Question for AirNow pilots

[volatilis altus]

I have just been given an offer with AirNow, I need to give my response soon. I just have a couple of questions
I currently pax in a Navajo it is not the best thing to fly in icing (the BE-20 I also fly is much better) what is the 208 like?
If you decide not to fly how much support does the company give when the client is informed that their checks are still on teh ramp in BUF/PQI?
What is maintenace like? Are there any derferred items? Any long term MEL'd items?
Typically how much time do you get per annum?
Do they pay per diem? if so how much?
Thanks

 

[bell47]

From an EX-rattler:
1. Caravan is a great airplane, just not so great in ice.
2. If you descide not to fly you WILL be threatened with job lost. The dispatchers will say something like, " The other guys are flying what's your problem?" Maybe we should get someone who wants to fly."
3. Maintenance sucks, PERIOD. TWICE, in two different aircraft, I reported the radar was not working. The aircraft went away and came back with a plate over the hole where the radar used to be. If you write up an MEL they will bitch at you, but if you don't write it up they WILL NOT REPAIR IT!
4. Flight time depends on the run.
5. there is per diem, caravan drivers make about 23-28,000/yr total.

I'm sorry to make it sound so bad but someone needed to be truthful to you about AIRNOW. If you are in the northeast you should try Wiggins airways, or maybe Cape Air.

 

[volatilis altus]

If the radar has removed and wx enroute was IMC with T/storms reported you can't fly, right? They would threaten to, or maybe actually, fire me for not breaking the regs?

 

[mcjohn]

Are there any SIC opportunities with Air Now for someone that has less than the 135 mins?

 

[OzBushWhacker]

Sic

Every now and then they hire FO's into the Shorts i believe. Call em and see.

 

[Morettis]

Radar isn't required without passengers

 

[TheGuat]

If the radar has removed and wx enroute was IMC with T/storms reported you can't fly, right? They would threaten to, or maybe actually, fire me for not breaking the regs?

And just what reg would that be that you are violating?

 

[TheGuat]

I have just been given an offer with AirNow, I need to give my response soon. I just have a couple of questions
I currently pax in a Navajo it is not the best thing to fly in icing (the BE-20 I also fly is much better) what is the 208 like?
If you decide not to fly how much support does the company give when the client is informed that their checks are still on teh ramp in BUF/PQI?
What is maintenace like? Are there any derferred items? Any long term MEL'd items?
Typically how much time do you get per annum?
Do they pay per diem? if so how much?
Thanks

Just from your questions I can tell you don't have the guts to fly night freight. Better try for the commuters and fly with fellow candy arses.

 

[flyinlow67]

There is a difference between guts and flying stupid.

 

[brokeflyer]

just stay away from that place....I interviewd there about 7-8 years ago......i didnt accept their offer...

caravan is death trap in the ice....Ive flown for 6 years and it tried to kill me more time than any other plane ive flown...

 

[bama*pilot]

as long as you are smart with the van.... (don't just stay in the ice) the van is fine. I hear a lot of people who have never flown the thing say so much negative stuff. You just need to be smart about the ice and not take it for granted!

 

[brokeflyer]

Yeah thats what i meant...its a great flying airplane...in south Florida.

 

[Edmo]

Radar isn't required without passengers

This is not true... I fly a Shorts for a different company in the south. If the radar is MEL'd it states that flight in or around areas of current or forecasted severe weather is prohibited. <---Not verbatum, but thats the general idea. No radar, no flying with ANY thunderstorms in the area is what I get from it.

Depends on the aircraft and the conditions.

 

[Dassault747]

Openings in New Hampshire?

Question for anyone who already works at AirNow- Any EMB 110 openings in the Northeast, specifically Manchester?

 

[volatilis altus]

And just what reg would that be that you are violating?

