QOL at CS?

[DO-82 driver]

Scheduling is certainly our weekest link. But we receive some pretty good $$$$ when they screw up. We are no longer at their whim as it used to be in the past. Thank you Local 1108.

Have me show at an FBO without a plane being there....O. T.

No crew member to pair me up with...O.T.

Sitting around and FBO all day with a good plane and crew....You better get me food.

Want me to work on a Holiday....no problem...$800.

Can't get me home within 14 hours on my last day....pay up and make sure I ge tthe first day of my next tour off.

 

[Cobra]

50%? WHile I agree that scheduling needs much improvement, last year I was only held out maybe 3 times. If it does happen you get overtime pay and your usually on the first flight out the next morning. Scheduling is a weak link but I've been told by a NJ pilot that scheduling is a weak link there as well.

If you have had forced OT three times in one year, then you are one of the lucky ones.

 

[Krapflier]

If you have had forced OT three times in one year, then you are one of the lucky ones.

Again Please Explain! Backing your statements up with some examples would be helpful for those of us out here trying to make and informed desision on where to apply CS or NJ....

 

[Diesel]

Just ask any CS guy about their new crew rot program. Should make the choice pretty simple.

With NJ you get FRDA. They better pay you OT or go to the hotel. That's all they get to do. No more crew rot for us. How will CS handle it. Time will tell but the Union term is being thrown around a lot.

Even more so than after the payraise they got you.

Enjoy the FBO cookies.

 

[dime line]

dude, it should be a no brainer about going to NJ vs CS.....NJ all the way. You want to know about the QOL at CS in a few years, talk to any FLOPS pilot and he will tell you how it is. Its only a matter of time before CS pilots become a number on a form.

 

[Seat 0A]

Since we are comparing CS to NJA I think this fits nicely here (carried over from another thread), some REAL LIFE (me, an NJA pilot) non-speculative info for comparison sake;


For the year 2006 I was on 5th year pay for part of the year and 6th year pay for the rest. My W-2 shows $137k and change. Yes, this included the second 40% of my bonus ($16,000), so that would leave a pre-bonus income of $121k. You can add to that another $6000+ per year for tax-free per-diem (we do not use most of our per-diem here). I suppose that would equate to nearly another $10,000 of gross income if you look at it that way.

So there I am at about $131k of actual pay against what you see on our payscale is $92,250 for a 6yr Captain. I am more than 30% over the payscale.

I do NOT work any extra days. They are available if you want them. I was on duty for 147 days in 2006, 19 of them were training days.

Life is great here in my opinion. Good hotels, good food, I have never exceeded 475 hours a year in 6 years. An average day is 9 to 12 hours of duty time, 3-4 legs, 3-5 flight hours. My overnights average 11-15 hours (we have a minimum of 10 and that starts AT the hotel!)

I earn enough airline miles and hotel points for two NICE free vacations per year.

Recap;
A Union (and all of it's protections) that has PROVEN it's worth over and over again to this pilot group, $130,000+ after 5 years with the company, flew the line 128 days in 2006, every other week is a FULL 7 days off, 3 three-week vacations per year (4 at year 10), another 12 "sick days" per year, full health/dental paid, 50% 401k match, no-fault fatigue policy which generates a mandatory 14 hours of rest, we can NEVER be contacted during rest, the list goes on.

 

[Fozzy]

50% percent of the time it's going to be 8 on 6 off. CS scheduling has alot of improvements to make. They just came up with a screwy weekly duty/rest policy/scheme that is already getting people ticked off.

And what can you or any of you pilots do about it???

 

[bravodude]

Just ask any CS guy about their new crew rot program. Should make the choice pretty simple.

With NJ you get FRDA. They better pay you OT or go to the hotel. That's all they get to do. No more crew rot for us. How will CS handle it. Time will tell but the Union term is being thrown around a lot.

Even more so than after the payraise they got you.

Enjoy the FBO cookies.

You hit the nail on head. everybody thinks that if they talk about it they will be fired. Just catch a cs guy on the road and he will tell you the truth. Don't expect the truth on this board, too many guys want to upgrade.

 

[APFPilot]

I always by the least amount of fuel that I can and I always make it a point to let the manager on duty know exactly why.

Guess what, they don't care and they laugh at you because you can bitch all you want and you still have to go there.

