At a decision point in the career

turbomax97

What can brown do for you?
So as some of you know our new hire class got axed 3 days before we were supposed to start. In the meantime - I've been trying to figure out a way to get the cash flow started since we don't qualify for unemployment now.

Here's the situation, I interviewed with 2 companies

Company A: Working in ops for a carrier making a good check, 3 days off per week, and living at home with the ability to leave when I need be. Biggest advantage is the possibility of getting a foot in the door as a pilot making good money in about 2 - 3 years. Downside is it will make maintaining currency and proficiency a little more interesting once I start class at Skywest in the future.

Company B: On-demand charter company flying a falcon 20 - On call M-F with a 1 hour call out. I would have to work one rotating weekend per month. The other down side is there is a 12 month training contract with the penalty being 10,000 - If I upgrade, tack on another 24,000 and 2 years. All in all, I'd be there 3 years, but it would be some fast turbine pic and a route to Southwest Airlines. Out of the 6 guys I knew there, 5 got hired at southwest at the bare mins. Company B hauls auto parts and I wonder how long they will be around with the auto industry being in the state it is.

Skywest may call in 2 or 3 months, or not at all for a few years. So career wise - stability and a good paycheck with company A? Or, O.K. money at company B with the ability to beef up the resume?
 
Training contract huh?

That puts Company B in the trash in my book.

Good luck.

(Just to confirm, you were in class at Skywest - and were sent packing [your class] three days after starting? Did they "furlough" or terminate you guys? Do you retain your seniority or any furlough benefits? Man. . .what a raw deal. That would make the first time Skywest has furloughed)
 
Do B. Where can you go, get a type without some sort of training contract/agreement? When all the rest of the Gear Monkeys are wandering the streets looking for a job you'll be sitting pretty.
 
So as some of you know our new hire class got axed 3 days before we were supposed to start. In the meantime - I've been trying to figure out a way to get the cash flow started since we don't qualify for unemployment now.

Here's the situation, I interviewed with 2 companies

Company A: Working in ops for a carrier making a good check, 3 days off per week, and living at home with the ability to leave when I need be. Biggest advantage is the possibility of getting a foot in the door as a pilot making good money in about 2 - 3 years. Downside is it will make maintaining currency and proficiency a little more interesting once I start class at Skywest in the future.

Company B: On-demand charter company flying a falcon 20 - On call M-F with a 1 hour call out. I would have to work one rotating weekend per month. The other down side is there is a 12 month training contract with the penalty being 10,000 - If I upgrade, tack on another 24,000 and 2 years. All in all, I'd be there 3 years, but it would be some fast turbine pic and a route to Southwest Airlines. Out of the 6 guys I knew there, 5 got hired at southwest at the bare mins. Company B hauls auto parts and I wonder how long they will be around with the auto industry being in the state it is.

Skywest may call in 2 or 3 months, or not at all for a few years. So career wise - stability and a good paycheck with company A? Or, O.K. money at company B with the ability to beef up the resume?

USA Jet???
 
Do not go any place that wants to tie you down with a training contract. Why should anyone basically become an indentured servant?

The only place where I think that's acceptable is the military.
 
There is absolutely nothing wrong with a training contract. Why should a corp. not protect itself? They are not asking you to pay for your training, they are asking you to sign a legally binding contract that says you wont F them over.

And dont give me the BS answer that a good company doesnt need to because people wont leave. People will jump ship from an awesome company just because some other opportunity came up that might be better in their minds. That doesnt make the current company crappy, it makes them vulnerable.

The company I fly for is absolutely awesome. The people by and large are great, they treat me awesome and I'm paid extremely well. I stay in great hotels, have on average 18 days off a month, and im a 5 hour drive from the nearest management people, and as long as im doing my job, i dont hear from them.

Quite frankly, most pilots would kill for my job.

Guess what, I have a 18 month pro rated training contract. Guess my company isnt worth taking a job with.

Riiiight.


I vote for for the yip based job ;]
 
There is absolutely nothing wrong with a training contract. Why should a corp. not protect itself? They are not asking you to pay for your training, they are asking you to sign a legally binding contract that says you wont F them over.

And dont give me the BS answer that a good company doesnt need to because people wont leave. People will jump ship from an awesome company just because some other opportunity came up that might be better in their minds. That doesnt make the current company crappy, it makes them vulnerable.

The company I fly for is absolutely awesome. The people by and large are great, they treat me awesome and I'm paid extremely well. I stay in great hotels, have on average 18 days off a month, and im a 5 hour drive from the nearest management people, and as long as im doing my job, i dont hear from them.

Quite frankly, most pilots would kill for my job.

Guess what, I have a 18 month pro rated training contract. Guess my company isnt worth taking a job with.

Riiiight.


I vote for for the yip based job ;]
What company is that?
 
Training contract huh?

That puts Company B in the trash in my book.

Good luck.

(Just to confirm, you were in class at Skywest - and were sent packing [your class] three days after starting? Did they "furlough" or terminate you guys? Do you retain your seniority or any furlough benefits? Man. . .what a raw deal. That would make the first time Skywest has furloughed)


Well - we never made it to the positive space flight to the class. Got called right before class started. We're neither furloughed or terminated - just thrown back to the pool for more swimmin.' The only part that sucked was that we all quit our jobs - if they had decided one week earlier we wouldn't be unemployed. I suppose it's better this way than being furloughed right after getting through training.

Thanks everyone for your thoughts.
 
things are slowing down in the auto industry because people dont want to buy new cars cause they cant afford it.....they would rather fix their current car....so hauling around auto parts isnt a bad idea...
 
It's not like they're hauling autozone parts around - they're parts used by the boys in detroit etc.... so it's more like - since people are more likely to fix their old car - car manufacturers won't need the lift.
 
(Just to confirm, you were in class at Skywest - and were sent packing [your class] three days after starting? Did they "furlough" or terminate you guys? Do you retain your seniority or any furlough benefits? Man. . .what a raw deal. That would make the first time Skywest has furloughed)


What are you smoking? I want some!
 
I personally don't see a problem with training contracts. They pay for your type and training so they expect you to stay a certain period of time; this way they don't get screwed as bad when a pilot quits 2mo. into the job.
 
The contracts often aren't enforceable, depending on your jurisdiction etc (or so I'm told). Obviously, also, a decent company will release you from it should you lose your job. I signed a year long one 9 months ago with that understanding and don't regret it a bit. If they're going to lay down the money to send you to the sim, it's only fair to expect you to work for them long enough to make it a financially sane decision. Are there places that get you locked in and then abuse you? I'm sure there are, which is why you should do your homework on the jobs you're offered. But the contract itself isn't a red flag.

It's also worth remembering that whether they come after you for the contract, aviation is a small world, and you'd best believe that a DO or CP who got burned by a guy grabbing the type and running will have some choice things to say about him when the phone rings from the dream job.

The opinions I've heard of Cherry run from "it's ok" to "it's great", which is beating the heck out of par for the on demand world. It sounds like a good place to be to me.
 
I believe most training contracts are fair. I'm under training a "agreement" for the next 11 months myself. The honest truth is that the grass is always greener and it would be unfair to the company if you bounce as soon as someoe comes out with better pay. Of course their pay is better. They didn't just drop 10 to 20 grand on you type rating.:)
 
Back
Top