Xojet - hybrid charter/fractional Citation Xs & King Airs

[johnsonrod]

I just posted this in the 135 section as well:

I just read about this charter/fractional hybrid in Aviation International News and I was wondering if anyone had any specifics on the operation. Note www.xojet.com. Specifically:

1. Do you need a Citation X type to get hired onto the X?

2. Are crews qualified in more than one aircraft (e.g., King Air and Premier jet)?

3. What is the rough starting salary for a newhire in the X, Premier and King Air?

4. Typical QOL - days off per month, likely hours per month, RONs

5. Is McClellan in California the only pilot base? Are further bases planned?

6. Lastly, what are the best and worst aspects of this operation from a pilot's perspective?


Sorry about the laundry list of questions. It sounds like an interesting concept and Xojet appears to be flying the aircraft quite hard... Six Citation Xs each flying 1,100 hours annually according to the article. Also sounds like the five King Airs are Pro Line 21 equipped as well - that's nice... The article also mentioned that an East Coast base equipped with King Airs and more Premier Jets might be opened soon.

Any more details would be appreciated - PMs are welcome.

 

[skiandsurf]

Any more details would be appreciated - PMs are welcome.

Have heard that a couple of there pilots are quitting this week. From what I have heard, they extend your week regularly. Not sure how much flying. They have (had) a Wilmington, DE base, that is supposedly closing down....thus the guys quitting are based there.

Small company trying to make it in a fractional world. One of the top guys has a NetJets background.

This is all I have heard, from a good source.......pilot that is quitting.

 

[Huggyu2]

Your friend that is quitting: what does he fly there?

 

[dashtrasher]

Didn't some Indy guys go there??

 

[skiandsurf]

A handful of Indy guys. Guys I know are on the X, and the Premier. The Premier guy doesnt fly a whole lot, still there as long as I know. The X guys are leaving due to the closure of the Wilmington base....( remember this is what they are telling me and could be full of it).

Former Indy guy is the D.O.

 

[Huggyu2]

This is all I have heard, from a good source.......pilot that is quitting.

What aircraft is he quitting from? What job did he take to leave this one?

 

[skiandsurf]

What aircraft is he quitting from? What job did he take to leave this one?

2 guys leaving out of the X, going to "Skybus". a Columbus start up.

XOJet is trying to cut their pay, and extend their trips up to a full 2 weeks weeks away.

Also talked to the Citation mechanics in SMF the other day. He said that a couple of mechanics quit Cessna to go to XOJet. They quit XO and returned to Cessna.

 

[Huggyu2]

mmmm..... not good. Thanks for the reply.

 

[skiandsurf]

If there are any XOJet guys on here, please correct me if I am wrong. I dont want to pass on bad info.

Being that no one has defended them, I assume I am correct.

 

[justwatching]

Ski, I had heard the same. I think that all of your info is right on. I have a friend that worked there and he left as well. McClellan is not the greatest place to live and there isn't as much flying as they represent. Apparently, the majority of their flying is support for EJM and Sentient. With that being the case, you may as well go fly at NetJets and have a much better QOL - and who wants to fly for Sentient?!? God forbid, EJM stop using them, everyone is gone then. The owner is a Silicon Valley guy who made some dough. At the end of the day, if the $ gets tight he won't even think twice about reducing overhead, he has a lot on the line. In fact it is mostly all tech folks in the management team. I think they are still trying to learn the industry while paying some very big bills.