NJA Equipment Type

[Gwadwerc]

Folks, I have an interview with NJA next week. I make no presumption that I
will be hired, but I certainly hope to be. Not to put the cart before
the horse (believe me, I’ve spent scores of hours preparing for the
interview and sim), but if my hopes are fulfilled, there’s a good
possibility I’ll be offered a choice of aircraft for my initial
training.

For those of you already at NJA, please share whatever opinions you may
have regarding the pros and cons of various aircraft types. Please
include info on the aircraft itself, the sort of flying they normally
do, destinations, and “typical” owners. I’ve also heard rumors that
the crew complement of each type seems to have it’s own distinct
personality. Would love to hear any info in that regard also.

Thanks to any and all.
[FONT=&quot]-Gwadwerc[/FONT]

 

[WrknStff]

You could get any of these and here's what I've gathered from discussion at indoc:

Ultra/Encore, 400 - No APU. *nuff said I'd personally choose these only if no other option was available, but the work load should be the lightest in the fleet if that means anything to you.

Excel - Busy fleet but very comfortable and nicely equipped. Not as busy as the bigger fleets because it's still considered a Class I cabin and can't recover for anything larger. Usual legs under 3 hours, max would be about 4 empty. No jumps over the pond but plenty of Caribbean and Central America.

Hawker 800 - Nice cabin but minimal baggage for both crew and pax. That's good because they don't pull up with 3 SUV's worth of crap for you to lug, but bad because what they do bring you are expected to shoehorn in somehow. Longer legs than Excel so you'll see more coast to coast but still no pond hopping.

Citation X - Whipping boy of the fleet. 14/10 days for 7 in a row is the norm. Plane is fast and sexy but speed just means it's the best for getting to a recovery and you'll be SMO/TEB/SMO a lot. Small cockpit but nice cabin. But it does have a low dispatch reliability so the plane should give you a rest fairly often. Will go to Europe or Hawaii fairly often.

Sovereign - Nice plane. Same cabin as X but cockpits much roomier. Not as fast and not quite as much range but can get into a lot of the smaller fields. It's the newest fleet and the fastest growing. I don't know if it's going cross pond much though. Of course this one will handle the 3 SUV's and the pax know it so if you have back issues, it wouldn't be my first choice.

G200 - Big, big cabin and long, long legs. Biggest plane without an FA so you'll be the man when it comes to cleaning and stocking a small apartment. Fairly fast but I've heard it is a bit of a pig in the climb. I'm sure lots of international trips on this baby. Oh and about the 3 SUV thing? Expect four or five with this one.

Falcon - I haven't heard of any new hires getting offered this one because it's a higher pay scale, but it could happen. It has a FA so that makes the SIC's job a lot easier right off the bat. Big plane with lots of capability for the extra long flights.

 

[Grizz]

Actually, only the Falcon EX is a Class IV aircraft. The regular Falcon is a Class III and lots of new hires have been put into it.

 

[JBass]

I'd take the Collins Hawker!

 

[skiandsurf]

Citation X - Whipping boy of the fleet. 14/10 days for 7 in a row is the norm. Plane is fast and sexy but speed just means it's the best for getting to a recovery and you'll be SMO/TEB/SMO a lot. Small cockpit but nice cabin. But it does have a low dispatch reliability so the plane should give you a rest fairly often. Will go to Europe or Hawaii fairly often.

Am a newhire in the X. This is a true statement. Long days. Short nights. Cockpit is small, but getting used to it. Was offered the G200, but was told the same about bigger plane= bigger loads and no FA. Some in my newhire class went to the Falcon, this seems to be the best thing going. If they offer you the Falcon, take it.

 

[pilot370]

I start sim for the X in july. I can hear the overtime cha ching already.

 

[Dorkjet]

Hey everyone! Just interviewed yesterday and Linda called today offering either the Excel or Hawker 800XP/Collins Pro-Line. I gave up a couple of weeks seniority for the Hawker...more of a life-style choice than anything else. Several people have told me that I have made the better choice considering lifestyle. We'll see. I really liked the Excel though...we got into one during the interview process as well as an 800XP and a G200. The Excel's cabin is much larger than I thought it would be. The interview was great. Derinda and her group are some of the most polite and professional people with whom I have had the pleasure to interview. They made it feel like it was THEY who were honored by our presence as opposed to us having the honor of coming up. It was a real change from some of the regional airline experiences I have had. I look forward to the challenge of switching from the 121 world to the fractional world and filling the needs of the customer owners! Hope to see you all on the line in a few months!!!!!!!

 

[Ultra Grump]

Congrats! The 800XPC is going to be my next stop.

 

[Dorkjet]

When do you start Gump?

 

[gordon24]

Stay far far away from the Excel. It's the owners airborne suv. Bags out the azz and long legs because some owners are too cheap to spring for a X. I'm sorry, but anything over 2 hrs is too long for the XL. Did SDL to TPA the other day-4.5. My f'n leg was asleep when we landed. Trust me, take anything else.