Regarding employment at OMNI Air Int'l

[mt2]

I noticed the same thing. My guess why someone would do this, is they have a horrible current job or no job at all. Or want to fly big airplanes and mommy and daddy subsidise their bank account.

Other than that, I would rather "pay my dues" elsewhere.... that FO pay is horrid.

People aren't "paying dues", most are very experienced pilots but ones who are out of work. And there aren't many jobs out there right now so you take what you can get.

 

[Headwind]

I understand what you are saying. The economy is bad and lots of people out of work. They need a job and thats all thats available now. The thing is - The pay was like this when the economy was good and they had no trouble getting experienced pilots then. Again am I missing something here?
I think this would be interesting work and a good company to work for if not for the low starting pay. Someone said their contract, whenever, will give 15% boost to pay. I would think 2nd, 3rd, year FO pay needs more like 40%. Again

 

[100 c.i.]

I looked at the parscale online a couple of months ago, I to could not believe even 2 year pay at $57.00 an hour x 60 a month. This career or lack of career is not even close to be being worth it any more. SAD,SAD,SAD. I know people with GEDs that after a couple of years in the workforce make more then that and get to sleep in there own bed ever night. Totally right the pay has been the same for years.

 

[huncowboy]

The pay was like this when the economy was good and they had no trouble getting experienced pilots then. Again am I missing something here?

What do you not understand? Is it that there will always be regional or corporate FOs who will never get a chance to upgrade, or that there will always be jobless typed CAs with only a few more years before 65?

I can't talk for the older CAs but I have two good friends, both walked away in 2007 from a regional upgrade for Omni. One is in upgrade class now I think 767, the other has been recommended for upgrade. Both relatively young guys under 30. God bless 'em! I am happy for them!

This was their dilemma in 2007:
(It was only a dilemma because these guys had a quick regional upgrade lined up, but consider someone without one like an Eagle 2 year FO in 2007 or any regional FO right now. Why stay?):

- $56x60 vs $30x75... after upgrade $60x75 or so, still at best equals
- commuting vs home based
- get another 1000h of CRJ/ERJ SIC (in their case also PIC) vs 757/767 type + intl experience incl crossings and worldwide destinations.
- possible 2 year upgrade if the person was capable (it turned out to be true)
- long trips hotel time vs the regional 4-7 leg days
- land at Narita on your OE vs South Bend and Brownsville, TX the 1000s time...

Guess who will be in a better position to get hired at just about anywhere when things will turn around? A regional CA or a DC10/767 CA?

Omni will never be unable to fill a seat. Ever. And no, I have never worked there. I wish.

 

[filejw]

Like it or not this is one way to stick out in the crowd when hiring resumes.There is an other thread talking about a guy questioning whether he should go to ATI , same thing as this basically.

 

[Headwind]

[

- $56x60 vs $30x75... after upgrade $60x75 or so, still at best equals

I may have looked at something OLD, but $56.00 looks like 4th year pay.

Guess who will be in a better position to get hired at just about anywhere when things will turn around? A regional CA or a DC10/767 CA?

Everything you say makes this look OK for young regional pilot to hang out until things get better - then move on when things turn around. Lot of pilots didn't choose the regionals because their child support was more than regional pay. Now that they have years of jet experience they can fly a wide body jet worldwide and earn less than their children earn. NO I STILL DON'T UNDERSTAND.
You would think Omni would want pilots who don't intend to jump from job to job.

 

[huncowboy]

I don't know bro. Fact is there has not been an airline, regional, charter, major, etc that had to cut back schedules because they could not fill seats in this decade. It is true that for a wide body Omni pays low, when someone is without a job you will not look at size/pay. You will look at total pay only. Just a fact of life. If someone goes there as a street CA, I bet he makes more than his kids.

 

[stupidpilot]

Omni really doesn't care about retention. If you stay, fine. If you go who cares. You'd think they'd want to retain an experienced guy and reduce training costs but they pay so low that the extra training cost doesn't bother them in the least.