So what is the netjets story?

[SeaSpray]

Pilots that worked here long before EJI was a wet dream, who flew 707s, KC135s, and yes, even the big bad G-Whiz. Falcons, lears, you name it, pilots at EJA flew them and were here in 1995.

Gee, all those qualifications and the only job they could find was flying a 16,000 lb Cessna for $hit wages in a glorified charter company. Did these pilots have a history of DWI's or flight violations or was it just that their personalities were the best form of birth control known to man.

You gotta admit that moving from a six figure Gulfstream job to flying for NJA for peanuts is not exactly the career progression most of us would aspire to.

These guys must have screwed the pooch somewhere.

 

[pilot91101]

So when are you guys striking? I can't take this anymore. What will you guys talk about after the contract is settled?

 

[SeaSpray]

Are you saying a 737 is a heavy jet? Maybe to you, but the folks who actually fly heavies think it's a light twin. There are Ultra pilots at NJA with more heavy time than you have total.

I think I see a trend here. NJA is not a first choice company for pilots who have options. If you have Ultra pilots at NJA with over 9,000 hours of heavy time, they either screwed up somewhere and are unemployable in a good job or they are members of the geriatric set and should be thinking about a rocker and a good poop rather than flying tiny Cessnas.

 

[SkyGirl]

Are you saying a 737 is a heavy jet? Maybe to you, but the folks who actually fly heavies think it's a light twin. There are Ultra pilots at NJA with more heavy time than you have total.

I think you missed the point of Muddy's post - that there were exceptionally inexperienced Boeing crews flying for NetJets. Were the passengers aware they were flying with such low time pilots?

_SkyGirl_

 

[squonk]

Seaspray said:

Gee, all those qualifications and the only job they could find was flying a 16,000 lb Cessna for $hit wages in a glorified charter company. Did these pilots have a history of DWI's or flight violations or was it just that their personalities were the best form of birth control known to man.

I think I see a trend here. NJA is not a first choice company for pilots who have options. If you have Ultra pilots at NJA with over 9,000 hours of heavy time,

Most of our high time airline guys come over after mandatory age 60 retirement. We also have a ton of furloughees. They may or may not have had a choice in their selection of equipment.

I think that is what the original poster was trying to imply.

 

[squonk]

I think you missed the point of Muddy's post - that there were exceptionally inexperienced Boeing crews flying for NetJets. Were the passengers aware they were flying with such low time pilots?

_SkyGirl_

SkyGirl,

I don't buy this logic. We all have to start at the bottom and work our way up. Most people have strapped on a jet or two by the time they flew the "Boeing".

I saw an earlier post about Gulfstream not wanting marginal CII guys flying their airplanes.

A plane is plane. Any one of us can go pass the type and be ready to hit the line. What is the magic number when you become experienced?

 

[SkyGirl]

SkyGirl,

I don't buy this logic. We all have to start at the bottom and work our way up. Most people have strapped on a jet or two by the time they flew the "Boeing".

I saw an earlier post about Gulfstream not wanting marginal CII guys flying their airplanes.

A plane is plane. Any one of us can go pass the type and be ready to hit the line. What is the magic number when you become experienced?

Thanks for your reply.

I'm not qualified to make that judgement, but I know that I wouldn't be comfortable on a flight if I knew the cockpit crew had so little time in the equipment.

Also, although I only have a private license I have taken physics and I know there is a difference in flying a little airplane and a big one.

From what I've read here, it seems like the guys that should know, Gulfstream Aerospace Company, thought the "magic number" was 2500 hours in type and a captain qualification.


_SkyGirl_

 

[Hawkered]

Yeah..I think that's pretty unfair. I spoke to a guy from a major airline who works here in his early fifties. He was furloughed from USAir and had been a captain on F-28, B-737 and A-319/320/321. He had also done a stint of international on B-767 as an F/O.

Believe me, these guys have not done anything "wrong". Seventeen different types of aircraft and the last dozen or so management teams had a lot more to do with it than anyone at his level screwing the pooch.

 

[transpac]

Thanks for your reply.

I'm not qualified to make that judgement, but I know that I wouldn't be comfortable on a flight if I knew the cockpit crew had so little time in the equipment.

Also, although I only have a private license I have taken physics and I know there is a difference in flying a little airplane and a big one.

From what I've read here, it seems like the guys that should know, Gulfstream Aerospace Company, thought the "magic number" was 2500 hours in type and a captain qualification.


_SkyGirl_

Skygirl: If you're worried about the Captain's time in type, don't fly on the airlines. Chances are you've flown at least once with a Captain with zero prior hours in the equipment. I'm astonished to read that you think Gulfstream knows more than NJA and Boeing about experience requirements for B-737 Captains. Also, perhaps you could expand about the different laws of physics that apply to large airplanes. I must'a been asleep when that was covered during big 'un training.

 

[Muddauber]

Are you saying a 737 is a heavy jet? Maybe to you, but the folks who actually fly heavies think it's a light twin. There are Ultra pilots at NJA with more heavy time than you have total.

Yes, yes I know. The jet I fly takes off at 174,200 lbs and in my career field a heavy starts with aircraft taking off at 255,000 MGTOW or greater, the definition in executive aviation is different, but that's not the point.

The point is, if what BBJPilot posted is true, NetJets was operating BBJs with low time crews that may have met legal requirements, but certainly didn't meet common sense requirements.

Also, it's my take is that NJA filled the BBJ seats based on seniority, not qualifications. I'm betting that there was no effort to move the "Ultra pilots at NJA with more heavy time than have total," into the BBJ jobs and these guys probably won't live long enough to see a Boeing at NJA and impart all that heavy knowledge.


Muddy