World Airways

[ETOPS-787]

Need some info please. First year salary (expect to make), benefits, schedules, home bases, upgrade time, and any other useful info you might like to tell.

Many thanks

 

[typhoonpilot]

Using the search function, I found this:

http://forums.flightinfo.com/showthread.php?t=17758&highlight=World+Airways

TP

 

[LearLove]

Using the search function, I found this:

http://forums.flightinfo.com/showthread.php?t=17758&highlight=World+Airways

TP

I know that several months back on here there was talk of hiring going on over there. Not sure if they're done but maybe some of the World guys on here could give an update.

I'd be interested too, its never been much of an interest (long haul flying) but now i'm starting to reconsider and would like to get a current update.

 

[Fit59]

Current World Info:

Current World Info:

In my first year I made 50k, that included per diem (2.40/hour). Second year, I'm on pace for about 83K, health benes. are very good with $10 co pays, and $0 per month if you are single, I believe $25/month if you have a family. That includes free dental and a very good prescription drug plan. World has a retirement plan, 401K (not matching, but stay tuned) and profit sharing which has been extremely generous lately (10% of your annual salary). We also get quarterly bonuses and all the Kim-chi you can eat in OSN!!!



We are/have been in contract negotiations, so the scheduling thing WILL be changing however at present time you are given 12 days off a month, however you only bid for 6 "hard" days off a month or bid a line. The remaining 6 "soft" days off can be bought back from you. As a line holder you can expect to work between 9 and 18 days a month on the bid lines, with the average pay for those lines above 75 hours. As an open flyer (the most junior position) you bid for your 6 days off preference and that's it. I bid my hard days so I can work the last 3 days of the month and be gone until the 15th. That gives me 85 hours of pay with a little over 1000 in per diem and I end up flying only 60 hours in that time with 4-5 landings. I will then usually end up with 12 straight days off.



World has been hiring all year, but with small class sizes. 6 MD-11 pilots per class, and I've heard they want 50 this year (rumor, but hey, this Flightinfo). 50 is a LOT for an airline that has only 365 pilots. Upgrades vary, and its running between 4-8 years. Knowing someone here is very important, but not required, I didn't have a rec... They look for Jet experience, heavy jet being most desired, along with international and glass experience. We have hired a number of ATA guys (who have done this type of flying before) and a number of USAir, United and TWA furloughees. All of that is very good, unfortunately that means the commuter guys are going to have to wait a bit longer.



We just picked up an MD-11F and will receive another one next month, for our rapidly growing ACMI freight operation. We just extended our EVA contract from 1 MD-11F to 3 MD-11F's for the next 3 years. Also freight contracts have been signed with Air Canada (YYZ to Europe and Asia) and for a joint venture between Thai and Qantas out of BKK.



The military flying is the staple for now, but with this increase in freight flying who knows. I am relieved that we are going in this cargo direction because you just don't know when the military will pull the plug, though I sure hope we continue that pax flying because it is also a lot of fun!



To summarize this is a really great flying job, and extremely different from say FEDEX or any US Major airline. I personally enjoy the one long trip a month, but I can see the need for stronger scheduling contract language. Flying internationally is just something you have to experience in order to tell if you will truly love it. Many do, some don't desire to leave the comforts of the US! I don't blame them, but flying internationally is a great challenge and can really be rewarding (especially when flying the military).



PM if you have any other questions.

 

[ETOPS-787]

Thank you

Tim;
How is going? have you met Bill yet?

NY:

Thank you very much for your help. Where do you conduct the MD11 training and who does it? how long? and do you get paid during training?

You have mentioned YYZ. I am an American married to a Canadian and wanted to know if i can live in Toronto.

Do you have any interview tips and sim evalution?

 

[Fit59]

NY:

Thank you very much for your help. Where do you conduct the MD11 training and who does it? how long? and do you get paid during training?

You have mentioned YYZ. I am an American married to a Canadian and wanted to know if i can live in Toronto.

Do you have any interview tips and sim evalution?

We train in ATL at the Delta Training Center. First week and a half is In Doc/Intl. ops., then 12 days of systems/FTD's using Delta MD-11 instructors, then 8 simulator sessions with World IP's then a type ride, LOFT, CAT3 approach day and you are through. I started OE 2 months from my DOH. They pay you during training 1000 a a month plus 24/7 per diem at 2.40 so you will make about $2700 a month of which $1700 is tax free. Not too bad, not great. Also they put you up in your own hotel room (no room sharing).

Home basing is normally limited to the lower 48, but we have some guys that live in ANC and one guy that lives in MNL (Phillipines). I think that they are grandfathered though.

