Falcon 20 and Lear SIC's / Kalitta charters

dbrault17 said:
Go tell it to the FAA. Report back with their response.
Click to expand...

The only thing that needs to be sent in, is the letter from the Office of the Chief Counsel. It doesn't matter what the FSDO says at that point. It is 100% illegal, no grey area on this one.
 
FlyingT said:
Oh, this will give many heartburn, but Kalitta Charters is in the club where one is continuously on call until getting a trip.

Typical scenario: you go available for duty on Monday at noon. At 10pm get dispatched to be wheels up at 11p to pick up freight in Greensboro, NC and drop off in Saltillo, Mexico. Although you had to answer the phone all day, they start your 135 "duty day" 30 minutes before your scheduled departure time. You take off pretty much on time and fly 1.5 to Greensboro. It's now 1230a. There is a freight delay; it takes 2.5 hours for the truck to show up. Let's say it takes another half hour to load freight, get your clearance, and set up for the next leg. You depart at 330a for Shreveport to refuel and a friendly spot to clear Customs out. It's 2 hours enroute, so 530a Eastern, but 430a Central -- which is Shreveport and Saltillo's time zone. While refueling dispatch calls. They've tried to set up your Saltillo arrival with a local handler, and learned Mexico is closed for the night. With the earlier freight delay, they couldn't keep the night guy working the tower in Saltillo. They tell you to hang out for a couple hours. It's 1.5 to Saltillo; don't arrive in Saltillo before 8a local.

You're tired because you've been up all day and now all night. Do you take a nap? For some that makes it worse. You do what works for you. If you nap you wake up in time to get your clearance, set up the next leg, and shake off the sleep inertia. You taxi out and are wheels up right at 630a local. You get to Saltillo right at 8a local and get put in holding because another freight carrier did the same thing from their starting point, but they beat you to MMIO by 3 minutes. The local tower is non-radar, so it's one-at-a-time for the approach/departure. Oh, you're flying round dials and first-generation GPS. (In fact you had to swap in the Mexico database card leaving SHV because those old things can't hold all of North America on one card.) There's nothing like clearing out the all-nighter mental cobwebs like figuring and hand-flying a hold entry in mountainous terrain.

It takes an hour to get unloaded and wait for your handler to file your flight plan back to Laredo, so you're off at 915a. It's maybe 0.7 back to LRD, and you clear Customs in. Usually easy empty. Taxi to the FBO, secure the airplane, finish the trip paperwork, go to the hotel. It's 1130a local -- only 12 hours of "duty." Yet you've been up all day and all night and now half the next day. You're hungry and sleepy. But the day has you perked up enough that you grab a Whataburger or some Taco Palenque before hitting the bed.

Now, I've been there when I've gotten called for my next trip right at the end of my required 10 hours of rest. And I've also waited, spring-loaded to go in 15 minutes, for up to 5 days. After a day or so, you get readjusted to day hours again so you can be awake when restaurants are open to serve. The longer you wait for the next trip, the more you wonder whether the call will come just after you've lathered up in the shower, just walked 5 blocks and ordered lunch, or perhaps have just entered REM stage sleep the next night. After your 10 hours of rest, the company considers you to be continuously legal for dispatch to begin a 14-hr duty day.
Click to expand...

All this to make 30k as an FO...
 
Inverted said:
The only thing that needs to be sent in, is the letter from the Office of the Chief Counsel. It doesn't matter what the FSDO says at that point. It is 100% illegal, no grey area on this one.
Click to expand...

Doesn't mean that any operator doing this cares or has been stopped from doing it. I can think of at least 4 operators doing this without even trying, and I imagine I could come up with another half-dozen if I spent time digging through the internetz. It's not right, and it's dangerous, but as long as the FAA turns a blind eye nothing will change.
 
ppragman said:
Doesn't mean that any operator doing this cares or has been stopped from doing it. I can think of at least 4 operators doing this without even trying, and I imagine I could come up with another half-dozen if I spent time digging through the internetz. It's not right, and it's dangerous, but as long as the FAA turns a blind eye nothing will change.
Click to expand...

This is where I disagree. Operators still do it because they haven't been stopped from doing it. You show a legal letter from the Chief Counsel to the FSDO, they legally have to enforce it. Either that, or Kalitta cooks the books to make it look legal.
 
Kind of late to it, but hiring again for late august class. They're looking for 2500TT now apparently for a faster upgrade to captain but something tells me if you have over 1000TT you might get a shot, plenty of info in this thread already, just had a few captains leave and more FOs are upgrading, need both. I heard about this gig via this forum and trying to return the favor for some bright eyed future jet pilots out there...

TL;DR schedule sucks after a while unless you live in base (arguably still sucks then too); 14 on 6.5 off (you can get released early now if you're in base a lot easier than a few months ago but good luck if you fly both planes) ; not much of a time building job the first year; pretty good pilot group though to hang with in my opinion; decent first jet gig; fly into many different airports all over the country and world; real airplane all weather flying; learn a • load; beats monotonous regional flying if you're looking for something a bit more exciting and fulfilling for a first jet gig.

I should be around to answer questions but most have already been answered in the thread, look it up first. I suggest you apply ASAP if you're interested I think they start interviews Monday, but I know how much pilots are needed wouldn't be surprised if tacked on extra interviews.

http://kalittacharters.atsondemand....on=512546.viewjobdetail&CID=512546&JID=501148
 
No contract required. Although if you come here for less than a year in hopes of acquiring a couple of types, don't expect a positive referral from them.
 
goldennixter said:
Candidates must have a minimum of 1000 total hours, a Commercial Multi Engine Instrument Pilot license, Radio Operator License, first class medical certificate, passport, and a High School Diploma (an aviation degree is preferred.) Additionally, a candidate must be able to pass an extensive background check.
Click to expand...

How extensive? Standard 10 year background check or are we talking DoD clearances?
 
CrimsonEclipse said:
How extensive? Standard 10 year background check or are we talking DoD clearances?
Click to expand...

10 year background PRIA check and I'm sure there's a DOD check too, as there's a lot of work we do with them, but no security clearances or anything like that. I could easily be a Russian spy but I think they looked the other way... :bounce:
 
Yup, couple more FOs are gone and one captain is about to leave also. One of them just wasn't interested from the beginning in sticking around, had somewhat of a troubled history with his last employer and left before six months into the job. He had some marginal past ties with Connie, though ergo why he likely landed the job. I'll vouch that his work ethic just wasn't there.... The interview folks really ought to find some way of better screening their applicants on suitability, otherwise they'll never find the right mold for this kind of gig.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top