type of work found?

[b757driver]

Not sure where MB ended up. As you know, N7 guys and gals got flung far and wide.......

 

[xtwapilot]

B757driver:
Thanks for filling us all in on the contract options. Let me ask this, during your time flying contract, what is the longest time you have been unemployed, i.e. between contracts? Also, on the average, what do you take home including perdiem? Thanks in advance.

P.S. BTW what is the website for airborne? I have tried various combinations, but no luck in finding the airborne website. Also did you register with all of them or one particular one that is giving you all the work. thanks again.

Xtwapilot

 

[LAZYB]

Frontier, the last I had heard.

Do you know where MB ended up?

Skyline

:beer:

 

[b757driver]

B757driver:
Thanks for filling us all in on the contract options. Let me ask this, during your time flying contract, what is the longest time you have been unemployed, i.e. between contracts? Also, on the average, what do you take home including perdiem? Thanks in advance.

P.S. BTW what is the website for airborne? I have tried various combinations, but no luck in finding the airborne website. Also did you register with all of them or one particular one that is giving you all the work. thanks again.

Xtwapilot

I have been in continuous employment ever since I left the US to work overseas! The type of work I do is called ACMI (Aircraft, Crew, Mx & Insurance) and the company I work for is the largest in the business.
Basically, I am employed by a crew leasing agency who contracts me to an ACMI airline. They, then in turn, get various contracts for periods ranging from 4 weeks to 4 years. In the almost 2 years I have been there, I have flown the 757 and the 767ETOPs from various bases worldwide and late last year the company wanted a bunch of new 747 drivers. So....they paid us to go get a 747 type rating. No previous time on type but does that really matter. Maybe in the US but not elsewhere.
The only long-term unemployment I had was after my last 121 company went belly up. Despite a brand new type rating (courtesy of the WIA) plus time in that type and currency on two types, could not even get an interview stateside - I was not "competitive" enough, ha, ha!! Apparently, I'm holding my own flying international 747s globally.....After 2 UB extensions, I finally ran out of money (and ideas) and it was around this time that I got this job. Was unemployed in the US for around 16 months, never anywhere else. Guess that speaks volumes.
Pay here is OK and is all in USDs with commercial tkts to/from home plus hotel/apartments and breakfast. Apart from that, no bennies. Oh, you can work as much or as little as you want before you take a break. Not may companies do that. I'm taking Nov off then back for 2 months for a special project.
I could have applied to the likes of Kalitta or Southern or Evergreen but I ALREADY earn 2-3 times more a month than what they would pay me and then I would also have deductions on top of that!
Not sure whether Airborne has a website or not. I don't think they will be doing any more hiring (training bottleneck) until the new year anyway. The other agency is www.directpersonnel.com . I used only one and had friends already working at the airline. That gave me a heads up on what it was like before I even got here. Also, try a search on the British www.pprune.com for ACMI work and agencies in Europe. You should find plenty of info - good and bad there. Hope that answers yr questions. Good luck!

 

[xtwapilot]

b757driver:
Thanks for the info, look out for a PM I'll be sending you shortly. Thanks again for the info.

Xtwapilot

 

[b757driver]

b757driver:
Thanks for the info, look out for a PM I'll be sending you shortly. Thanks again for the info.

Xtwapilot

Now it's your turn to check your PM!!

 

[psysicx]

Doesn't contract flying require high amounts of time and lots of type ratings? Also is there the possibility that you won't like the company your flying for but your stuck since you signed a contract?

 

[b757driver]

Yes and No.
Usually you will need a type in the aircraft that they operate. At the very least, some time and currency is prefered. It's like any other flying job in that sense.
If you do your homework before you join, then you should not have too many problems. I ahve worked for one airline which I did not care for but it was a short rotation of 2 months and I will not be going bak there as I had the opportunity to change my fleet as well as base. It's a bit like you scratch my back & I'll scratch yours.
This particular ACMI job IS different from the more normal agency "fixed-term" contract where you go for 1 year, 3 or 5 years with the same airline. Although I work for one ACMI airline and wear one uniform all the time, the aircraft I fly may have different logos. It's called wet lease. I've worked for 5 airlines in my two years but I have not changed my employer, if you follow. I know it can be confusing but this is a unique company and variety is certainly the spice of life. As an independent contractor, I could refuse an assignment (which I've never done although I have been reluctant to go to certain places) but then they will most likely not call you for your services.
The contract is a yearly ad hoc one but I might change it at the next renewal to give a better rotation of 6 on, 2 off.
There is a certain amount of flexibility in this type of work and for me, it works while I'm waiting to see if there are opportunities back home worth taking or stay here a while, get my command and make up for all those months of unemployment when no one would give me time of day. The boot is on the other foot now!

 

[Skyline]

LazyB

LazyB,

Hey were you at N7 too? You might have told me that joke about the guy who services the sewer tanks on jetliners and is covered in human waste everday. When asked "why not get a better job" and his reply was "And Leave Aviation"?

That same guy once told me that he "wasted his youth flying seaplanes in SE Alaska". Are you that guy?

Skyline

 

[fcwatford]

working abroad

There is currently a hiring boom going on abroad, espically in China and in India at the moment. In India they are very short of crews, butr its only for captns. For example, there is one company that need 18 A320 captns as soonb as possiable. %00 hrs min on the type pic, pay is 7,000 us dollars a month, tax free, housing is free etc. Live like a king in India with that, but the problem is is that its not for everyone. You have to remember that its their country, repect their ideas. I currently work for a lowley regional but I have a very good family friend who actually recruits for a few of these places, so if any one is intrested PM me Iand i will forward the resume or get you more info. Its crazy how we are doing so badly here but the rest of the world is booming. Good luck to everyone.

 

[xtwapilot]

B757driver check your PM. Thanks

xtwapilot

 

[psysicx]

I don't think this website was listed.

http://www.contractair.net/public/index.html

 

[psysicx]

Another question is it possible to do contract work in Europe? It seems most require a JAA.

 

[b757driver]

Another question is it possible to do contract work in Europe? It seems most require a JAA.

You are partially correct, most do but not all. Airborne Personnel and Direct Personnel are just two agencies that regularly recruit ICAO ATPL incl. FAA licensed personnel for various contracts. Matter of fact, I have both FAA & JAR medicals but my license is FAA as are my type ratings and I can fly legally with these because I have a European validation which my company gives me (valid for 1 year because they kinda expect you to get a full JAR license after a while). However, I have been here almost 2 years and they have renewed it once when I switched (@company's behest) to another aircraft type. There are plenty of Americans and Canadians here with similar circumstances. You don't even need a "right to live and work in EU", not sure why but we have many worldwide bases not just in Europe and we do move around quite a bit.
So the answer is it depends on the wording of the contract, If it says MUST have JAR license, then you're basically screwed. However, if it says ICAO/FAA/JAR, then that's different. Ask the company up front.
Hope that helps.

 

[turboshark]

wisdom over the years

fly airplanes if thats your passion but always have something unrelated to flying on the side. ive learned not to have my eggs in one basket with anything in this business.