The reg I was thinking of is 135.173 and I was only recalling part of it (no radar + T/Storms = no flight) but since the aircraft in question is not;


a. a Helicopter or
b. having 10 passenger seats

then I seem to be mistaken. I do, however, see and entry in the MEL's for my current company's aircraft that states they may not be operated if T/storms are reported along the route of flight when carrying pax.

As for your comment about no guts. I've raced mountain bikes and motorbikes and currently play with Porsches’ on race tracks. I get my fix of adrenaline just like the next guy. I also, just like so many people on this, and other sites, have a responsibility to my family and that is to come home at the end of my duty period. As flyinglow67 so aptly put it "There is a difference between guts and flying stupid."

On a more selfish note I would like to keep my expensive flight tickets in my wallet and not pinned on some FSDO wall, so if I don't like what I see in the wx/mx etc. I won't do it. So far this has kept the tickets where they belong and me on my motorcycle.

 

[brokeflyer]

If it the MEL says that radar has to work than it has to work....the MEL supercedes the reg's

 

[freighthumper]

From an EX-rattler:
1. Caravan is a great airplane, just not so great in ice.
2. If you descide not to fly you WILL be threatened with job lost. The dispatchers will say something like, " The other guys are flying what's your problem?" Maybe we should get someone who wants to fly."
3. Maintenance sucks, PERIOD. TWICE, in two different aircraft, I reported the radar was not working. The aircraft went away and came back with a plate over the hole where the radar used to be. If you write up an MEL they will bitch at you, but if you don't write it up they WILL NOT REPAIR IT!
4. Flight time depends on the run.
5. there is per diem, caravan drivers make about 23-28,000/yr total.

I'm sorry to make it sound so bad but someone needed to be truthful to you about AIRNOW. If you are in the northeast you should try Wiggins airways, or maybe Cape Air.

From another ex Rattler
No plane is great in ice....some are just better than others. Sure the van isnt as good as some, but it certainly is NOT a "death trap".

If you cant handle flying in bad weather, go fly freight in florida, arizona, california somewhere you dont have to ever scare yourself, or learn that "bad weather" is a very subjective term. In reality there are VERY VERY few days when it is actually just not safe to fly. And on one of these days, I actually had the infamous M.VN call me at my house and say the weather sucks dont go. Does this happen offten? No, but again if you dont want to fly in bad weather, go fly somewhere that doesnt have it.

Maintenance is as bad as you make it. If you have a plane that has a few broken items they will let you fly it all year long if you dont say anything. If you start writing up every screw that is missing maintenance will hate you for making their life a pain. The point here is this is 135 freight. There MAY be a company out there somewhere that can replace every screw that falls out when it falls out, but good luck finding it. I was NEVER asked to fly a plane that was not SAFE there. I too had broken radar more times than I can remember. One thing they wont ask you to do is go fly through a line of storms with it. If they dont want to fix the radar, just fly around the storm..so what if that takes you 200 miles out of the way and you have to take so much fuel that you can only put 200 pounds of checks in the plane. If they dont want to fix it, thats what they are setting themselves up for.

135 Freight is not for everyone. If you dont want to fly crappy(but safe) old turboprops around in lousy weather just dont take the job and save everyone alot of bitching later.

GOOD LUCK!

 

[TheGuat]

From another ex Rattler
No plane is great in ice....some are just better than others. Sure the van isnt as good as some, but it certainly is NOT a "death trap".

If you cant handle flying in bad weather, go fly freight in florida, arizona, california somewhere you dont have to ever scare yourself, or learn that "bad weather" is a very subjective term. In reality there are VERY VERY few days when it is actually just not safe to fly. And on one of these days, I actually had the infamous M.VN call me at my house and say the weather sucks dont go. Does this happen offten? No, but again if you dont want to fly in bad weather, go fly somewhere that doesnt have it.

