Would you leave your regional job for Netjets?

[calstar]

Why or why not?

 

[Terry Hunter]

I was seriously considering leaving a regional for NJA, but with the new contract, and the inability to commute to one of the 6 domiciles, I am not even tempted to put my hat in the ring.

Plus I heard the upgrade time is going to slow to a crawl.

My 2c

TH

 

[shamrock]

With their new TA I briefly considered giving NetJets a shot but, since I never seriously considered them before the TA, I quickly realized that it would take more than money to change my view. It was a fun idea while it lasted, though.

First off, the schedule wouldn't suit me very well. I currently avoid 4 days like the plague (even 3 days tend to test my attention span) so the longer trips at NetJets would not be very enjoyable for me personally.

I also like the predictibility of my airline schedule. I know where I'm going, when I'm going there, and when I'll be done. That suits me much better than the way things go at NetJets. I do wish for a little more variety in my flying from time to time but I don't want to give up my schedule to get it. Again, that's just a personal choice/preference.

With the way things are going in the airline industry these days I may be shortsighted in not considering a fractional job, but knowing myself as I do I don't think I'm suited to the fractional lifestyle.

 

[mooser]

Currently at XJET...considering it...

Mooser

 

[Lilah]

Orginally it was an aspiration of mine to fly for one of the fractionals. As it is now, I think I'll stay with my regional carrier. I think the quality of life is better and my lines (should) get better with time. Some of the lines with my carrier offer 18 days off, not bad at all. Right now it's more about quality of life above $$ or career advancement, but everyone's circumstance is different.

Read, listen, learn, and make an informed descision that best fits YOU!

Lilah

 

[Going2Golf]

I did before the TA was put on the table.
At least Ill be with alot of the same people at NJA that I was with at Indy Air.

 

[HowlinMadMurdoc]

Currently at XJET...considering it...

Mooser

You're kidding, right? Just a few months ago, you could NOT WAIT to get hired at a regional.

Now you're "considering" leaving XJT for NJA???

Man, your case of SJS must've worn off quickly...

HMM

 

[viper548]

I wouldn't leave. I like knowing which days i'm working and which days I have off. I like the travel benefits. I hate sitting around the airport between flights and I don't like riding in the back for long flights. With PBS and enough senority you can manipulate you schedule to be exactly what you want.

 

[SBD-2U3]

Its still senoirity based do the math. Maybe we should hold your hand in the next interview.

 

[glasspilot]

I was at a regional and applied to NJT and then turned down the interview. They sent me a packet explaining the pilot benifits and as hard as I looked at the packet I couldn't find enough "benifits" to justify the crap pay.

I found a job flying freight in the Caribbean, Central and South America in a 727. I've been on line for a few weeks and am having a blast (though the hours are long) NJT is not the end all be all to regional flying.

 

[Ganja60Heavy]

Only if Martha Stewart gives up her share.

 

[Cavpilot]

Interesting thread.

I did leave a regional for NetJets about 4 1/2 years ago. One of the smartest decisions I ever made. The money I made was pretty much equal to what my friends at my prior employer were making. Being able to move back home because of the gateway system was a huge plus for me as well. But that was then and this is now.

All of the reasons that have been stated here for not wanting to come to NetJets are completely valid. The one that makes me smile though is new hires having to move to one of the 5 domiciles. The general consensus among the pilot group is that this is just pie in the sky for the company. This one issue alone will keep qualified applicants away. This BTW was one of the elements of the TA that they would not budge on.

Oh yeah, Martha Stewart got run off a long time ago.

 

[Ganja60Heavy]

I left NetJets 5 years ago to fly sideways for AA, thinking I had it made. Now I'm furloughed, in a new profession, and will probably never go back to flying professionally.

While I was at NetJ, it was a young, spunky, growing company with a fantastic sense of awe and employee morale. That has changed pretty much everywhere in the industry. My friends who are still there have cooled a bit with their enthusiasm.....it's become a sub-optimal job. The "career" of flying no longer exists. Too much jerking around by too many people. No stability. No future.

If you're young and single, it's fun. That's why the regionals are still doing well, with a seemingly limitless pool of eager souls to fly for almost nothing.

But no real career, and certainly no liveable wages anymore.

Oh, yeah. Had the pleasure of hauling Martha a few times up to Maine. What an unpleasant day it was! Why are there no French-Country curtains on the cabin windows?

