Majik said:
OK Yaaak, what benchmark do you suggest we use for a comparative baseline?
You say I can't use other fractionals, because they don't use collective bargaining and that their pay is based off of ours.
You say I can't base it off part 91 pilots flying the same type plane as I fly because they don't use collective bargaining to establish their wages.
So who are the other "apples" that identically match NJA pilot's situation and would be acceptable to use for your benchmark?
The other fracs dont use collective bargaining, but at least they are fracs with a similar "fly for revenue" economic model. That's comparing apples to apples...some being red and some green.
You can "base" your comparison off Part 91 operators if you want, and the lack of collective bargaining has nothing to do with this being "apples to oranges" (that aspect just provides the irony). It's apples to oranges because your job doesn't exist in a structure even remotely resembling a Part 91 flight department in terms of where the money comes from, who you work for and are beholden to, or what justifies it's existence. You and the "owner" in back aren't fellow employees of the same company.
If anything, you're closer to charter or management company pilots , because basically all an "owner" in your frac world does is contract for block time with an outside company to provide transport services, with attached tax advantages (thank the lobbyists for that one). Go outside your niche market in terms of aircraft use per year, and even those advantages evaporate. You're slaves to the direct generation of revenue by flying your airplanes and charging management fees to make a profit after paying every employee that works to make your endeavor run...No Part 91 operation ever generates direct revenue or functions in that way.
But I do understand the desire to use Part 91 flight departments as a comparative measure..don't blame you there (corporate pay to top off the benefit of airline schedules and crewing, gateway flexibility, and support systems/personnel...hope you get it!)..but except for the superficiality of flying the same types of equipment and parking on the same ramps, there really is no basis to use them as a yardstick.
What you're up against is this....if you become as expensive for whatever reason (and like it or not, salaries do play a part in figuring out expenses) as a corporate flight department, you wind up shrinking that niche you cater to...those that realize the economic advantages. If you do that, then there's no reason for them to sign those contracts or keep you around in the first place.
If they all did that of course...dumped you... you'd have a lot more Part 91 flight departments around and you could go find a job with one of them....just don't go to work for peanuts! Consult that NBAA Benchmark survey you've finally got in your hands (because it would be applicable in reality instead of just the fantasy like we have here), but learn from your past mistakes, and consult it BEFORE you agree to take the job.
