NJ A/C for newhires - Please rate in order.

[Heavy Set]

My question is how much "ramp" work do you have to do at NetJets? I don't mind helping stow some bags, but are you doing a lot of lav dumps, or is there ground handleing at the FBO's NetJets uses? Thinking of coming over from Comair, but worried about the "culture shock." Never did the corporate type flying before.

I do not fly for a fractional but I do fly corporate now after spending years in the airline and freight business. I didn't think I would enjoy it as much and I was wrong. Sure, you have to load some bags and wipe the lav occassionally - similar to wiping up your car after your kids mess it up. But the level of passenger interaction is what I enjoy and I never experienced that in an airline setting. I enjoy getting to know my passengers and ensuring that they have an enjoyable flight. I fly a high performance aircraft to interesting destinations (variety is so much better than airline flying - it isn't even close - I "discover" new destinations every week) and I take pride in my work.

C'mon, don't think that you will be doing so much heavy lifting - the FBO people do most of the work a lot of the time. Are you afraid of a little extra work and actually speaking with your passengers? It's not that bad. That being said, I'd love to have a Flight Attendant again - choose the Falcon 2000 if given the option....

 

[cathaywannabe]

I chose the Excel. Financially speaking it was an unwise choice, as I started on the NJA property prior to the new contract. If I chose the Ultra, I would have upgraded by now as many were seat locked and bypassed (this won't effect you as a potential new hire).

Regardless, I enjoy the Excel flying. I was tired of the "heavy redeye transcon" stuff. I believe the Excel is the smallest aircraft at NJA with an APU.

The Excel is enjoyable to fly. As the previous post said, I enjoy the FAR 91 flying much more than any FAR 121 job I've had.

 

[Heavy Set]

When you talk to the crews on the X, they all seem very tired. They also complain about the lack of comfort up front - minimal room for the longer flights. Did the Cessna engineers completely forget about ergonomics on this long-range aircraft? Seems like it would be a great aircraft to fly for 1-2 hours at a time - hopping around the Northeast. Flying frequently between BED and VNY or SNA could be difficult on the lower back after awhile... My Lear is uncomfortable after 90 minutes - I can't imagine 4+ hours in a tight cockpit.

Is the Soveregin just as uncomfortable up front on long-range flights? Have there been any improvement made ergonomically up front vs. the X?

 

[Qwertyuiop]

I did the search and came up empty. For all you NJ guys out there would you please rate in order of choice (and if your time permits) why you would want that a/c if you were a new hire.

My initial thoughts would be:
1) APU
2) Lav dump outside
3) F/A
4) Long Range
5) Location of Initial and recurrent training for the Sim.

Not being for a corporate background I couldn't tell the difference between an Ultra and an Excell or a Hawker 400 or 800.

And if it matters LAX base.

Thanks guys - hope to see you all soon.

Baja.

The only aircraft without an APU and externally-serviceable lav are the Hawker 400XP and Citation Ultra. I wouldn't choose either of these as a new hire, or even as an old hire. But with their short field capabilities you will be flying into airports you won't see in the X's or Falcons.

The only aircraft with flight attendants are the Falcons. FO on the Falcon is probably the easiest job at NetJets. You'll be flying with a much more senior group of captains than on the other fleets and will not likely be able to upgrade for a long time.

As a newhire, it's unlikely you'll be assigned the BBJ or Falcon 2000EX. You might be able to get a Falcon 2000 slot though.

You'll earn more pay flying the Excel because you'll be trained in both the XL and XLS and therefore receive an extra $2,700 per year in crossover pay. Good choice of aircraft.

The Hawker 800XP has virtually no baggage space and tends to be used for shorter day trips, so you'll work less: fewer bags to load, less catering to load, less cleaning up to do. It's a solid, reliable aircraft. If you have a choice, go for the version with the Collins avionics package - it's much nicer than the Honeywell version.

