NJA announces 1000 applications for pilot positions

[Pervis]

There are other options than PB&J avail on the crew food menu. Seems like a self made problem in choosing what to eat for free. I'm a former crew services person, so I know every scenario is different, but if you're ordering from some BFE airport whose catering options are limited, I don't see how blaming the company is appropriate. If you're odering the PB&J from TEB, well, that's on you my friend.

Free food? Hardly. We keep the metal moving and that food provides a lot more productivity than if we parked the jet, took a taxi each way, and sat down to a hot meal like a normal person. Ever try eating in a cramped cockpit or similar environment? Add a little turbulence. An equivalent for you would be to get into a Jeep and eat while off road.

The issue of quality has little to do with BFE, where the food stands a much greater chance of being of an eatable quality. Places like Rudy's and Stevie's, which used to be superior in all ways, are now the absolute pits. Add the fact that the metrics man demands lowest cost, and you get what you pay for.

Variety? Seven or eight choices for each of three meals per day gets really old, especially since several are not eatable anyway. Order mini crudites, and get yesterday's steamed broccoli, or fruit that was on its way out last month. Order regional and get zero choice with sides and get what the caterer wants to be rid of. Don't know about you, but I have never ordered jello from any restaurant, not to mention some of us have certain dietary restrictions.

Tell you what. Eliminate crew food all together, pay us the government allowed per diem city specific, and let us eat on our time and you can forget the free food. Better order a lot more jets and hire another few thousand pilots though.

 

[Willy21]

I'm more than willing to give up what some think is a benefit called crew food. All I ask is you give me the time to leave the airport and spend the per diem I get on a quality meal.

 

[msculley6905]

Free food? Hardly. We keep the metal moving and that food provides a lot more productivity than if we parked the jet, took a taxi each way, and sat down to a hot meal like a normal person. Ever try eating in a cramped cockpit or similar environment? Add a little turbulence. An equivalent for you would be to get into a Jeep and eat while off road.

The issue of quality has little to do with BFE, where the food stands a much greater chance of being of an eatable quality. Places like Rudy's and Stevie's, which used to be superior in all ways, are now the absolute pits. Add the fact that the metrics man demands lowest cost, and you get what you pay for.

Variety? Seven or eight choices for each of three meals per day gets really old, especially since several are not eatable anyway. Order mini crudites, and get yesterday's steamed broccoli, or fruit that was on its way out last month. Order regional and get zero choice with sides and get what the caterer wants to be rid of. Don't know about you, but I have never ordered jello from any restaurant, not to mention some of us have certain dietary restrictions.

Tell you what. Eliminate crew food all together, pay us the government allowed per diem city specific, and let us eat on our time and you can forget the free food. Better order a lot more jets and hire another few thousand pilots though.

I agree about crew food being there to increase productivity, so I guess I shouldn't call it "free". How about "no out of pocket" food.

 

[Pervis]

I agree about crew food being there to increase productivity, so I guess I shouldn't call it "free". How about "no out of pocket" food.

Well, that is not all true either. Many times we are running behind for one of a dozen or more reasons out of our control. If we don't note the meal issue at the place we pick it up, we don't get the deviation. Many times I have opened my meal several stops away from there and found it beyond roach food quality.

But that is what per diem is actually for. Problem is when we do have the time to get a meal, it is too late, or nothing is within reasonable walking distance and we are just too damn tired to walk about.

I understand the need to control cost, but how much do we save when we trip over hundreds to save dimes? Rest, food, a place to excercise, and a decent break is all we ask for. It may cost a bit more in the short term, but pays off big time in the long term, in both job satisfaction and productivity. Unfortunately, our boss sees us as a necessary burden instead of an integral piece of a successful company. That applies to line and office personnel equally.

 

[Diesel]

Did you even read my post? Not a pilot. The barrage of tweets on reporters has happened several times now...I have yet to see a story done about it other than a quick question here or there.

You said you worked at NJA I assumed you were a pilot.

You haven't really been watching then.

http://www.thestreet.com/story/1306...-netjets-sued-for-unlawful-union-busting.html

There is also a CNBC link too.

I'd say the word gets out. He's also been asked about it multiple times as has hansel.

Honestly I think you guys do a good job up there but you've been cut to the bone and the idea that those big bad pilots are causing you guys not to get a bonus or a pay raise is laughable.

I think the turnover upstairs speaks more for itself that. Anything else.

 

[T-1GUY]

The person or persons responsible should do prison time.

 

[GlorifiedCabbie]

The person or persons responsible should do prison time.

Nothing will change until they start putting them in prison. Starting with the top.

 

[Diesel]

The idea I'm getting rich off of per diem is a joke.

The company provides ahem food to keep the metal moving. They can take their food and I'll buy my own and I'll eat during meal periods which means block me out for breakfast lunch and dinner. Think how quick the efficiency goes down after that.

 

[BentOver]

5 years ago I went on here and made some disparaging remarks about D. Sokol and the state of NJA.... Mostly negative of course ( can not remember the content or context). I think it had something to do with a memo or something....

Anyways, I was berated here. Some on here made every attempt to identify me( which was not hard given I provided my date of hire, and always had my type ratings viewable etc). Many current NJA'ers relished in the hope "Big Brother" was watching, and hoped I would be fired upon recall. One of those individuals had even given me a recommendation, we were both from the same city and had flown together many times at previous companies before we identified each other here.

After watching this company unfold over the last 5 years I have one unequivocal thought....

"Man how things have changed"..... Those same individuals.....bitching about their leader, complaining about crew meals, and searching out other employment in some cases..... Guess I was 5 years too early!!!!

 

[realityman]

Variety? Seven or eight choices for each of three meals per day gets really old, especially since several are not eatable anyway. Order mini crudites, and get yesterday's steamed broccoli, or fruit that was on its way out last month. Order regional and get zero choice with sides and get what the caterer wants to be rid of. Don't know about you, but I have never ordered jello from any restaurant, not to mention some of us have certain dietary restrictions.

Tell you what. Eliminate crew food all together, pay us the government allowed per diem city specific, and let us eat on our time and you can forget the free food. Better order a lot more jets and hire another few thousand pilots though.

Very well put.

I'm so freaking tired of crew food. A couple locations really stand out. The vast majority, however, range in quality from average to flat out inedible. I've taken to carrying a small bag of fruit with me which I can replenish most days from bananas/apples/oranges I grab from hotels or FBO's that have them.

More and more I'll walk or take a crew car to local places near the airports and grab something fresh to take with me (when I have time, which unfortunately isn't very often). I'm happy to spend my per diem.

But the "free food" sucks, and it shouldn't be that way. I don't expect to have my crew food come from five star restaurants, but it's a necessary expense for the company to keep the metal moving and they shouldn't be feeding us dried out overcooked gristly chicken, or overripe fish, or translucent fruit with mold garnish. I'd complain that the portion sizes anymore are completely inadequate (and I'm not a heavy eater) except given the quality of the food it's actually a blessing.

I doubt even our management would put low quality watered down fuel in our jets (if such a thing were available as an option) to save a buck or two, yet they have no problem providing that kind of fuel to the pilots.