1- Keep good pay
2- No set schedule
3- No QOL
4- Hope for the best
Thank in advance to all you guys for the insight.

 

[semperfido]

i would keep plugging away while looking for a better position. there are great jobs out there. they are just difficult to find. F900 is great experience. it is always easier to get a job when you have a job. if you are geographically constrained , then i might feel different.

 

[CaptainJaguar]

i would keep plugging away while looking for a better position. there are great jobs out there. they are just difficult to find. F900 is great experience. it is always easier to get a job when you have a job. if you are geographically constrained , then i might feel different.

I've thought about that, but to be honest with ya neither my wife and I want to move again. We've moved around enough as it is.

 

[sleepy]

Two things I am never going to do again in this business; take a pay cut on the promise that I might get ahead in the future and leave corporate aviation for an airline (muchless a start-up airline).

 

[skiav8tor]

CJ,

I just made a similar decision...leave a great 91/135 G3 gig, and go to an airline (B6)...albeit, not a startup. It was a very tough decision, but it came down to schedule. As you know, in corporate flying...which I think is great...you are sitting down to dinner, the phone rings, and now you are on your way to EGGW for a week. Very exciting, but not condusive to family life. I made the decision to try the airline, as those opportunities don't arise very often, and give it a couple of years. If it appears that is not the type of flying I enjoy, then I can always go back to corporate. That does not necessarily work the other way...!? It comes down to having a conversation with your spouse and children...and how valuable is the time vs. money.

Ski

P.S. I made this decision about schedule...and I don't have a family.

 

[semperfido]

CJ,

...you are sitting down to dinner, the phone rings, and now you are on your way to EGGW for a week. .

i have been a p91 pilot for many years and this has never happened to me. not saying it couldn't, but it would be a rare occurrence.

 

[CaptainJaguar]

i have been a p91 pilot for many years and this has never happened to me. not saying it couldn't, but it would be a rare occurrence.

Well it has happened fairly often lately...

 

[semperfido]

well, you need a better p91 deal. the 135 aspect would bother me.

 

[skiav8tor]

i have been a p91 pilot for many years and this has never happened to me. not saying it couldn't, but it would be a rare occurrence. [/quote

Probably happens more with 135 trips, but it has happened to me with 91 as well...maybe just not as far away as EGWW...

 

[CaptainJaguar]

CJ,

I just made a similar decision...leave a great 91/135 G3 gig, and go to an airline (B6)...albeit, not a startup. It was a very tough decision, but it came down to schedule. As you know, in corporate flying...which I think is great...you are sitting down to dinner, the phone rings, and now you are on your way to EGGW for a week. Very exciting, but not condusive to family life. I made the decision to try the airline, as those opportunities don't arise very often, and give it a couple of years. If it appears that is not the type of flying I enjoy, then I can always go back to corporate. That does not necessarily work the other way...!? It comes down to having a conversation with your spouse and children...and how valuable is the time vs. money.

Ski

P.S. I made this decision about schedule...and I don't have a family.

I agree, I mean I enjoy flying to different places, but it's just the fact of not having that set schedule that burns my skin...they had promised us days off but now since we've been doing lots of charter I think the owner is getting greedy and it's becoming one of those "yesterday was your day off b/c eventhough you were on call all day you didint fly" type job..... Like I said eventhough money is nice to have always my wife is willing to go back to work part time if needed, ofcourse that's if I take the other job. Not seeing my wife and kids for days is starting to become a pain in the ASSSS!!

 

[CaptainJaguar]

well, you need a better p91 deal. the 135 aspect would bother me.

well hold on to you hat....we do about 90% charter and 10% 91. At first I was told "this is a corporate job with some 135" and now it's nothing but pop ups and bright and early 135 bull sh!t!

 

[semperfido]

just curious...how many days per month do you average away?

 

[skiav8tor]

The response from your boss is very typical of an owner with the a/c on a 135 cert. There are great 91/135 gigs...my previous company has some G4/G5's with 3/4/5 crewmembers to allow for QOL, and they make great money...but those jobs are about as difficult to get as an airline job...sit with the family, and do a pro/con list...see if that helps. Anyway you look at it...not an easy decision...!! Good luck...

 

[CaptainJaguar]

just curious...how many days per month do you average away?

It depends, last month I flew about 28 days which about 20 of those were away from home.

 

[CaptainJaguar]

The response from your boss is very typical of an owner with the a/c on a 135 cert. There are great 91/135 gigs...my previous company has some G4/G5's with 3/4/5 crewmembers to allow for QOL, and they make great money...but those jobs are about as difficult to get as an airline job...sit with the family, and do a pro/con list...see if that helps. Anyway you look at it...not an easy decision...!! Good luck...

Well this owner is starting to become an ass, and there's only 1 crew for the airplane.

 

[semperfido]

i wouldn't care for that either. hopefully, it was an aberation. good luck.

 

[Flybet3]

i wouldn't care for that either. hopefully, it was an aberation. good luck.

