NJ guys - which airplane would pick as a new hire?

[tankerswede]

I wondered about that. I really thought I might like the X until everyone started bitching about how much "work" was involved. Glad to hear another take on it.

I just finished up the interview process a few hours ago and I can say it was a great experience. Great company you guys have here. Now the waiting starts.

They told us they are hiring into the X, Sov, Excel, and maybe the G-200 but that they had to offer airplanes to current SICs first and that they were taking the slots. So we'll see.

I interviewed earlier this month and was told the same thing. When the call finally came it was for the X or the Excel - the G-200s were all reserved for internal bid and there was no mention of the Sovereign at all. Out of the six of us hired there were four Xs, one Ultra, and I'm off to the Excel. I will echo the comment about what a positive experience the whole interview process was.

 

[av8trinabarrel]

I interviewed earlier this month and was told the same thing. When the call finally came it was for the X or the Excel - the G-200s were all reserved for internal bid and there was no mention of the Sovereign at all. Out of the six of us hired there were four Xs, one Ultra, and I'm off to the Excel. I will echo the comment about what a positive experience the whole interview process was.

Good luck to you in the XL. I just finished my XL type in toledo. If you are west coast based and get the 6 AM sim period, I wish you luck. The instructors in toledo were all pretty good and the examiners were all very straight forward. Its gonna take me the rest of the week to recover from 4 AM wake up calls (1AM body clock) The plane is pretty damn easy and if you have your SOP's, limitations, memory items and annunciator panel down cold, it will be a walk in the park. Good luck to you!

 

[av8tor4239]

I believe it is an EQUIPMENT lock, not a SEAT lock...

 

[CA1900]

I believe it is an EQUIPMENT lock, not a SEAT lock...

As of our current contract, that's correct. It's strictly an equipment lock.

In the prior contract, if an FO switched airplanes after his initial equipment lock was up, it became an equipment and seat lock in the new aircraft. That's no longer the case with the new contract.

 

[Twotter76]

OK, here we go...

The guys that you see or hear about that are moving from one FO position to another have been here a while. More importantly, they were here prior to the signing of the new IBB. This makes a huge difference because those guys only had a two year seat lock and they had already gone past their seat lock expiration dates. The contract states that the company has the right to waive a crew member's seat lock if there are insufficient bids for that given position. I can tell you right now that the company WILL NOT waive any seat locks to fill FO positions. The reason is quite simple... $$$$$$. It is cheaper for them to keep you in your seat (that they've already paid for) and hire someone else to fill the empty seat that there was a bid out for. If they pull you out early (during your seat lock) they'll have paid for your first type rating, your next type rating, and the guy's type rating they hire to fill your last seat.

This is spot on and while you are hearing a few guys doing it now, understand that even if they spend a year in whatever they bid into they would still have a 66 month seat lock if they upgraded right at a year. Thats a long time in a small jet.

I personally am one of the SICs that switched fleets however as G200_Pilot said I did it right before the new contract and thus only incurred a 24 month lock and at this rate its looking like that might even be up before I upgrade. I would not have done it if I was looking at a 39 month lock. I did bid the X btw and am looking forward to actually flying it for the first time this week.

 

[Guitar Guy]

Along with Twotter and the others, I think you'll see a good amount of the larger planes going to current NJA SIC's, given that an SIC who's switched fleets is not barred from accepting the first-available upgrade during the new equipment lock. I think you'll see a larger number of the smaller fleets and less of the Falcons, G-200's, X's and Sovereigns being offered to new-hires. But time will tell on that prediction.

 

[pilot772]

I sure didn't. I was offered the U Boat. I enjoy it so far. Get to do a lot of variety as far as the type of airports you fly into. So far, all of the PIC's are enjoyable to fly with as well. To me, it seems like the Ultra still works pretty hard. I usually do 3-4 legs per day on the tours I've worked so far. I talk to other guys that say they mostly sit around an FBO all day as well on the Ultra. I've probably sat a total of 5 hours of FBO standby since I began flying the line on December 1.

I think the U-boat is slowing down just came off a 5 day tour, only flew 4 legs, of which only one was a customer leg. picked up two 10 guys and took them down to PBI, than spent the next three days in west palm. Not to bad:beer:

 

[xpdriver]

if you want to be a radio and gear bitch all the time take the 800xp. 80% of your legs are pax and for some reason the capts have a complex about THEY do all pax legs. Thats usually the first thing they say in the first day intros. It gets old but its a good paycheck.

that being said NJA is a great company to work for. Take what ever gets you a seniority number the fastest.

go to the 800

 

[hawk2wp]

What about the Hawker 900 XP?

 

[CA1900]

The 800XP-Collins and 900XP are common enough to be operated as a single fleet. (The 800XP-Honeywell is a separate fleet.)

I hear it's a terrific airplane.