Netjets and Safety?

[Showtime]

I have a friend who is interested in buying a share of an airplane at Netjets. His main concern is safety. For those of you that work there, would you put your family on a NJ plane in bad WX with a random NJ crew flying?

Any comments appreciated.

-Dave

 

[Guitar Guy]

Absolutely I would. I was rather surprised how conservatively they calculate takeoff performance at NJA. I used to do aircraft performance work for about 11 years before I started flying and I never saw anyone apply the amount of conservatism that NJA does.

They really do believe in safety as their first priority and they impress upon new-hires in Indoc that NOTHING trumps safety, not even an owner who "needs" to get somewhere.

So yes, I would definitely trust NJA's operation and pilots. If I didn't believe in their operation, I wouldn't have accepted a job with them.

 

[rajflyboy]

Other Points to consider:

All New Hires at Netjets have at Least 2500 hours with 500 multi and an ATP rating.

All pilots are typed in the aircraft... PIC''s and SIC's. Captains and Co Pilots. Sim training also consists of lofts (after the type ride) into the most difficult airports (Aspen, Telluride, Eagle, South Lake Tahoe).

The pilots are trained and typed in the simulator then trained again in the real aircraft. (Essentially Double Training)

 

[Xdriver]

You bet I would. One thing Netjets does is train train and then train somemore. Its 121 airline type training and then some. Saftey is # 1 here period.

 

[Diesel]

Hey i'm in the pointy end of the thing. Jesus are you retarted?

 

[apache]

This is a very good question to ask. Statistically, all modes of commercial aviation are pretty safe. But with that being said, it has absolutely shocked me to see the quality of some pilots (captains, yikes) that have managed to make it to the top of the food chain in the major I used to fly for and at FLOPS. There are great pilots in all levels of aviation, but the weak-sisters are out there in ever-increasing numbers. I blame it on the HR people who do the hiring in all companies that place importance on everything except experience and attitude. There are far more cockpits at my ex-major and at Flops that I would never allow my family to fly behind than there were at my old commuter from the early '90's.


From what I've seen at NJ, the equipment is top notch and they have a dispatch system that takes a lot of the heat off of the crew for flight planning. That is a lot better than at some of the other fracs. I wouldn't go around saying that the entry level experience (2500TT) is really going above and beyond in creating a safe cockpit. Yonited put 800 TT gals and special people in the cockpit and they haven't killed too many as a result, but I guarantee that they have come VERY close, and have made for a pretty funked-up cockpit on occasion. If NJ would come through with a good contract, they will retain and attract the best.

In my opinion, jet charter operators are near the bottom of the barrel in safety. It is too bad that Flops is turning into just a big charter company. THIS IS MY OPINION ONLY.

 

[Hawkered]

In my new-hire class the average experience was 8,300 hours and three type ratings. Background checks and training issues were followed ten years back...not five. A very professional group of peers!

 

[AA717driver]

Hey, they're waiting on a better contract. The last thing a NJ crew is going to do is kill themselves trying to get in somewhere they shouldn't...

Also, I know they are a pretty good bunch of pilots.TC

 

[rajflyboy]

Flight hours in a log book don't mean that much! But I will certainly take a guy with 2500 (500 Multi and an ATP) over a CRJ or ERJ FO from San Juan college with 350 hours as my first officer. If the flying public only new about some of the crap that goes on with pilot hiring.

At least everyone at NETJETS has basic pilot qualifications

 

[chperplt]

If the flying public only new about some of the crap that goes on with pilot hiring.

Are you implying that regional carriers are the only ones hiring low time, or as you put it, unqualified pilots?

I think the flying public would be more interested to know that their early AM departure is probably being flown by a crew that is on a stand-up overnight. Maybe they would be interested to know that their crew is on day 4 and just came off reduced rest.

Maybe your statement is a bit to wide ranging and should be narrowed some.