Maintenance is as bad as you make it. If you have a plane that has a few broken items they will let you fly it all year long if you dont say anything. If you start writing up every screw that is missing maintenance will hate you for making their life a pain. The point here is this is 135 freight. There MAY be a company out there somewhere that can replace every screw that falls out when it falls out, but good luck finding it. I was NEVER asked to fly a plane that was not SAFE there. I too had broken radar more times than I can remember. One thing they wont ask you to do is go fly through a line of storms with it. If they dont want to fix the radar, just fly around the storm..so what if that takes you 200 miles out of the way and you have to take so much fuel that you can only put 200 pounds of checks in the plane. If they dont want to fix it, thats what they are setting themselves up for.

135 Freight is not for everyone. If you dont want to fly crappy(but safe) old turboprops around in lousy weather just dont take the job and save everyone alot of bitching later.

GOOD LUCK!

So, how are you going to answer the question at the big major interview "have you ever willingly violated an FAR?".

 

[T-REX]

My experience was the same as FH. Maintenance can't fix what they don't know about. Typical 135 ops--MEL something and work it back to a base. No violations there.

 

[Lear Wanna Be]

Just from your questions I can tell you don't have the guts to fly night freight. Better try for the commuters and fly with fellow candy arses.

Not really very constructive there "HOT DOG".

Ask them if they can give you one of their more southern bases to get your feet wet. I know they have a base at CAE, but not sure if it is a E110 or C208 base. Also, if you haven't already seen it, you might take a look at how many crashes/pilots RIPing that they have had the last few years and draw your own conclusions.

Best of luck to ya.

 

[bell47]

From another ex Rattler
No plane is great in ice....some are just better than others. Sure the van isnt as good as some, but it certainly is NOT a "death trap".

If you cant handle flying in bad weather, go fly freight in florida, arizona, california somewhere you dont have to ever scare yourself, or learn that "bad weather" is a very subjective term. In reality there are VERY VERY few days when it is actually just not safe to fly. And on one of these days, I actually had the infamous M.VN call me at my house and say the weather sucks dont go. Does this happen offten? No, but again if you dont want to fly in bad weather, go fly somewhere that doesnt have it.

Maintenance is as bad as you make it. If you have a plane that has a few broken items they will let you fly it all year long if you dont say anything. If you start writing up every screw that is missing maintenance will hate you for making their life a pain. The point here is this is 135 freight. There MAY be a company out there somewhere that can replace every screw that falls out when it falls out, but good luck finding it. I was NEVER asked to fly a plane that was not SAFE there. I too had broken radar more times than I can remember. One thing they wont ask you to do is go fly through a line of storms with it. If they dont want to fix the radar, just fly around the storm..so what if that takes you 200 miles out of the way and you have to take so much fuel that you can only put 200 pounds of checks in the plane. If they dont want to fix it, thats what they are setting themselves up for.

135 Freight is not for everyone. If you dont want to fly crappy(but safe) old turboprops around in lousy weather just dont take the job and save everyone alot of bitching later.

GOOD LUCK!

I'm sorry that you feel that I may not know what I'm talking about. I would say that my A&P/IA licence puts me ahead of the curve for judging that AN's maintenance SUCKs. I also work on 135 aircraft (helos, jets,and recips) so I feel that I can make a good judgement on how their maintenance is done, having been DIRECTLY involved with their maintenance program. Oh, and by the way you are the only person that I have EVER heard say anything positive about M.VN. I'm sorry that my time is to important to fly 200 miles around t'storms when the company could just fix what should be working properly anyway. Best wishes, bell47.

 

[jafo20]

You play with Porsches, and you want to fly freight for Air Now? In your effort to defend your "guts", you kinda make yourself sound like a spoiled brat.

Don't get too steamed, though. I'm sure I just misinterpreted something in your text. The interenet leaves lots of room for mininterpretation. The radar requirements vary with whether your hauling pax, the size of your airplane, mel, company ops manual, etc. I don't need 'em in the '99, for example.

A lot of people (myself included) like to pound chests, saying freight pilots are tough, and a lot of candy-asses defend their own incompetence by saying freight pilots are dumb. What does anyone else's opinion matter? Figure out how you want to fly, what you feel comfortable with, and take it from there.

