Is one awarded aircraft type in newhire class based on the "seniority" within that class as to what's available? Or is it just assigned?
For a newhire, it's pretty much luck of the draw, based on things like sim availability, hiring needs, and so forth. Sometimes you'll get a choice, sometimes not.
When I was hired, for example, I was offered my choice of the Citation Encore, the Hawker 400XP (BeechJet), or the Citation Excel. Though the class date in the Excel was a couple weeks later, I took it because I wanted an aircraft with an APU. After 7+ years of flying a non-APU turboprop, I wanted some heat and AC on the ground!
What aircraft are the "junior" aircraft and therefore what you'll most likely get?
As a newhire, you'd get anything except the Falcon 2000EX or the Boeing Business Jet. All the others pay the same, and are assigned as the company's needs dictate. Aircraft bids go out to current pilots first (once their equipment locks are up), then the slots that aren't taken go to newhires. Since switching airplanes incurs an additional 39-month seat lock, few FOs will do it except to the 2000EX or BBJ (which pay more).
As far as likelihood of a particular aircraft? Well,
current FAA records show we have 80 Ultras/Encores, 102 Excels, 70 Citation Xs, 29 Sovereigns, 32 Falcon 2000s, 5 Falcon 2000EXs, 31 Gulfstream 200s, 44 400XPs, and two 900XPs. Pure odds say the Excel would be the most likely, but again, it just depends where the openings are when they call you.
Is reserve similiar to that of an airline? When on reserve does one sit at the FBO awaiting an assignment?
Not at all. The "Reserve Schedule" will be gone as of 2/1, replaced with a fixed 18-day schedule. Since the new rules will all be in place by 2/1, that's what I'll use as a frame of reference.
In any case, the only difference between the schedules is which days you work. Once you're
at work, the rules are the same, whether you're on the 18-day fixed schedule, the 15-day flexible schedule, or the normal 7/7 schedule.
You can be on duty at the airport awaiting an assignment, on duty at the hotel, or on duty at your residence in some cases. (In the latter two, you have to be ready to leave the hotel in 30 minutes.) The company can send a complete crew to the airport to man an airworthy aircraft for all or part of a (14-hour maximum) duty period to await an assignment.
That hasn't yet happened to me for more than a few hours, but they'll normally strategically place crews and available aircraft in various regions in case a plane breaks. Being able to recover quickly from a problem (mechanical, weather, or whatever) is something we do very well, but it depends on crews being out there and ready to go.
If you're at the airport
without a full crew or airworthy airplane (maybe the plane broke, or a crewmember got sick, or somebody took your plane and you're waiting for another), the clock is ticking. If after 3 hours the company doesn't have a full crew or plane, you'll start earning hourly overtime until they fix the situation or send you to a hotel. (After 7 hours, double overtime starts.)
This is to prevent you from rotting at the airport for no reason. If you have a full crew and a good airplane, that's not eligible for this OT provision -- it's only if there's no good reason for you to be there. And as I said, airport duty can occur on
any of the schedules; it's just the nature of our operation.
And about how long would one have to sit reserve before holding a more fixed schedule?
You can be on the 18-day schedule as long or short as you want, if your seniority will hold it. The 7/7 schedule is our normal schedule, and up to 90 pilots will be on it. Per the contract, you'll be able to go to a 7/7 schedule if you like when you're finished with IOE, or 120 days after you start IOE, whichever comes first.
10% of our pilots (either by bid from the top, or junior-assigned from the bottom if necessary, but not likely) will be on our 15-day Flex schedule. Roughly the same number of workdays, but it's a fluid schedule. If you're on it, you find out by 6pm each day whether you'll be working the next day. If they say no, then it's a day off -- you're
not on call. If they say it
is a workday, you'll get a start time to report to the airport, and that's the time when your rest period ends. When you report, then it's just a normal tour, just like any of the schedules would have. The only difference is that the 15-day schedule has max tour length of 5 days.
Are both pilots typed in the aircraft that you get? Also, about how long has the switch from right seat to left seat been running?
Yes, both pilots get full PIC types in the aircraft. The latest upgrades have been here about 2.5 years, but for someone hired now, I would realistically expect a 4- to 5-year upgrade.
I've seen it mentioned that the retirement is possibly a bit subpar, from what I've seen the only retirement is the 401k is that correct?
Yes, that's correct. I don't really consider is sub-par, since most of the A-fund pensions have been little more than empty promises these days. :0 The 401K match is very generous: the company matches 50% of your contribution, up to 15% of your salary and up to the IRS limit (currently $15,500 annually). The 401K is administered by Fidelity.
Hope the info helps!
