Dx 747's to Russia - Baltia Airlines looking someone w Int'l experience

Micky007

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Dispatch 747's to Russia - Baltia Airlines looking for an experienced dispatcher who has some Int'l background. Flights ops based near Ann Arbor MI - Trendy yet small college town. If you fit the background just message me...Thanks!
http://www.baltia.com/
 
It'a a great place with great people in a highly affordable area. Anyone with some int'l who is thinking of dispatching over the pond should contact me - great experience no matter what.
 
It'a a great place with great people in a highly affordable area. Anyone with some int'l who is thinking of dispatching over the pond should contact me - great experience no matter what.

Well good, I'm glad to hear it from someone who has real experience. Good luck to you.
 
For those wondering, I can attest to the awesome experience that is gained by going through the certification process. From getting manuals approved, to table tops, to proving runs and NAT/NOPAC certification...to getting our AOC - I've learned a ton. Whether they make it off the ground or not, the experience is valuable.

Warning: Weigh the risks for your own situation appropriately. If I'd had a family to take care of financially, I'd likely not have taken the risk where I'm at. There's no guarantee that they'll get their AOC and be prepared for it to take longer than you think. Nothing happens on time, or quickly for that matter.

Also, know that with a start up, you'll wear far more hats than just dispatcher. Be prepared for that and embrace it. You'll become more well rounded as a result, even though it's painful at times.

Good luck to the airline, and to those who apply.
 
@womanpilot73 is exactly correct. There are some majors out there who love people with intl experience. True intl experience, not the intl experience that consists of flying daily to Mexico, Canada, or other Caribbean nations. Dispatching over the NATs, NOPAC, CEPAC, etc. is truly the best experience you can have; some days you'll have nothing to do, but other days, you'll earn your yearly salary to do everything or anything to make the flight operate safely, legally, and efficiently.

Working at a start-up is some of the greatest experience a dispatcher can attain. Working with the Feds on everything, from OpSpec acquisition, training, tabletops, and Validation flights, puts a whole different perspective on the operation. Trying to explain it to some people is quite challenging at times. But, depending on your management staff, you can be set up to fail from the get-go. All I have to say is simple: DO YOUR RESEARCH! Find out about the company, the corporate staff (where they worked at previous lives), financial status, what's their long-term goal. (FYI: long term goals is about 10-20 years.).

What's the long term plan for Baltia? Fleet upgrade? Baltia is flying a 747-200, right? Starting in 2015 and ending in 2020, MNPS is mandating the requirement for CPDLC; I believe 2015 is the deadline for pax, and 2020 is the deadline for cargo aircraft. The 747-200 doesn't have CPDLC capability, so that might be an issue. There so many factors here. Also, look the time of year that the plane will be flying. Depending on the time of year, the 747 may be "too much airplane" for the proposed loads. Possibly look a 777 or even a 767-300ER. With those aircraft, you can have the greatest thing ever to exist for a commercial airliner: ETOPS.

Like @womanpilot73 said, good luck, I wish Baltia the best of success. Some of us have been through numerous (and numerous is an understatement) furloughs and carrier closures. It's easier to be an armchair CEO or Director of Operations, but having sat in business meetings with operations on a daily basis, I can honestly say, it's a brutal industry out there; either you love it or you hate it. I, actually, love it.
 
@womanpilot73 is exactly correct.

(FYI: long term goals is about 10-20 years.).

I never worked a start up, the closest I've been was a small carrier adding a new type to the certificate and starting up a subservice operation in South America. It was extremely educational, and even today there's info locked inmy head that occasionally comes up.

That being said, I would also say "buyer beware" of a start up. Baltia specifically has articles back to the early 90's about starting service and having authorities to the Soviet Union. Seems a long time in the making, either they have all their ducks in a row orrrr...

My advice would be do your research, don't buy real estate, and be financially prepared for unemployment to strike at any time. (disclaimer, this is not Baltia specific advice, but every start up and most "established" carriers)
 
Someone once described Ypsilanti to me as "the armpit of lower Michigan." So, take that for what it's worth. I know the initial posting said Ann Arbor, but the website indicates an Ypsilanti address. Also be prepared for some cold winters. It can be a shock to the system if you're from a warm part of the country (I speak from experience here, although in my case I lived in Wisconsin and New Hampshire.)