If you have a big ego, the Citation X would be a good aircraft to fly; no other aircraft can match its Mach 0.92 cruise speed. Be prepared to work hard. It covers every other fleet, has tons of baggage space, and there are plenty of them. Many fleets have their pilots working 12 hours a day on average for 7 days straight now, but in the X you'll be waking up 3 time zones away from where you woke up the day before. That can be rough on the body clock, especially if you're West Coast based.

The X's and Excels, being two of the larger fleets, do fly into the LA area a lot, which cuts down on the number of times you'll be airlining to and from your domicile (the worst part of the job in my opinion).

By and large, most pilots seem happy with whichever aircraft they fly, even the 400XP and Ultra crews.

 

[Heavy Set]

The only aircraft without an APU and externally-serviceable lav are the Hawker 400XP and Citation Ultra. I wouldn't choose either of these as a new hire, or even as an old hire. But with their short field capabilities you will be flying into airports you won't see in the X's or Falcons.

The only aircraft with flight attendants are the Falcons. FO on the Falcon is probably the easiest job at NetJets. You'll be flying with a much more senior group of captains than on the other fleets and will not likely be able to upgrade for a long time.

As a newhire, it's unlikely you'll be assigned the BBJ or Falcon 2000EX. You might be able to get a Falcon 2000 slot though.

You'll earn more pay flying the Excel because you'll be trained in both the XL and XLS and therefore receive an extra $2,700 per year in crossover pay. Good choice of aircraft.

The Hawker 800XP has virtually no baggage space and tends to be used for shorter day trips, so you'll work less: fewer bags to load, less catering to load, less cleaning up to do. It's a solid, reliable aircraft. If you have a choice, go for the version with the Collins avionics package - it's much nicer than the Honeywell version.

If you have a big ego, the Citation X would be a good aircraft to fly; no other aircraft can match its Mach 0.92 cruise speed. Be prepared to work hard. It covers every other fleet, has tons of baggage space, and there are plenty of them. Many fleets have their pilots working 12 hours a day on average for 7 days straight now, but in the X you'll be waking up 3 time zones away from where you woke up the day before. That can be rough on the body clock, especially if you're West Coast based.

The X's and Excels, being two of the larger fleets, do fly into the LA area a lot, which cuts down on the number of times you'll be airlining to and from your domicile (the worst part of the job in my opinion).

By and large, most pilots seem happy with whichever aircraft they fly, even the 400XP and Ultra crews.

If you live in the LA area, you'll need all the extra cash you can get... Go for the Excel or a wide body like the Galaxy or the 2000 if you are lucky. The X would be fun and ego-boosting, but bring one of those taxi-driver beeded things for your back on the longer flights.

 

[Nixon]

So, which aircraft would you consider to be the most comforable from a pilot's point of view, especially for longer trips?

 

[wolfpackpilot]

1. Excel
2. Citation X
3. Ultra
4. F-2000/F-2000EZ
5. Hawker 800XP/PC
6. G-200
7. Hawker 400XP
8. Cessna Sovereign
9. BBJ

Hey! What the heck man, Are we just chopped liver or what?

you forgot the (real) Gulfstreams.

First ya scream bloody murder about me, then ya just forget me.... I feel like the fat girl at the prom, thanks!

 

[Heavy Set]

So, which aircraft would you consider to be the most comforable from a pilot's point of view, especially for longer trips?

The Galaxy and Falcon have nice, wide cockpits. The Falcon also has a Flight Attendant like the Gulfstreams - that makes the FO's job a bit easier.

Hey Wolfpack,

Do you find the GIVSP cockpit comfortable on longer flights? How long before it becomes a bit uncomfortable?

 

[wolfpackpilot]

Hey Wolfpack,

Do you find the GIVSP cockpit comfortable on longer flights? It sucks, really! I've gotten in the 2000, it has much more leg/elbow room. How long before it becomes a bit uncomfortable? Right around the time the Captain calls for the "before starting engines" Checklist

4-6 hours in IV is not too bad, but 8-9 and my legs ache. Of course I am 6'3, so other pilots may not complain. Now the V... oh baby, that's the caddy!

 

[XTW]

If you have a big ego,

.........or a little pee pee...............:laugh:



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