Effect of "pilot shortage" in frac/charter operators

z987k said:
That's a mistake. Never go to the local FSDO.
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They didn't. He had a family member high up in the FAA who called in his minions and accomplished nothing. Even still, the local FSDO will ultimately make the call. It's wrong, should not be that way, but will never change.
 
Charlie Foxtrot said:
I mean I know they have ads out there. But let's be honest, it's a 135 crap shoot. Pay is Mehh, based in the NE, and it was a 1 year training agreement upon new hire, but now they have started to try and enforce training agreements for recurrents.

So....now you can see why the company is short staffed.
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26 North?

I can kind of agree with 1 year training contracts, especially if its for a new type for someone, but recurrent training contracts are complete BS, plus I doubt they'd hold up in court. My previous employer tried to make everyone sign recurrent contracts, and there was almost a mutiny. Thankfully cooler heads prevailed and they shelved that idea.
 
There are dirty scumbags in charge of the U.S. government. The corruption is not only high up, but also down low to the individual's level. The FAA declares one thing illegal, and yet its own apparatus neither wishes nor cares to enforce its own ruling. Nothing but money-greedy chumps, I say.... I'm expecting FBI agents to come to my door now that I posted that.

Yes, this post was somewhat sarcastic about the FBI agents, but there is a huge element of truth to the rest.
 
scoobs said:
Are there any charter companies that are worth staying at longterm?
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Depends on your definition of "worth" and "long term"

There are freaks that stay at places like Ameriflight for a career. My first charter company was a complete dirtbag outfit, and there was a guy who had been there 10 years, living on call 24/7 flying POS Lears for horrible pay, and he LOVED it.


To answer your question, yes they exist, but they are as hard to find as the dream 91 gig. My last company was fantastic for charter. Above "high" pay based on pro pilot, good benefits, compassionate management (no seriously, they were pretty awesome). 3 pilot plane, 10 hard days off a month, on call or flying the rest. On call was 10am to 7pm. Airplane was perfectly maintained and updated. Retirement was pretty ok. I left because there isn't much room to move up, but it was a great charter job. The flying was mostly out and backs, with maybe 5 overnights a month on the plane. Now could I have stayed there until the airlines called? Yes, but I chose to leave for a company that has a better name in hopes of being recognized by the majors. Would I have stayed there 30 years? Not a chance... And I really don't have much bad to say about the company. But on call whether it is on a time frame or 24/7 sucks after a while. I hate being tied to a phone. My current job, I am either away flying, or I am off, and I know my schedule for the next year basically.
 
What the above guy said.... Currently recuperating from an all-nighter-dusk-to-noon-the-next-day trip that popped up at one of these bottom-feeder charter companies.... I eagerly await the next few months where I can head off to the regionals and be paid $7000 less. It's bearable for a while since it's new and you're flying jets, doing new things and traveling, but coming up on a year here, it's not something that I want to endure even a couple of months longer than what I must.
 
Sounds like 135 charter is pretty much the place to avoid at all costs for somebody like myself who desires hard days off
 
Correct me if I'm wrong, but it seems as if 135 scheduled freight operators may offer a better quality of life since you have hard days off. Not saying freight is necessarily a career job, but short term it seems like less hassles and crap to deal with than a Iot of the stuff I keep hearing on 135 on demand outfits. Am I right or am I missing something?
 
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