Airnet or Flight Express

Mark83

New Member
*Disclaimer: This is not meant to be a mine is bigger than yours argument.
We only need the opinions of current or former Airnet or Flight Express pilots. 300 hour wonders need not comment.
:yeahthat:
All things considered equal for argument sake;
If both companies were hiring. Applicant has 135 minimums, lives by bases of each company and has no prior 135 experience.
Which company has the best to offer? (QOL, Schedule, Upgrade times, Management, Etc)

:argue:
 
I'm curious about something along those same lines...

Someone recently offered to sell me a bushel of apples OR a bushel of oranges, both for $5. Which one is the better deal? :sarcasm:
 
I'm curious about something along those same lines...

Someone recently offered to sell me a bushel of apples OR a bushel of oranges, both for $5. Which one is the better deal? :sarcasm:

Maybe I should have raised the bar to 350 hour pilots need not comment and/or truck drivers. :rawk:
 
At Airnet you start out in the Baron and have the potential to upgrade to the lear. At Flight Express you start in the 210 and have the ability to upgrade to the Baron. That counted for a lot for me.
 
At Airnet you start out in the Baron and have the potential to upgrade to the lear. At Flight Express you start in the 210 and have the ability to upgrade to the Baron. That counted for a lot for me.

Yeah, that.
 
Airnet have Navajos and Caravan (turbine PIC). Why Upgrade to a Baron at Flight Express, when you can start out in one at AirNet?

Airnet is a bigger company. Pay is better at AirNet if you're lucky with per diem and five-day run. Possibly better benefits, more bonus money. Also bonus money at Airnet later, when (if) upgrading.
 
How does a pilot progress at Airnet? I'd assume Baron, Cheiftain, Caravan, Lear? Are all aircraft (except lear) single pilot operations? Thanks for all your insights!
 
When hired, you do your training in a Baron. If bid a run that requires Caravan or Navajo, you'll get a check ride in that too. You can get either one right out of training, all single engine PIC. From there you'll upgrade to SIC in jet.
 
Airnet's not bad and there's Flight Express pilots on here that seem to be pretty happy with their experience as well. My advice would be don't go to any company right now that you aren't comfortable sticking it out with for the next 5-6 years.
 
Im a former FLX pilot (former airnet canidate too:D) and I say airnet has a better career progression. You start in a Baron, have the chance for a van spot quickly, and nothing beats that time flying a lear four or five days a week. Jumpseat rides make the deal that much sweeter.

With that being said FLX pays better, depending on where the base is the runs are alot better too (day runs, as normal you can get in aviation). If you want to save some coin and not pay rent you can live in the hanger in saint louis or nashville. Just remember I dont think anyone has gone from flight express straight to a place like netjets or fedex (thats a biggie).
 
If you were to live in a prop base for Airnet, do they require you to relocate when you upgrade to the the Lear? I noticed that Airnet guys can jumpseat, my question being can you commute when flying the lear or any aircraft for that matter?
Secondly, where are (or were) the pilots going when they leave both Airnet and FLX. If you can get turbine time at Airnet, I'd amagine that you'd have bigger options once you move on from Airnet? At Flight Express you'd leave with a bunch of multi time. So where are the Flight Express pilots getting hired?
Thanks again for your insights.
 
Commuting at Airnet is strongly discouraged, but hey, they cannot stop you. Gotta be in base 10 hours prior though. Most runs being M-T or M-F, you'd be coming home Saturday morning, and leave Sunday morning.

You upgrade to learjet when you have seniority to bid and get a lear run. Then you'll relocate to wherever it is. You don't have to bid a city you don't want to relocate to, in fact, you don't have to bid at all: you can keep your run for as long as you wish, and hold out for the city you want.

multi time is abundant at Airnet...
 
Some pilots from FLX go to other 135 ops with jets or turboprops. I went to USA jet to build jet time. Alot go to the regionals with a ton of multi time.

I may be wrong but I havnt heard of anyone going from flight express to netjets (my ultimate goal) or any major carriers.
 
18 months from Prop SIC to Lear Captain.
That was a freak accident though. Don't think that is the norm. Right now it will be about 100years from prop sic-jet captain. We have a lot of former US check/Airnet pilots that have gone straight to Netjets/Flexjet/name your fractional. Also, quite a few US Carriers Southwest ect. I'd say come to airnet, but don't expect to be in the lear(as captain/commadore{that's for you Mike}), EVER (unless you stick it out here for awhile). Just hope a twin turbine will come about.
 
Back
Top