Also, working at a startup is good experience, but it can also take a while to get traditional airline benefits - and it sounds like non-revving on your own airline in this case, once they do start operations, would require a trip to JFK from Michigan. Don't count on jumpseat availability right away either, as @womanpilot73 can attest to. All this being said, good luck to all those who apply! Just be sure you're going in there with your eyes open. Caveat emptor, indeed.
 
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Really do your homework if interested. It does look like this has been a work in progress for a really, really long time - years actually. Ours took 2 years, which we've been told is really fast from start to finish.

What I'd be concerned about too is that there is only one airplane. So what are the plans for when that one airplane is AOG? Granted, we got our AOC with only one airplane on the certificate (simplicity and time/$ savings) but have several and they continue to be brought online.

A few of the reasons I took the plunge here was that the owner has done this before and been successful. He owned all aircraft - not leased. That makes a big difference, as my fellow RIA alumni know. The owner also had the capital. I knew he wouldn't invest all of his own money in this project only to let it fail before getting off the ground.

So please do your homework before making a decision that could cost you. Especially if you have a family to support.

Things like flight benefits and such were not a concern to me as I made the decision for a deliberate purpose - to gain experience and a deeper knowledge of the operation as a whole, with the goal to have that help move me forward in my career as a dispatcher. FYI - It did take us 7 months after getting our AOC to get CASS approval.

Another point to make...don't attempt this if you don't want to work hard. As a start up, the resources you'll have will be minimal and staffing will be scarce. There have been days that were so unbelievably stressful and busy as a result, and I swear I didn't know my own name by the time I got off shift. Lol... My point is, it's definitely not for the folks out there that really just want to do the minimum to get by. You'll be in for a rude awakening. ;-)
 
Another point to make...don't attempt this if you don't want to work hard. As a start up, the resources you'll have will be minimal and staffing will be scarce. There have been days that were so unbelievably stressful and busy as a result, and I swear I didn't know my own name by the time I got off shift. Lol... My point is, it's definitely not for the folks out there that really just want to do the minimum to get by. You'll be in for a rude awakening. ;-)

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@womanpilot73 is exactly correct. There are some majors out there who love people with intl experience. True intl experience, not the intl experience that consists of flying daily to Mexico, Canada, or other Caribbean nations. Dispatching over the NATs, NOPAC, CEPAC, etc. is truly the best experience you can have; some days you'll have nothing to do, but other days, you'll earn your yearly salary to do everything or anything to make the flight operate safely, legally, and efficiently.

Working at a start-up is some of the greatest experience a dispatcher can attain. Working with the Feds on everything, from OpSpec acquisition, training, tabletops, and Validation flights, puts a whole different perspective on the operation. Trying to explain it to some people is quite challenging at times. But, depending on your management staff, you can be set up to fail from the get-go. All I have to say is simple: DO YOUR RESEARCH! Find out about the company, the corporate staff (where they worked at previous lives), financial status, what's their long-term goal. (FYI: long term goals is about 10-20 years.).

What's the long term plan for Baltia? Fleet upgrade? Baltia is flying a 747-200, right? Starting in 2015 and ending in 2020, MNPS is mandating the requirement for CPDLC; I believe 2015 is the deadline for pax, and 2020 is the deadline for cargo aircraft. The 747-200 doesn't have CPDLC capability, so that might be an issue. There so many factors here. Also, look the time of year that the plane will be flying. Depending on the time of year, the 747 may be "too much airplane" for the proposed loads. Possibly look a 777 or even a 767-300ER. With those aircraft, you can have the greatest thing ever to exist for a commercial airliner: ETOPS.

Like @womanpilot73 said, good luck, I wish Baltia the best of success. Some of us have been through numerous (and numerous is an understatement) furloughs and carrier closures. It's easier to be an armchair CEO or Director of Operations, but having sat in business meetings with operations on a daily basis, I can honestly say, it's a brutal industry out there; either you love it or you hate it. I, actually, love it.

Thanks for the insight and Yes,,,,many things in the works and once in motion it's highly likely we'll upgrade to 747-400's and newer models for massive freight potential ($$$$) in addition to MNPS etc..,
 
Someone once described Ypsilanti to me as "the armpit of lower Michigan." So, take that for what it's worth. I know the initial posting said Ann Arbor, but the website indicates an Ypsilanti address. Also be prepared for some cold winters. It can be a shock to the system if you're from a warm part of the country (I speak from experience here, although in my case I lived in Wisconsin and New Hampshire.)

