OK. So we all understand that you guys like Net Jets; But WHY?
Do you have to load bags? Is that a pain? It's very rarely a big deal at all...we usually only have a few business people on board each with a small overnight bag. On the rare occasion you get the family of 8 moving to their summer house, then just tip the line guys to load the bags for you and the company will reimburse you.
Do many of the passengers smoke? Is it bad in the cockpit? I've been with NetJets for a year and have only had one guy smoke one cigarette on board.
Are many of the passengers a-holes to you? 95% of the pax are very polite and courteous. The other 5% typically aren't really even rude, but maybe just in a hurry and ready to go. I haven't had any real personality conflicts yet.
Is there a lot of sitting around FBO's?
Depends on how busy the fleet is and what time of the year it is. Keep in mind that if you sit around the FBO, then it's not like sitting around at an airline terminal. You normally have a crew lounge with recliners, big screen tv, wireless internet, crew food, beverages, etc. It's not that bad.
Do they dead head you around on airlines as well as dead heading Net jet flights? How much of each? Most crew movement is on airlines. If it's close enough they'll get you a rental car, sedan service, or taxi. I've ridden on a NetJets ferry flight 4 times in a year and 2 of those were when I was scheduled to airline and found that there was a ferry flight going on the same route at the same time. It's pretty rare, though.
Do the reserves sit much or do they fly all the time? Is there a call out preference for reserves? We don't really have reserve pilots like the 121 world. How much you fly depends on how well-staffed your fleet is.
What is the call out time for reserves? Do you do reserve at home? If you get lucky and they don't have anything for you, then they can put you on duty at residence. This counts as a normal work day, but you just get to stay at home until they find something for you to do. Once they notify you of a flight assignment, you have 30 minutes to leave home. If you live more than 90 miles from your base, you have to let the company know so they can allow for the extra travel time.
I can figure out what basic pay is, but is there much overtime and can junior pilots get any? Depending on how busy your fleet is, the company will ask for volunteers periodically to work extra days. If you volunteer, a new FO will get around $500 for each extra day worked. Also, you get paid overtime for all duty over 12 hours each day. For a new FO, it's $40-$47/hour depending on schedule. In my experience, this averages around $200/tour, but I'm in a busy fleet.
I'm on the 7/7 schedule and so far this year have worked 4 extended days, 5 holidays, and one after-midnight (2 extended days pay). This, combined with OT has resulted in about $8000 over base pay for the year-to-date. Keep in mind I have probably had a lot more OT and extended days than those in a less-busy fleet than the Sovereign, but I just figured I would give you an example.
I know that is a lot of questions, but I've applied and want to go into the process with both eyes open and my brain informed.
Thanks.
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