Would you leave your regional job for Netjets?

[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

 

[Cavpilot]

Lear,

We file expense reports at the completion of each tour. All reasonable tips are reimbursed.

As far as 7 days on the road, I totally agree with you, way too long. Six is about all I can stand. That is one of the reasons that I don't bid the 7&7. One of the other frax (Flexjet I think) works 8 on .

 

[Lear70]

Flex was 6 on 4 off last time I worked there - I know they've changed a lot (not necessarily for the better).

We also turned in expense reports and were reimbursed, but they didn't reimburse tips... that's pretty cool.

 

[bailout]

Where are the new domicles now?

 

[Cavpilot]

Where are the new domicles now?

LAX, TEB, CMH, DAL, PBI

 

[jtf]

Good pay and benefits + crappy domiciles = hard choice. I'll take an interview and think long and hard if offered the job. I'd be giving up an RJ Captain position that I've had for a year and a half, but with no friends anywhere better and such big uncertaintly in the airline business, I am soarly tempted.

 

[Cavpilot]

Good pay and benefits + crappy domiciles = hard choice.

JTF,
Believe me, you are not alone in your thinking. This provision of the TA (along with several other provisions) was obviously conceived by bean counters. In fact, a short look back at NetJets history shows that the current gateway system (25 Gateways) was a result of difficulty in recruiting. Most believe that History will once again repeat itself in regard to the domicile situation. The TA was, in fact written in such a way that the company can offer home basing to all.

 

[BoBcatav8r]

Thanks

I don't post very often but I just wanted to thank you guys for your input on this thread. It didn't take me long to filter through the bull on this one because there wasn't any. Appreciate it!

My decision in this matter might be pretty far down the road but NetJets has been a long term goal of mine for some time. As I become more informed, it seems that the general consensus on the matter is that one just needs to acclimate their career route to their individual needs. But then again, those needs are ever changing and sometimes hard to plan for as well. As if the industry wasn't tough enough. So many variables!

Thanks again!

 

[SlapShot]

How close to the bases do you have to live?

What is starting pay now with the new TA?

What equipment is most of the new hires going into?

If you do not get 7 on 7 off what are the other options?

 

[7KCAB]

I think it just depends on the individual and their particular situation. I personally am like an earlier poster in that 4 days are the most I can stand to be gone, but then again I am married and enjoy being at home. If you are single or just like being gone for 6-7 days, then Netjets' schedule wouldn't be a drawback. Guys that look at someone flying a 7-7 schedule may say "How can you be gone for 7 days?" and they may counter and say "Hey, I get a vacation every other week!"
I think that the flying at Netjets (or any fractional) is more challenging than the airline world, but again, some people like that and others like the repetition of flying the same places over and over. There are things to be said both for and against each.
I'm not sure what Netjets policy is, but at other fractionals you can live almost wherever you want as long as it is a specified distance from an airport with "airline service". In a way, everyone is a "commuter" and at the regionals, your QOL goes way down in many cases if you have to commute to your domicile.
The comparisons go on (pay, contracts, etc..), but I think most have been covered in this thread. Seems that no one particular thing sets one apart from the other - it comes down to what is best for the individual.