Also, working at a startup is good experience, but it can also take a while to get traditional airline benefits - and it sounds like non-revving on your own airline in this case, once they do start operations, would require a trip to JFK from Michigan. Don't count on jumpseat availability right away either, as @womanpilot73 can attest to. All this being said, good luck to all those who apply! Just be sure you're going in there with your eyes open. Caveat emptor, indeed.

Appreciate the notes. We already have signed jumpseat agreements ready once we're certified. Yes, Ypsi address as near the willow run aiport where the B-25s were made. Ann Arbor is only 15 mins,. quick drive and is an awesome town for singles or families. Plus burbs of Detroit are nice as well - That's where I live. For a new guys looking to move up....Great Chance!
 
Appreciate the notes. We already have signed jumpseat agreements ready once we're certified. Yes, Ypsi address as near the willow run aiport where the B-25s were made. Ann Arbor is only 15 mins,. quick drive and is an awesome town for singles or families. Plus burbs of Detroit are nice as well - That's where I live. For a new guys looking to move up....Great Chance!

So, they are planning on including the dispatchers in CASS, yes? I think that should be a standard practice but at a former employer they had this "pilots only" mentality, first denying that DXers were authorized, then bitching about the cost of fingerprinting, etc. Congrats on getting the jumpseat agreements done in advance.

With regards to the DTW area, the biggest advantage I see is - the low cost of living. :) But seriously, I know the suburbs are quite nice - had a friend who got married in one of them and I was pleasantly surprised, not having spent much time in that area previously.
 
MNPS is mandating the requirement for CPDLC

Sort of. The MNPS Standard has been retired. It will be called NAT HLA (NAT High Level Airspace). The NAT Datalink Mandate requires CPDLC and ADS-C FL350/390 but only on the NAT tracks themselves. Progressively stricter requirements til 2020 then all NAT airspace from FL290 and higher will require CPDLC and ADS-C.

For those carriers with B039 (the MNPS Spec), we'll know more after the March OpSpecs WG (I hope), but I'm part of the industry team helping the feds rewrite the B039 OpSpec (already gave them a single-ply TP rough draft of my version of a new B039) - meeting with one of the SME FEDs over it the Monday before St Patricks day in DCA.

I cant wait for the fireworks this November when the 1/2 degree tracks come into play...

Sorry for the thread hijack...
 
dispatchguy said:
Sort of. The MNPS Standard has been retired. It will be called NAT HLA (NAT High Level Airspace). The NAT Datalink Mandate requires CPDLC and ADS-C FL350/390 but only on the NAT tracks themselves. Progressively stricter requirements til 2020 then all NAT airspace from FL290 and higher will require CPDLC and ADS-C.

For those carriers with B039 (the MNPS Spec), we'll know more after the March OpSpecs WG (I hope), but I'm part of the industry team helping the feds rewrite the B039 OpSpec (already gave them a single-ply TP rough draft of my version of a new B039) - meeting with one of the SME FEDs over it the Monday before St Patricks day in DCA.

I cant wait for the fireworks this November when the 1/2 degree tracks come into play...

Sorry for the thread hijack...

And one acronym to rule them all.
 
its this real? lol Baltia the 20-year startup... why anyone thinks its a good idea to fly a 35+ year 747-200 across the pond to Russia of all places (in this political climate) is beyond me... there is copious evidence presented that Baltia is nothing but a ponzi scheme.

"The Company has incurred a deficit during its development stage of approximately $97,829,713 million and consumed approximately $30,013,410 million of cash due to its operating activities. The Company may not have adequate readily available resources to fund operations through December 31, 2014. This raises substantial doubt about the Company's ability to continue as a going concern," its SEC filing read

Now they're magically hiring for ops? lol
 
Conspiracy theorists abound yet this is a great way to move right into Intl ops, high seniority, low cost yet high standard of lving plus great work environment. All together those hard to find.
 
So it's a unicorn.
Don't be preposterous, Unicorns obviously don't exist. This seems more akin to either outright deception (too good to be true) or negligent optimism (there's nowhere to go but up). Both mindsets should raise red flags for anyone who works in aviation.

I'm not saying it's one way or the other but I will echo @womanpilot73 in saying do as much research as you can first. I wouldn't recommend rolling the dice on this one if you're not prepared to accept all of the risk that comes with it.
 
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