Flybet3
Fly for me! Get my Bonus!
- Joined
- Oct 8, 2004
- Posts
- 1,745
Go to a FRACTIONAL! I'm there (NetJets) and it is like night and day from a regional. It's like living in the day! Yes, you have to work harder; someone referred to lifting bags and getting the aircraft ready for flight (catering & clean), but you are not an FA serving drinks in the back; once on the plane, you are the pilot only.
I worked at a regional for several years so I can compare the two. Life is much better at a fractional. Besides the pay being much better, the benifits are outstanding and the 7 days off are great. Did I mention you are catered crew food several times a day plus get money for per diem? That's really nice! I don't starve like I did when I was a regional guy. We also stay at Hilton and Hyatt products mainly. No more La Quintas or Comfort Inns like the regionals. We also get all the airline points and hotel points, so when I do go on vacation, it's paid for by points! After year 1 you do get 2 weeks of vacation, which turn into 3 weeks a piece if you are on the 7 on 7 off schedule. For those guys on are reserve schedule, you work about 17-18 days a month but see an extra $6K in your pay check (it goes up per year that you work). Some guys who have been here a while, and who work reserve make an extra $10k a year. The company also seems to care about there pilots and we have a great union protecting us.
Oh yeah, you are paid full salery from day one, full benifits from day one, receive per diem from day one, and the hotel is covered. (No you don't share a room with another guy). and your uniform is given to you.
On day 1 your trip you usually airline to your aircraft (thanks for the ride guys!). Day 2 through 6 you are zipping from here to there. If you enjoy flying all over the country than this is the place for you. So, you only really work for 5 days in a given work week. Is there down time? Sure, it's like being on ready reserve. You sit there at the FBO and wait for the company to call you to fly. Do I hate sitting around? Yes, but I deal with it. In most cases you only sit hot standby (ready reserve) once in a while. Most FBOs are nice, they have DVDs, computers, some have pool tables; some let you drive around in the crew car. Life really isn't that hard. On day 7 you are going home.
Down sides? I mentioned you have to do some "non-pilot" duties. The new guys have to live at a specified base. Upgrades are looking to be 4-5 years. We (NetJets) are growing like crazy, but people like it here and are staying, so attrition is super slow.
Come here if you are looking for a career that is alternate and possibly more stable than the 121 world. Don't come here if you are looking for a quick up grade and to build flight time (I get about 350-400 hours a year).
Good luck. We have a lot of airline guys here, young and old, who would't give this job up for the world.
Very good post, but like I said it all comes down to whether you will be able to do the 7 ON for the rest of your career. Personally for me anything longer than 5 days is more than enough. And as to going to the back and taking care of passangers, well they might not do it at Net jets but in the corporate and charter world & some fracs you need to go back and "check" on pax. Nothing wrong with taking care of people, but if you just wanna fly...well it's pretty obvious as to what you have to do. Yeah at the end of your tour you get sent home, but geesh! that's like commuting, you end up in California, and you live in Florida. You live in Texas and you finish up in Main and so on. Fractional flying is fun, dont get me wrong, especially flying a CL300 or a Citation X, but it's going to to come down you handling the schedule and commute.