 

[PCL_128]

If that had kept the homebasing or made ATL a base then I would leave in a heartbeat for Netjets. I won't move though. ATL is home and it's where I'm staying. Maybe they'll change their minds about the new basing system if they can't get enough applicants, but I'm not holding my breath. You guys got a great TA though, and it's something to be proud of.

 

[Twotter76]

I am in the process of doing exactly what you asked about. I was fortunate enough to be in the last class allowed to use the HBA so I consider myself extrememly fortunate. I am leaving what used to be one of the best regional jobs out there and am within 4-5 months of the left seat and am not looking back on my move. I will no longer have to commute, I wont take a paycut to do it, I will have a better schedule (7-7) and I will be able to live whereever I want. To say nothing of the fact I think the flying will be a lot more interesting. This was something that I had been sitting on the fence over for the last few months and the new TA at NJA finally made me go for it. You will continue to see the regional lifestyle come under attack from all sides as the various bankruptcies continue and I have already given back all I am going to. When I have to pay for 7 hotels a month just to go to work something is seriously wrong. I will miss the travel benefits though.

 

[calstar]

Awesome points from both sides.

Hey Twotter, I sent you a PM.


Seeing how part of my motivation to leave my regional is to get back home to California, NetJets with the T/A doesn't look like it's going to be an option.

Is NetJets considered to be at the top of the fractional heap? Are there others that will allow a person to live where they want and still have a descent quality of life and salary?

 

[Twotter76]

One of the 5 bases is LAX under the new TA - don't know if that would help you or not but it would get you back to CA. NJA would certainly be at the top of the pay heap - and presumably QOL as well but then the TA hasnt been ratified yet either.

 

[B-J-J Fighter]

Twotter if you don't mind me asking what regional did you leave and why? Thanks!

 

[WillFlyFoCookie]

In that boat

I'm just in my first week at Netjets after working for a regional for the almost the last 2 years and so far, so good. It certainly isn't for everyone but I believe that it was a good choice personally for me. There are plenty of tradeoffs. This certainly isn't for just anyone. My impression thus far is that it takes a pretty darn good pilot/ramp manager/baggage handler/embassador-for-the-company to do this job.

I'll have the home basing and we are all keeping our fingers crossed that in the future everyone who wants home basing will be able to get it...that is if the company gives in. Those that are here from many different regionals don't seem to regret it.

 

[mooser]

I'm just in my first week at Netjets after working for a regional for the almost the last 2 years and so far, so good. It certainly isn't for everyone but I believe that it was a good choice personally for me. There are plenty of tradeoffs. This certainly isn't for just anyone. My impression thus far is that it takes a pretty darn good pilot/ramp manager/baggage handler/embassador-for-the-company to do this job.

I'll have the home basing and we are all keeping our fingers crossed that in the future everyone who wants home basing will be able to get it...that is if the company gives in. Those that are here from many different regionals don't seem to regret it.

Intersting....Anyone from XJET overthere???

Mooser

 

[SkyBoy1981]

My impression thus far is that it takes a pretty darn good pilot/ramp manager/baggage handler/embassador-for-the-company to do this job.

Don't forget Flight Attendant. Unless of course you're at NJI.

I personally prefer the airline environment. Had a similar job for 3+ years and really have no desire to go back to that lifestyle again. To each his own.

 

[RSRVWINDSURFR]

Intersting....Anyone from XJET overthere???

Mooser

Dude, you crack me up! Great Lakes never pan out for ya?

 

[Twotter76]

Twotter if you don't mind me asking what regional did you leave and why? Thanks!

Im leaving Air Wisconsin because it is not the place that it was when I first came here two years ago. I am a west coast guy at heart and I dont want anything to do with our new bases. To say nothing of the fact that our relationship with management has gone into the toilet in the last year. I have worked for several regionals and none of them were quite I what I was looking for so now I am going to try something new. For me this new deal is win win but NJA is certainly not the job for everyone. I imagine it will be a bit more work than the airline job but thats ok too.

 

[Magneto]

I don't know about the rest of you but I don't think that 7 on 7 off schedule is anything to get excited about. I have a wife and kids and being gone for a week would be detrimental to my marriage and my family. Yeah I know I know "but you're home for a week also". Murphy's Law states that all crap is going to hit the fan when I'm gone not when I'm home, ie. flooded basement, broken car, etc etc.

Just my opinion.

 

[Lear70]

I flew at Flexjet for 2 years before moving on... after the failed 727 company, I've been with Pinnacle for nearly 5 years. I was offered a job at Netjets at the same time I was offered PCL and turned NJA down.

