Solairus aka Sunset Aviation

[CitationCapt]

I read with interest on sunsetaviation.com and some of the aviation periodicals that Sunset Aviation aka Solairus has added to their fleet. I count 13 aircraft or aircraft types on the website.

Now take a look at the layers of management. This comprises of a

CEO
Chairman
Vice Chairman
COO
CFO
Senior Vice President Aircraft Management
and two other Senior Vice Presidents? What do they do?

Vice President of Client Flight Services
VP Business Development
VP Flight Operations
VP Maintenance

How much overhead cost is that? How long will this operation last given this much overhead cost? I forgot to mention two other management spots on another page.

What is it going to take before companies wake up to reality and do something to trim managment costs rather than important operations staff?

 

[gvtech]

Solairus

A little more research shows they manage one of the nation's five largest fleets. I think the 135 fleet is made up of 13 different types of aircraft. They also manage a large number of 91 aircraft. This is a TOP NOTCH group of folks that basically started over from scratch after the Sentient/Jet Direct mess. They've progressed tremendously in only a short time. Watch and see how they do, I think they will be one of the top operators of the future.

gvtech

 

[CUBMAN]

Sunset aviation to be a top notch group? That would be a surprise. Have you ever asked one of their pilots what the pay structure is?

 

[wingnutt]

LOL...Started over from scratch???

They didn't start anything, they simply picked up TAG

 

[CitationCapt]

Top Notch

Maybe the reply to my original post works for these guys.

Again, look at the layers of senior management. I don't care if they have 13 aircraft types, 13 aircraft or 50 aircraft.

 

[CUBMAN]

Bottom notch.

 

[justwatching]

Looks like Cubman is bitter. They must have either let you go or not responded to a resume you sent in.

Picked up TAG? TAG didn't have a certificate remember? Sunset was built from scratch once and those guys will do it again. They have too much tenacity and fight not to. I'll take any bet that says they're still standing through all of this industry rebuilding.

 

[CUBMAN]

Looks like Cubman is bitter. They must have either let you go or not responded to a resume you sent in.

Picked up TAG? TAG didn't have a certificate remember? Sunset was built from scratch once and those guys will do it again. They have too much tenacity and fight not to. I'll take any bet that says they're still standing through all of this industry rebuilding.

Bitter? Why, because I commented on the lame pay structure of a company employing professionals, in the state of California even, at a level way below what would be considered industry standard? They don't pay enough for me to send a resume let alone go to work for them. I'm sure that you are happy with the abysmal salary which you receive just so that you can fly a Citation 10. Maybe you would even accept a pay cut to keep your job.

 

[Masterplan]

Pay or management structure doesn't really matter when you have a plane with a total sleezebag idiot as it's owner/captain on your certificate.

 

[JetPilotCA]

They don't even have full time pilots anymore. They are all contract pilots and last I heard a hawker contract pilot was making 300 a day. Starting pay for them (when they had pilot employees) was 40,000/year. This was a captain position.

 

[RedBehren]

They don't even have full time pilots anymore. They are all contract pilots and last I heard a hawker contract pilot was making 300 a day. Starting pay for them (when they had pilot employees) was 40,000/year. This was a captain position.

You have absolutely NO idea what you are talking about. Solairus employs over 100 full time pilots and they are some of the highest paid (and most content) in the industry.

 

[CitationCapt]

RedBehren,

Let me guess, you are one of these at Solairus from the way you reply:

CEO
Chairman
Vice Chairman
COO
CFO
Senior Vice President Aircraft Management
and two other Senior Vice Presidents? What do they do?

Vice President of Client Flight Services
VP Business Development
VP Flight Operations
VP Maintenance

100 "full time" pilots /12 senior level management types making over $100K/year equals 8.5 indians per chief. Wow.




CC

 

[RedBehren]

RedBehren,

Let me guess, you are one of these at Solairus from the way you reply:

CEO
Chairman
Vice Chairman
COO
CFO
Senior Vice President Aircraft Management
and two other Senior Vice Presidents? What do they do?

Vice President of Client Flight Services
VP Business Development
VP Flight Operations
VP Maintenance

100 "full time" pilots /12 senior level management types making over $100K/year equals 8.5 indians per chief. Wow.




CC

Actually no, I am not. You are forgetting the other 80 full time admin, client services, dispatch and maintenance employees in your calculation, which makes it more like 12-15 indians per chief. Not to mention that your count on the chiefs is inaccurate to begin with. Three of them don't work there any more, which even further throws the math off.

Not sure how a company manages 50 airplanes and 200 employees with less than what Solairus has, and certainly other companies have done so with FAR more senior leadership headcount.

Are you a frustarted shareholder or something? What would you suggest be done differently?

 

[skypine69]

Are you a frustarted shareholder or something? What would you suggest be done differently?

and why do you give a sh!t? you run your large management company the way you want and let them run it the way they want.

 

[CitationCapt]

Well, maybe I will run mine the way I want. The debate is over. You're right- I don't give a sh$t.

Now that was fun.


CC

 

[PC12Cowboy]

Hmm are they hiring? right now without a job and unemployment vaporizes in only 7 months I'll take a job flying over mowing lawns..

 

[JetPilotCA]

NO idea what I am talking about? So how much do you pay a hawker driver a day. Last pilot I talked to said 300 a day....so is this true or is this pilot lying???

 

[hammer2]

At Netjets a Hawker captain will make close to 600 a day.

 

[freighthumper]

NetJets uses contract pilots on its Hawkers ?