The interviews are straighforward and friendly. There is a pilot panel interview followed by an HR interview. If you are honest and yourself you should do fine. I got the impression that they wanted to see you for who your are, if they would want to share a cockpit with you for a 15 hour crossing... It wasn't very techincal, they look very closely at the sim eval. performance. If they like you they will put you up for the night and give you a sim eval the next day. I have heard that they have contracted through Kit Darby's Air Inc....... (can't get away from that guy) and use his simulator (a Frasca or something). The profile is typical sim eval stuff. BAI (instrument climbs/descents, turns etc.) vor incpt/tracking/holding, maybe NDB inctps. and an ILS to mins. I hope this helps, do you have an interview coming up?

 

[psysicx]

So are they changing the 2 week on 2 week off schedule?

 

[typhoonpilot]

Tim;
How is going? have you met Bill yet?

No, he hasn't called. Probably pretty busy these first few weeks.

Do you have an interview with World coming up ?


TP

 

[redneck jihad]

So are they changing the 2 week on 2 week off schedule?

They never had a 2 on 2 off sched. It's been as NY described it for a good while. It just works out to be like that sometimes.

 

[psysicx]

So is it possible to work week on week off?Or do a 3 or 4 day trip?I didn't realize that you actually bid days I thought it was 2 on 2 off?

 

[servicemonkey]

So is it possible to work week on week off?Or do a 3 or 4 day trip?I didn't realize that you actually bid days I thought it was 2 on 2 off?

Yes, but not likely, to both questions.

 

[Bellerophon]

The x-day trips World has include the commute to and from your home with a least a 14 hour layover before and after your trip. World schedules and pays for the ticket and hotel. So due to the cost of the commute most schedules play out to 2-weeks on and 2-weeks off. With either senority or luck you may get a 3-4 day domestic trip, but not often. So a 14 day trip away from home includes 2 days of commuting and usally a couple of 2-3 or more day layovers online. Except for a heavy Military flying line you rarely fly everday you are out. But I am looking at things from the top end of the senority list. But then again between Feb.and March I did a 26 day trip. I flunked bidding 101 those two months. But Hawaii was nice. From what I remmember of the 4 day layovers.

 

[psysicx]

How long does it take before you can bid a line?And how long are normal trips?

 

[sgu]

This is info is good and all but I am still waiting for a phone call...! Guess FIT 59 was right about us Large airplane drivers taking a jumpseat to unemployed Heavy drivers for now.....

 

[AdlerDriver]

How long does it take before you can bid a line?And how long are normal trips?

Based in LAX, I was holding a line my first month out of OE (May 04) and was able to until this fall. We had a big shuffle and many IAD based pilot of my seniority and slightly above saw greener grass at LAX (Junior folks can't touch a line at IAD for quite a while). After they "dog-piled" on top of me, I'm back to "open flying" - i.e. no line. The way things look now, I would say I won't consistently hold a line until at least the 2 year point. Maybe longer.

I don't think there are "normal trips". As a line holder, you can get a freighter line which is 18 days long (with a commute day on either end if it leaves from your LAX base). If you're senior, you can hold a 9 day/90 hour line flying oil workers to Africa. There are lines that fly military families to their assignments in Japan and Korea that have several shorter trips. You might leave on Sunday night and be done Thursday morning. I tended to gravitate toward those for family life. Those are just a few examples. Bottom line - there is a wide variety of flying.

When you start talking about "open flying", as has already been stated, all you know is your 6 hard days in a row. It actually works out to be 7 in a row most times because they put a "buffer day" in just before they start. It can get very expensive for the company if they violate you hard days. My last trip as an open flyer was 17 days and I flew pax to Korea, ferried back to ANC, freight from ANC to Taiwan, commercialed back over to Korea, flew more pax to SEA. I've been to Europe and Asia in the same trip within 5 days. It's whatever the company needs to fly. The problem with open flying is, your trip may look like a 7 day trip when you leave and they just keep adding on until it turns into 17 days.

Most of the other info posted should fill in some of the questions. You can PM me if you want more details.

 

[psysicx]

How are schedules going to change with the new contract?And are you hoping for an increase in pay?

 

[AdlerDriver]

How are schedules going to change with the new contract?And are you hoping for an increase in pay?

I think the main change that will probably be in the new contract is 12 known days off each month for open flyers. There will probably be an option for the "whores" to volunteer to sell back some of their days off if they want to work overtime. That will give company all the flexibility they want, in my opinion. There's always a few who want $$ over QOL. It looked like we might have the option to pick up an open trip as an open flyer as well. That would be a nice improvement too.
If pay doesn't go up I'll be very surprised. We've had 8 profitable quarters in a row and upper management got some huge bonuses. I would bet good money we'll get a taste too. The contract is almost 2 years passed it's due date - so it's getting a little old.