The Fractional life is not any better than the regional life, after living both I can tell you that the following will get REALLY old, REALLY quick, especially if being home is of ANY importance to you:

- 7 days on duty in a row. Can you say burn-out?
- 14 days off a month (on average). Most regionals already get this.
- Humping someone else's bags around trying to pretend you give a sh*t.
- Doing all your own manual releases, flight planning, weather planning, route planning, catering, limos, taxis, etc.
- Cleaning the lav, or at least removing and replacing the nasty bastard and having the line people hate you for having to clean it (if they will).
- Cleaning the aircraft every leg. Stocking the aircraft every leg.
- Babysitting the millionair's obnoxious kids when they're flying without the parents.
- Never knowing if you're going to be on the ground on an overnight long enough to go out and do anything (I love knowing I'm going to get 30 hours in BOS or AUS to play).
- Now having to move somewhere you don't necessarily want to live. Then add insult to injury of not having any pass/jumpseat privileges to get BACK to where there are people you know and love.

I am at arguably one of the worst regionals in the world, and I still wouldn't leave here for NJA, even though the pay is pretty d*mn good (I wouldn't mind making $95-$105k right now and that's where I'd be coming up on in pay scale if I had the same seniority there).

If you're younger, don't have any firm ties, don't really give a rat's about upgrade (it's 3-5 years now at NJA), then by all means go for it. Just realize what you're getting into.

 

[SkyBoy1981]

Excellent post Lear70. I think that pretty much covered all of it. Sounds just like my old 91 corporate job. It humors me to hear all of these disgruntled regional pilots that I fly with talk about how terrible things are at the airlines and how much better it would be to fly fractionals/corporate. The grass may be greener, but it still tastes like grass.

 

[B-J-J Fighter]

Lear 70,

Thanks for the insight. I was thinking about jumpimg ship to the FRACS when I had enough time. I would not consider it now because I don't won't to hump bags. Carry your own dam bags. I also want to show up, close the door and know by looking at the release that I'm legal. I don't want to do any flight planning. The FRACS seem good because of the money they make. I get the same days off now.

 

[Lear70]

Lear 70,

Thanks for the insight. I was thinking about jumpimg ship to the FRACS when I had enough time. I would not consider it now because I don't won't to hump bags. Carry your own dam bags. I also want to show up, close the door and know by looking at the release that I'm legal. I don't want to do any flight planning. The FRACS seem good because of the money they make. I get the same days off now.

I would hate to keep someone from their dream job, some people LOVE it at NJA, but most of those are CA's who aren't doing the majority of the "bag humping" or lav servicing or other such things...

Just bear in mind, I still catch legality problems with my releases at least once a week - a product of having too few dispatchers for too many flights. Make sure you ALWAYS check everything everyone else has done that you can possibly look at while preflighting (weather, alternates, notams, mx signoffs, vor/vot checks, flight time FAR limits). This place is still a lot of work, just a different kind.

 

[Cavpilot]

I would hate to keep someone from their dream job, some people LOVE it at NJA, but most of those are CA's who aren't doing the majority of the "bag humping" or lav servicing or other such things...

Actually, the duties are pretty much shared. There are a few captains that sit in the FBO and don't do jack, but they are few and far between. It is true that at NJA there are a lot more responsibilities than merely flying the plane. It is really not that big of a deal though. If you don't want to hump bags or clean the plane, then don't. Get the FBO guy to do it because all of your tips are reimbursed.

Life on the road is not all that bad either. We stay in great hotels, and get fed pretty darn well. It is true that you don't know where you will spend the night from one day to the next. Personally I like it that way, it keeps things interesting. Who realy cares if you know in advance that you get a 12 hour overnight in Rochester. Also, no high speeds or 8 hour turns. It is 10 minimum rest.

It is not perfect by any means and there are guys that just don't like this kind of flying. But for me, I don't regret leaving Comair for one second. When I look at what my buddies that are still there are going through (still on reserve, pay cuts, dim future) and then compare it to my situation, I know I made the right call.

 

[Lear70]

Excellent post Cav. Like you said, for some people it's their dream job.

I didn't know that all tips were reimbursed either... how exactly does that work?

I'm senior enough to not to have to worry about high speeds although we do have some 9 hour layovers.

Personally, the 7 days on the road in a row with kids plus the whole uncertainty of moving or not to a domicile is a deal breaker, but it's great that it works for you.

As you've proven, there's no "perfect mold" for EVERY pilot; people just have different ideas of what they want to do. Mine personally is heavy metal International 4 days on 4 days off, but... we see how many of THOSE we have at Pinnacle... LOL