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