 

[Heavy Set]

How do you like flying the MD-11? Fun to fly - any positives/negatives? Also, how is the quality of hotels in places like Hawaii, Korea and Europe?

Lastly, are people still being hired into the DC-10?

 

[psysicx]

Do most people plan to stay till retirement.

 

[AdlerDriver]

How do you like flying the MD-11? Fun to fly - any positives/negatives? Also, how is the quality of hotels in places like Hawaii, Korea and Europe?

Lastly, are people still being hired into the DC-10?

The MD-11 is a good airplane. I enjoy flying it. With average flight times of probably 10 hours per leg, I don’t fly it as much as mind the store. I try to hand fly it as often as I can during departure and approach ops. I probably get 3 landings per month on average. If I get stuck with a check airman giving OE, we have to have a full qualified crew if we go over 8 hours. That means we have 2 qualified FOs and the new guy plus the Captain. This avoids the doomsday scenario of the Captain taking a rest and the OE pilot having to fly the jet with a FO. That’s the FAAs interpretation of how it’s supposed to be done. I’ve had a couple of trips like that where the best you get is being the RO and doing all the paperwork. The other FO just sits and drools while the OE pilot gets all the landings. So, no landings that month. But I digress.

The -11 is the most automated aircraft I’ve flown (with the A320/319 a close second). It is very easy to operate. Its FMS operations are very similar to the A320. Boeing’s VNAV is better, I miss the “green arc”, and I don’t care for the -11s auto throttles. I’ve never flown the 747-400 but I know the bunk in the -11 can’t hold a candle to it. Ours does the job and we have some Delta lease -11s that have nicer bunks but they still could be better. Overall, I have minor complaints. It’s a nice jet with lots of power, good systems and is very reliable.



Hotel quality overseas tends to be very good. I call it the binary hotel system… They are either a 1 or a 0. Since we won’t accept a 0, we get the good ones. We stay at the Intercontinental in Frankfurt which is very nice. Our Kuwait layover has been in a brand new high-rise Marriot and a Hilton. In Taipei, I’ve stayed at “The Sherwood” which is in a book of the 100 best hotels in the world (they have the book on your suite’s living room table open to the page when you walk in your room). Normally we stay at the Holiday Inn Asiaworld which is very nice and right in downtown Taipei. Our hotel at Osan, Korea is right outside the gate of the airbase and is the best the area can offer. It’s not a “chain hotel” and is family owned. The owners have a long relationship with World and take good care of us. First meal and beer is free each time you show up. They have put new desktop computers and high speed internet in each room. Japan, near Kadena AB, is a similar set up. Local hotel with clean rooms, free breakfast and easy access to the base. Stateside they are generally pretty good but there tends to be more variation in quality. I’ve stated at a Ritz Carlton in Atlanta that was so nice it was embarrassing. Other times I’ve been at a Holiday Inn in Bangor that’s….a Holiday Inn in Bangor. Overall, no complaints about the hotels we use.



Right now they are not hiring into the DC-10. They actually furloughed some PFEs because their plan to get another DC-10 (or maybe keep one we were supposed to return) fell through. They are still looking for a replacement, but they’ve had to re-shuffle some of the pilots for now. They are hiring and all will be into the right seat of the MD-11. I don’t think they are turning their nose up at anyone in particular. I don’t think a furloughed heavy driver is going to have an edge on a commuter pilot based on just that alone. I’ve run into furloughed guys from all airlines, commuter pilots, corporate, straight out of the military. There seems to be a pretty good mix.



They don’t kid around when it comes to training and check rides. We had 14 guys in my new hire class and 10 went to the DC-10 panel. 2 of the 10 were fired trying to upgrade from the backseat to the MD-11 within their first year. I’ve heard similar stories from other classes. That shouldn’t be a deterrent to anyone considering getting hired. Just a heads up – they won’t train to proficiency.



Career prospects…..Overall, it’s a very unique, fun and interesting job and if I had a crystal ball and knew they would be around for my career, I’d stay for sure. They have lots of eggs in the military passenger basket which may not always be there. They are attempting to diversify with more freighters and more cargo contracts which is good. They’ve been around since the 1940’s and we just had 43 and 40 year pilots retire (they were over 60 sim instructors/check airmen). Most Captains are planning on staying for a career as well as older FOs (retired military, furloughed, etc). I think younger pilots are keeping their options opened. It is definitely somewhere many pilots have and will stay for a career. It’s still an airline job, so I wouldn’t bet too much on it.



Sorry for the lengthy answer to a short question.