Retaining Pilots

hook_dupin

hook_dupin

Well-Known Member
I am part of a planning team for a new 135 scheduled airline. The team is concerned with retaining pilots so we want to develop a plan for pilot retention. We will require 135 IFR minimums (sorry low-timers, we feel you -we just won’t have a need for SICs). We’ve decided not to require training contracts. This creates a potential dilemma for us. As we can only hire at 1200 hours, with the airlines hiring at 1500 it potentially means we will only have pilots for 300 hours before some pilots move on to the 121 world. We are also a small airline so paying significantly above industry rates is going to be difficult.


What suggestions or quality of life factors do you have to retain pilots beyond 1500 hours?
 
Well, the low hanging fruit is pay and QOL. The cliche would be, treat folks correctly and they will stay, i.e. You don't quit a job you quit your boss.

Define "retention". How long do you realistically want to hold onto a pilot? Is this a career gig or are you just looking to minimize training costs?

Besides pay and benefits, what else can you offer your pilots; check airmen, leadership roles, etc.


All I got off the top of my head.


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Money. Pay them significantly more than the airlines and they will probably stay. Simple. Also if you don't treat people poorly (require them to be on call for long periods of time, don't give them much time off) it will make it even less likely that they leave. If you don't pay well, people will leave. That's just the way it is.

Is it rude to ask if this was a serious question? It's like the exit interviews at my current employer. So mr. pilot man, why'd you leave us for this other airline that pays double? Oh, for the money? Oh, I see.
 
hook_dupin said:
I am part of a planning team for a new 135 scheduled airline. The team is concerned with retaining pilots so we want to develop a plan for pilot retention. We will require 135 IFR minimums (sorry low-timers, we feel you -we just won’t have a need for SICs). We’ve decided not to require training contracts. This creates a potential dilemma for us. As we can only hire at 1200 hours, with the airlines hiring at 1500 it potentially means we will only have pilots for 300 hours before some pilots move on to the 121 world. We are also a small airline so paying significantly above industry rates is going to be difficult.


What suggestions or quality of life factors do you have to retain pilots beyond 1500 hours?
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What if you make the minimums ATP mins. Then you will get people that actually want to work for you versus time builders.
 
Dugie8 said:
Besides pay and benefits, what else can you offer your pilots; check airmen, leadership roles, etc.


All I got off the top of my head.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Except guys can do that at an airline but with a much better support network than you'll get at a small 135. I've been in 135 management for 2.5 years and if I ever leave this place there's no way in hell I'll ever do management again (at least not at a 135). Don't nobody need that kind of stress in they life.
 
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Alchemy said:
Money. Pay them significantly more than the airlines and they will probably stay. Simple. Also if you don't treat people poorly (require them to be on call for long periods of time, don't give them much time off) it will make it even less likely that they leave. If you don't pay well, people will leave. That's just the way it is.

Is it rude to ask if this was a serious question? It's like the exit interviews at my current employer. So mr. pilot man, why'd you leave us for this other airline that pays double? Oh, for the money? Oh, I see.
Click to expand...

Also, don't sue your pilot group.
 
O boy. Money and be properly staffed to allow people to not have that dreaded 135 schedule. Why on earth would you want to do this in this in todays market?
 
Well as you can see the answers are pretty much what you'd expect. So I would suggest asking a different question.
How can you live with the high turnover? Come up with a good plan (sounds so easy) that will at least mitigate some of the difficulties of constant turnover. It can be done. Other industries do it all the time. There will be additional costs no matter what idea you come up with.
So perhaps in the end you are back where you started....Just try to pay even a bit more to retain guys.
and lastly....I would suggest a fleet of 'Falcons or Gulfstreams. Shizzzaaah!! works everytime. shiney metal...yes...!
 
This will be entertaining to watch. There are sayings in aviation that are normally pretty true and shouldn't be ignored. Like "never date a flight attendant" and "if you want to be a millionaire start an airline when you're a billionaire" or something along those lines. Good luck.
 
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I am going to be with a part 135 ops for a couple years. I am happy with equipment but these are actual reasons why I feel like I am not going to be able to stay there forever.
1. QOL. On the days that I am on I am required to keep my phone on 24/7. I don't get hard days off. (Yeah, supposed to I know....but I am not at the point where I am willing to negotiate that. As it is I was told to expect 60 flight hours or less each month so I think it is workable despite the lack of hard days off). There are companies that have two sets of crew and each set are on standby only 12 hours at a time and that works great. High retention, nobody ever leaves. And of course give them hard days off, make it like 8 days a month like normal people who work 9-5 get. Or somewhere close to that.
2. rest time. I guess giving them reasonable rest period, if possible beyond legal requirement, would be sweet. Legal does not mean it is enough. If I get 10 hour rest period and it takes me 2 hours total to drive to and from the airport to my home, then I still need to eat and get cleaned up and stuff, how many hours of sleep do I actually get? You see...
3. Decent pay.
 
tlove482 said:
What if you make the minimums ATP mins. Then you will get people that actually want to work for you versus time builders.
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I actually like this idea a lot.

Combined, of course, with pay.

Some of it depends on equipment (Upon which, arguably, depends CASS), bases, and schedule though... 135 pilots can be worked like dogs... at least we could in AK.

(Also, I think autopilots, on a shoestring, can be less-reliable than SICs... depending on equipment and mx. I'd make sure to do careful analysis!)

-Fox
 
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