Settling a bet on air taxis and pilot entrepreneurs

[changeagent]

So in the midst of a fairly interesting debate about pilot mindset and new aviation companies- would high time pilots take on pilot jobs for air taxi startups with lower than current base pay but opportunity to earn equity and eventual partner status in aircraft/company? Some say pilot mindset is employee/union/anti-management, and those guys love their big airplanes too much. Some say given the right package even senior guys might put in another 5-15 years if they ended up as owners. If the job was flying biz jets/air taxis from home city, flying 900 hrs and another 900 doing non-flying work forthe company, earning equity + salary and bens? Any opinions? No hurt feelings either way, trying to understand the environment better.

 

[millhouse21]

I am an airline pilot and could be interested in something like that. It must be better than being a slave to seniority.

 

[ultrarunner]

You're going to work nearly 2000 hours a year....

half of that is flying and half in the office...


So, lets take the flying hours..nearly 1000 a year....

Since you're also putting in 900 hours a year in office duty, in addition to your 900 hours of flying, lets say your on the flight schedule 3.5 days a week, and in the office 3.5 days a week. Since to use less days per week would put the daily hours at scary figures...

...900 flight hours per year/ 3.5 days a week = 34.6 flight hours per week. Plus duty time at show + duty time at termination...

34.6 flight hours per week / 3.5 day week = 9.9 flight hours per day (3.5 day week).

Think about this for a minute....

This is the perfect job for someone with NO life outside of work...

Am I missing something here....

Someone please explain this crazyness.

 

[ultrarunner]

I am an airline pilot and could be interested in something like that. It must be better than being a slave to seniority.

And with those numbers what gives you any indication you're still not a slave????

 

[ultrarunner]

FYI....40 years old...10 to go..... and proud of it!

You guys knock yourselves out, this world needs folks like you that don't give a $hit....

have fun with that gig, and let us know how it goes.

 

[pilotmiketx]

Any startup, air taxi or otherwise shouldn't have to pay below average wages. In any other industry, a startup would have to pay above average wages to offset the uncertainty of the company's survival and attract qualified applicants.

Equity in the company should come as a reward for charter (meaning original)employees or through a stock purchase program, not in exchange for indentured servitude.

 

[landlover]

40hrs a week X 50 weeks a year = 2000 hrs a year, with 2 weeks vacation. Sounds like any other regular job out there. Except you would eventually become an owner. You'd work that hard, if not harder starting any business.

Who knows it might be a good deal, but more than likely not.

 

[Rez O. Lewshun]

The Very Small Jets are coming. I thought a retired airline pilot would take his retirement and buy one of these jets and work another 10+ years... Problem is no more retirement...

The VSJ owner pilots I fear are going to become the barnacles of the pilot 'profession'. If you hate the 300 hours mid life crisis guy who buys himslef a job, wait till you get a guy that buys himslef a VSJ and is flying around the NAS.

The Feds will have to create a new FAR part for these guys....

You think txi cab drivers are shady charaters now...wait till these vultures infest the airways waiting ont he next fare to pop up at your local GA airport...

Yuck.....

 

[CFIse]

Any startup, air taxi or otherwise shouldn't have to pay below average wages. In any other industry, a startup would have to pay above average wages to offset the uncertainty of the company's survival and attract qualified applicants.

Equity in the company should come as a reward for charter (meaning original)employees or through a stock purchase program, not in exchange for indentured servitude.

Actually I've been in another industry and that's not true. Startup companies who cannot afford to pay higher wages, average wages or even well below average wages offer significant equity positions and the employee gets to roll the dice. If it goes well you're rich, if it goes OK you break even, if it goes badly you lose.

Now, in my personal opinion, you'd have to be NUTS to take an equity position in ANYTHING related to aviation, but again, in my opinion, you'd have to be certifiably insane to take an equity position in the air taxi business. If air taxi was such a good idea we'd be doing it all over the place - just because it's a jet doesn't make it a good idea!

 

[FN FAL]

The Very Small Jets are coming. The VSJ owner pilots I fear are going to become the barnacles of the pilot 'profession'. If you hate the 300 hours mid life crisis guy who buys himslef a job, wait till you get a guy that buys himslef a VSJ and is flying around the NAS.

The Feds will have to create a new FAR part for these guys...

What's your baggage?