There's plenty of info on here for you to figure out what Air Now is all about. Good luck.

 

[freighthumper]

I'm sorry that you feel that I may not know what I'm talking about. I would say that my A&P/IA licence puts me ahead of the curve for judging that AN's maintenance SUCKs. I also work on 135 aircraft (helos, jets,and recips) so I feel that I can make a good judgement on how their maintenance is done, having been DIRECTLY involved with their maintenance program. Oh, and by the way you are the only person that I have EVER heard say anything positive about M.VN. I'm sorry that my time is to important to fly 200 miles around t'storms when the company could just fix what should be working properly anyway. Best wishes, bell47.

Wooaahh hold on bud I didnt mean to come off as positive about her, although Im not going to talk trash on here about any one I will say that I was absolutely floored when I got the call from her of all people not to go.
As far as MX I dont have an A&P so I bet you might have a little more insight into that than I however..I never had to fly a plane that I believed to be mechanically unsafe. And as far as flying out of my way to get around weather, how many times do you think I had to do that before they fixed the plane? Once they know that you will stick to whats safe and go out of the way to avoid wx(aka cost them alot of $) I guarantee they wont stick you with a plane without radar unless there is absolutely no other option. Especially if you are on a UPS run and tell UPS the freight was late because they wouldnt fix your radar and you had to go around the storms.

 

[TheGuat]

Wooaahh hold on bud I didnt mean to come off as positive about her, although Im not going to talk trash on here about any one I will say that I was absolutely floored when I got the call from her of all people not to go.
As far as MX I dont have an A&P so I bet you might have a little more insight into that than I however..I never had to fly a plane that I believed to be mechanically unsafe. And as far as flying out of my way to get around weather, how many times do you think I had to do that before they fixed the plane? Once they know that you will stick to whats safe and go out of the way to avoid wx(aka cost them alot of $) I guarantee they wont stick you with a plane without radar unless there is absolutely no other option. Especially if you are on a UPS run and tell UPS the freight was late because they wouldnt fix your radar and you had to go around the storms.

Are you saying that UPS pressures airnow pilots to fly through bad weather?

 

[DirtyBeech]

UPS pressures any pilots they think they can intimidate to fly through bad weather. You're the captain of that plane which means when it comes to your aicraft you're the head man in charge on the ramp, and not some pencil pusher with the bulging veign in their forehead. Don't ever be afraid to tell them that when it comes to your safety that their boxes and their schedules don't make a ********************. Just word it a bit nicer than that. They'll get the drift.

Btw, their are freight operators out there who play it straight, and who do replace "every little screw" that's missing. Look a little harder than Airnow and you'll find one.

 

[thebest]

UPS pressures any pilots they think they can intimidate to fly through bad weather. You're the captain of that plane which means when it comes to your aicraft you're the head man in charge on the ramp, and not some pencil pusher with the bulging veign in their forehead. Don't ever be afraid to tell them that when it comes to your safety that their boxes and their schedules don't make a ********************. Just word it a bit nicer than that. They'll get the drift.

Btw, their are freight operators out there who play it straight, and who do replace "every little screw" that's missing. Look a little harder than Airnow and you'll find one.

testtest

 

[freighthumper]

Are you saying that UPS pressures airnow pilots to fly through bad weather?

No, I was saying that if the reason the freight was late was because you didnt have the equipment to get there on time(the radar they wouldnt fix) UPS will immediately call your ops and say "were paying you good $ to get our stuff there on time, so fix that plane or send us one thats not broke".

 

[Dassault747]

Current base openings at AirNow

Still looking for feedback from a current employee on EMB 110 openings in the Northeast. I saw an ad on Climbto350 for the aircraft, just wondering where they want to staff it.

 

[Captain Morgan]

How easy is it go get BUF as a base for either aircraft? Thanks.