 

[Hootie9750]

Recap;
A Union (and all of it's protections) that has PROVEN it's worth over and over again to this pilot group, $130,000+ after 5 years with the company, flew the line 128 days in 2006, every other week is a FULL 7 days off, 3 three-week vacations per year (4 at year 10), another 12 "sick days" per year, full health/dental paid, 50% 401k match, no-fault fatigue policy which generates a mandatory 14 hours of rest, we can NEVER be contacted during rest, the list goes on.

Wow, it sounds better than I thought.

What's Netjets LTD program?

Also at the LAX domicile what airports do they normally have you start out of? Just trying to better estimate the 5-6 hour commute.

 

[gunfyter]

Its a little too optimistic. YR 8 Reserve half the yr did not do that well. Apparently need to bid the Excel.

 

[Smellycat]

To all you "Shares" pilots: how is your QOL these days. How does it compare to other fractional companies and why?

Curiosity is killing this Cat.

Safe to say it is mediocre then?

 

[Guitar Guy]

It would be good if you could get an honest answer from some CS guys and not just the company shill, i.e. Chew-backhoe, Booger-gaurd, etc.

There are few of them around here and I hope that either they will respond in this thread or via a PM. I know one guy who enjoys it there and have met several others who who feel some areas are missing in the QOL area.

 

[Chewbacca]

It would be good if you could get an honest answer from some CS guys and not just the company shill, i.e. Chew-backhoe, Booger-gaurd, etc.

There are few of them around here and I hope that either they will respond in this thread or via a PM. I know one guy who enjoys it there and have met several others who who feel some areas are missing in the QOL area.

Im a just a wee old line pilot who enjoys his job, why cant anyone just be happy about that? You guys just try and drag everyone down. Yeah, there are some growing pains at CS, but I have faith in them. Am I 100% happy? No, but who is. I have a awesome stable job that keeps food on my familys plate, and a roof over thier heads. Thats all I can ask for.

bla bla union crap, bla bla we gave you your raise, bla bla bla bla. Just be happy that we are all employed, and stfu.

 

[AK cowboy]

Q of life at CS

Along the same lines, got a recent call from HR and am pondering the transition to CS. I currently live in a CS base Den (far away from a NJ base) commuting to IAD is killing me.

 

[Diesel]

bla bla union crap, bla bla we gave you your raise, bla bla bla bla. Just be happy that we are all employed, and stfu.

Thats exactly why you are still doing crew rot at the FBO's. Because it's all bla bla bla and you just want to fly a jet. Notice how nobody else is doing crew rot? Notice how they just changed you QOL in the blink of an eye? Notice how you have no way of changing it?

Like I said before enjoy the fbo cookies. I've been there but we don't do that anymore thanks to FRDA

 

[Smellycat]

Frda?

Thats exactly why you are still doing crew rot at the FBO's. Because it's all bla bla bla and you just want to fly a jet. Notice how nobody else is doing crew rot? Notice how they just changed you QOL in the blink of an eye? Notice how you have no way of changing it?

Like I said before enjoy the fbo cookies. I've been there but we don't do that anymore thanks to FRDA

Freda? Who is Freda..is that Netjetwife?

:cartman:

 

[Guitar Guy]

bla bla union crap, bla bla we gave you your raise, bla bla bla bla. Just be happy that we are all employed, and stfu.

I'm glad you are employed. I just hope that you and your co-workers can improve your QOL. As for unions, they can be good or bad: it depends on the support and involvement they get from those they represent.

As Diesel said, it's nice to not have to sit around in crew rot anymore and to be able to call in fatigued without regard for punitive retribution.

 

[TurboJetCpt]

I have a awesome stable job that keeps food on my familys plate, and a roof over thier heads. Thats all I can ask for.

bla bla union crap, bla bla we gave you your raise, bla bla bla bla. Just be happy that we are all employed, and stfu.

This is the VERY reason a UNION wouldn't do you any good. If everyone has the same mentality at CS then I would highly recommend you DON'T unionize because without strong internal support, a union is a waste of time, effort and money. Just sit on our coat-tails and enjoy the ride :nuts:.

 

[gump88]

Life is good. Still growing, pay is good, bennies are getting better. 3 years here and still having a great time. Its nice to be a "smaller" company, it really feels like you know everyone...gives you that crew lounge feeling that I miss. Though I wouldnt trade my frac job for an airline anyday, im hooked on the 7/7 lifestyle and the 25 or so places around the country I can live.

VOMIT, VOMIT, VOMIT