Shoot me neither! Well I think If you dont mind the pay cut sounds like the start up will be an OK place to hang out while you get school done. Especially if an owner treats you like that, then I say screw him. I tell you one thing, if my boss started working me like a dog with out caring about my family life.....then I would tell him to go F him self! Not to far from there by the way. What kind of position would you get at the airline?

 

[CaptainJaguar]

Shoot me neither! Well I think If you dont mind the pay cut sounds like the start up will be an OK place to hang out while you get school done. Especially if an owner treats you like that, then I say screw him. I tell you one thing, if my boss started working me like a dog with out caring about my family life.....then I would tell him to go F him self! Not to far from there by the way. What kind of position would you get at the airline?

I would be a Jetstream Captain. To be honest I'm just looking for a job where I know I am going to be home alot more often than now. Where I can hang around long enough. I would also be number 3 in the seniority list at this airline.

 

[skiav8tor]

It depends, last month I flew about 28 days which about 20 of those were away from home.

That's too many...Doesn't matter how much $$$. If an airplane is going to fly that much, it NEEDS multiple crews...It border's 'unsafe operation'...no quality rest!!

 

[CaptainJaguar]

That's too many...Doesn't matter how much $$$. If an airplane is going to fly that much, it NEEDS multiple crews...It border's 'unsafe operation'...no quality rest!!

THANK YOU!!!!!!!! if we could only beat it into the owner!!!! And there's no other crew in the visible future

 

[skiav8tor]

So...best get sized for that new uniform!! The more you talk about your current gig...the worse it looks. But again...talk with the family! I think we all got into the wacky business for QOL...but I could be wrong!?!?!

 

[CaptainJaguar]

So...best get sized for that new uniform!! The more you talk about your current gig...the worse it looks. But again...talk with the family! I think we all got into the wacky business for QOL...but I could be wrong!?!?!

Well I think most of us got into the business because we liked flying airplanes and met way to many "OLD" major airline pilots. But now that I've been flying for so many years I can say this sucks!!!! I've enjoyed flying corporate and even 135, but I really wanna see my kids grow even if it means taking a temporary pay cut.

 

[FlierDude]

I'd say think long and hard about that pay cut. What about finding a F900 or comparable 91 gig closer to home? You're not married to that employer. Lots of 121 types looking for corporate stuff, that speaks volumes. Where's home? Why not Fedex/UPS? Just wondering....

 

[CaptainJaguar]

I'd say think long and hard about that pay cut. What about finding a F900 or comparable 91 gig closer to home? You're not married to that employer. Lots of 121 types looking for corporate stuff, that speaks volumes. Where's home? Why not Fedex/UPS? Just wondering....

Well I've looked for good corporate jobs back home, I lived in Dallas Texas. I would love Fed Ex/UPS but I dont have either inside recommendations or a 4 year degree. Like I said, the work schedule in Dallas would alow me to go back to school and get a degree in something else I like.

 

[Slippery Wing]

1) I've enjoyed flying corporate and even 135

2) but I really wanna see my kids grow...

I can tell you that number 2, above, only happens once.

The decision is yours my friend. No one on this anonymous board is going to make the decision for you, but from your posts on this thread, it sounds like you know what you want to do already.

Just my opinion, of course.

-Slip

 

[Stealthh21]

i have been a p91 pilot for many years and this has never happened to me. not saying it couldn't, but it would be a rare occurrence.

For you maybe. You cant deny the fact that 135/91 is very unpredictable. I hate it. If you are young, and want to try something else, then you should. You never know untill you try it.

stealthh

 

[semperfido]

young and single you mean to say.....as you can see, i said p91---135 is a diff animal, which i would not generally recommend. i recommended looking for a great p91 operation that would value his great F900 experience.

 

[some_dude]

There should be lots of decent corporate jobs in Dallas. I would look around some more. There are also options like FSI or Simuflite, which might get you a better schedule without much of a pay cut. And, working at a training center can be a great way to find a better flying job.

If you were talking about a small town, where you were flying the only large aircraft in the area, then I think the airline gig might make sense. But in a large metropolitan area, you should be able to find a decent 91 or even 135 job.

Well I've looked for good corporate jobs back home, I lived in Dallas Texas. I would love Fed Ex/UPS but I dont have either inside recommendations or a 4 year degree. Like I said, the work schedule in Dallas would alow me to go back to school and get a degree in something else I like.

 

[sleepy]

You flew 28 out of 30 days in a month? Don't you have to have one in seven off for part 135?

In that case, maybe you should find a new job, but you should check and see how many start-up airlines fail. B6 is the exception, not the rule. ValuJet was doing well, then failed and came back as AirTran. I suggest that you find a better DA-900 job.

 

[some_dude]

The 1 in 7 rule refers to 24 hours off. So you could finish up by 3pm one day, and do a night trip the next day (leaving after 3) and that would count as your day off.

You flew 28 out of 30 days in a month? Don't you have to have one in seven off for part 135?