G200 is so right. Don't fall into the 2 pilots 1 aircraft trap. I've been there and done that with just a little ol' LR-35. I'm doing it now with a CE-550. If that plane is gone......you're on it. NOT GOOD. It's different with me, because I fly a little plane with lots of day trips. I'm currently on my 3rd day off in a row, and the next scheduled trip isn't until May 8th. If you're in a Gulfstream, it's a whole different animal. People don't buy G-II's to hop down to Mike-Zero-Three airport for a Burger. They buy G-II's to go long range for a long time. I talked to a former G-II driver from that area about 2 weeks ago, and he said he used to work for a guy that kept him gone about 25 days a month on average. He said he had one trip that had him on the road 40 something straight days. He quit the job and took a $40K paycut because of the terrible QOL.
Bear in mind, managing an airplane is a FULL TIME JOB. I'm doing it now, and you spend a LOT of time on the phone, just like everyone says. You're constantly looking for ways to pinch pennies in order to help with your bottom line. Going to a new airport? You're gonna be calling every FBO on the field and seeing who's gonna give you the best fuel deal, hotel deal, parking deal, etc. You'll be looking for parts cheaper than the factory wants to sell 'em. (Cessna is ridiculous). You'll be taking care of what the boss wants on the plane as far as catering, stock supplies, etc. (We just spent almost $200 bucks b/c the boss wanted cups with his tail number in the airplane, some companies wanted twice that much). You'll be compiling expense reports, receipts, bills, cost projections, and since you're a pilot, your boss will assume that you have an encyclopedic knowledge of everything in the universe related to aviation. My boss called me up a couple of weeks ago and was surprised that I didn't instantly know if there was an airport in Big Sandy Wyoming. Hell, I've never been to Wyoming, I can name maybe one city in Wyoming. I had to research where we could get into and out of, and it took quite a bit of time and planning.
The point is, make sure you're getting paid for what you are doing. Being the CP, DO, whatever you want to call yourself is a LOT OF WORK. You should be compensated for it. Don't sell yourself short.
but its still a SOB sometimes. Im always prepetually waiting for that next phase inspection......or as I call it....VACATION!
