What would you charge?

It took me 6 months to find work in the Socal area. My boss paid for my Be350 type rating and I am on salary, however I have met some pilots that are freelancing here in the San Diego area. One thing to keep in mind is the Sunshine Tax. The going rate for pilots in this area is less than the nation's. I have heard Florida is also sunny and pilots are taxed appropriately.

The going rate in most parts of the nation are $500/day for a 350 rated pilots and maybe other King Airs. Some pilots are asking for that in Socal but the ones asking $400 are staying busy. My friend who is B-300 rated and teaches at a King Air sim facility charges $400/day and $500/mo to manage a plane. Someone convinced him to take $350 and he has regretted it. He has been offered a 10 day a month guarantee for $3500 but turned it down when it came with a cell phone and desk he was afraid of being handcuffed to. My point being there is downward pressure on the market and airplane owners trying to get more for less from pilots. Have the exact expectations of and boundaries of your job description written out going into it.

Based on the market and your experience I would shoot for $350/day, a monthly for managing the aircraft if the management has been established and you are taking over. A start-up fee for managing it if the management program is not established. From my experience its a lot of work creating a management program from scratch. I would aim for a schedule a week in advance, or 48 hours notice at least. That way you do some work on the side or have a life of some sort. A 6 month contract with a monthly minimum would be nice. It would allow you to have some guarantee and if your working too hard or have other opportunities you can go back to the table after 6 months.
 
I must say this thread kind of depresses me. When I pick up open time at a commuter I don't get out of bed for under $800/day, generally get $1000, and have hit $1500 on occasion unless it's a 4-day stretch, then roughly $750/day. I cannot believe a King Air PIC is only getting $300-$400 per day on contract (not salary), and chances are they have to do a lot more than I do, in that I just show up and punch in the flight plan that dispatch files. I have to wonder, are airline guys overpaid?
 
wheelsup said:
I have to wonder, are airline guys overpaid?
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No corporate pilot's are underpaid. I want your job.

Corporate pilots have taken the same hit as airline pilot wages. Maybe even worse in the last 3-4 years of recession. Corporate planes just got parked, pilots were laid off. Some day rates took a huge hit.

King Airs are what I see as the lowest common denominator in corporate aviation, there is a ton of pilots with King Air experience. A pilot with a 350 type rating, has a unique advantage and can demand the princely sum of $400 a day. Any King Air pilot with a salary over $80K is in a good spot.
 
Thanks for the advice. I flew with the guy yesterday and it is not for me. Not enough pay for a 2 hour drive. Plus, he wants a full time commitment with part time pay. I told him, if its part time, than I want hard days on and off, so I can work another job. And he said that I did not get paid while I was at training. Not cool in my book at all. Coupled with a few other things, its just not the right spot for me.
 
SFLAX said:
Thanks for the advice. I flew with the guy yesterday and it is not for me. Not enough pay for a 2 hour drive. Plus, he wants a full time commitment with part time pay. I told him, if its part time, than I want hard days on and off, so I can work another job. And he said that I did not get paid while I was at training. Not cool in my book at all. Coupled with a few other things, its just not the right spot for me.
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Sorry to hear that didn't work out, but from what it sounds like, you made the right choice. Everyone wants something for nothing today, and it's rather depressing.
 
That sucks. He will find someone too. And that's too bad.
Amazing how someone has enough cabbage to get and maintain a kingair (who is managing it?) and then can not properly pay a professional to fly it. To PIC *any* multi engine turbo prop is worth $400 (and depending on the area, maybe quite a bit more) a day on a part time bassis. Almost should take the job to toast an engine, take one for the team. Let him really feel the pain of someone who has not paid their dues.
Sorry. I'm in a mood.
 
Itchy said:
That sucks. He will find someone too. And that's too bad.
.
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I have heard of a guy who was able to find a guy willing to fly a King Air for $250 a day. You might have heard about it, if not plug ntsb, king air, long beach into google.
 
wheelsup said:
I must say this thread kind of depresses me. When I pick up open time at a commuter I don't get out of bed for under $800/day, generally get $1000, and have hit $1500 on occasion unless it's a 4-day stretch, then roughly $750/day. I cannot believe a King Air PIC is only getting $300-$400 per day on contract (not salary), and chances are they have to do a lot more than I do, in that I just show up and punch in the flight plan that dispatch files. I have to wonder, are airline guys overpaid?
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Sorry for not noticing this before, but why do you think I commute 5000+ miles to work and spend 30 days on the road? It's not because I enjoy torturing myself. Right now, I actually make money, am home more than when I flew in the US for peanuts, and am not bringing the market down to feed my family. It is depressing to see what the US market has become...
 
$400/day minimum to fly a B200 - $500 if its just sporadic once in a blue moon stuff. I charge $350/day plus exp to fly a twin Cessna.

Just my 0.02c worth.

Bp244
 
I charge $600/day pulling the gear up and down on a G200. Surely you can do about the same actually flying the airplane, and single pilot at that.
 
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