JetLinx

dustoff17

Still trying to reach the Top Shelf
I’m considering applying to JetLinx for a CJ3 position in IND. The on-line reviews of JetLinx are not favorable but I know most people that enjoy the job, don’t post.

Any feed back is appreciated. Thank you
 
I have a friend who interviewed with JetLinx a couple months ago. He told me they have a training contract. They also told him pilots get 8 hard days off per month, but if the principal wants to travel on the pilot's days off, the pilot is expected to be available. That "hard" day off sounds pretty squishy to me.

This is all second hand info, so take it with a grain of salt. Sounds mediocre from the outside looking in. It might also depend on the aircraft/account/base and so on. Never hurts to apply and see what they tell you. Good luck!
 
I applied to an ATL Hawker spot several weeks ago. The process I got through was submit the app, complete a very short word association type of personality test, and then receive an invitation to a short preliminary phone interview. I replied to that invitation and then didn’t hear jack or squat back from the HR person who originally sent the email. I replied a second time several days later and still nothing. That kinda chafes me. I have no problems receiving a TBNT or even absolutely nothing after app submission, but to get 2 or 3 steps in to the “got noticed” process and then killing it by going totally silent is pretty JV.

The pay seems competitive from what I’ve read and talked to people about and have heard the same thing about squishy “hard” days off. I’m absolutely certain from the talking I’ve done to people that a lot of QOL items are rooted in the actual plane/owner you’re tied to. I don’t think I would really mind working for this company.


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Pretty much standard 135 jet charter. I interviewed with them for a Hawker spot in Indy a few years ago. At the time it was a backup play as I was trying to get out of 135. They were nice enough and they certainly made it clear what you were getting in to. And yes the eight hard days are not very hard. It was a no brainer for me to pass at the time, but the times they done changed. There were no obvious red flags, could be an ok place to keep food on the table.
 
Another previous Jetlinx pilot here. Happy to answer any questions you might have. PM if you need anything.
 
I’m considering applying to JetLinx for a CJ3 position in IND. The on-line reviews of JetLinx are not favorable but I know most people that enjoy the job, don’t post.

Any feed back is appreciated. Thank you

Not to burst your bubble or anything, but charter operators are getting over thousand applications in three days right now. If you aren’t typed and haven’t already applied...well...good luck.


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Not to burst your bubble or anything, but charter operators are getting over thousand applications in three days right now. If you aren’t typed and haven’t already applied...well...good luck.


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The answer is always no until you try. Then it’s still usually no, but now you know and you got another rep. Eventually after enough reps you’ll get thrown a bone. Just gotta keep pushing.


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Interview for the job. I am good friends with the pilot that you would be replacing. You will fly 400 hrs a year. After you interview and are still interested pm me and I’ll get you his info
 
Not to burst your bubble or anything, but charter operators are getting over thousand applications in three days right now. If you aren’t typed and haven’t already applied...well...good luck.


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I am typed, flew for them as a contract pilot, was offered the position, and THEN applied. I received the paperwork with the official job offer along with a couple of financial obligation contracts no one cared to mention during the long conversations and interview. I also had a pretty unique, first-hand look at the way they operate; from dispatch to MX. While this may be a perfect position for some and I have no heartache about that, it's not for me.
Soooooo, I have decided that I will keep looking. Seriously think I dodged a bullet....
 
Hello fellow aviators,

Reviving this thread since I have a phone screen coming up with Jet Linx for an SIC position (I'm typed in the jet) and looking to get some info from current/recent JTL crew. Anyone who currently works there or has recently gone through the phone screen interview that can give some more details? Just looking for what to expect, if there's anything out of the ordinary, besides the normal initial recruiter type questions. Are they gonna ask about the 'supply high 5'? Unsure about the possible technical interview either, assuming that's the next step if this initial phone screen is a success.

Is it still account dependent on your days off or is the 'flex' type schedule of '8 hard days off' the norm? What about the training contract, is it still one year even if you have a type rating (although not current in the jet)? It's for a midsize jet if that helps.

Thanks for any pointers.
 
I am several years removed, so your mileage may vary.

I received my first jet job from JetLinx and loved the first several years. I flew all around the United States from the Midwest. The interview was a breeze, but that is going to be base-specific. The reality is the current Company needs dictate the hires. Know the "Supply the High 5," but you probably won't need it. They have an immediate need for a jet pilot in a base. That's the reality. That is why you are being interviewed.

If you get hired, you are going to fly. Disregard everything you hear in the interview. One of the biggest complaints was the sales pitch from the reality. I was local and happy to fly, but many hires were disappointed in the sales pitch not matching up to the truth. Again, I am years removed, but we were told in training that if we were on the road for six days, then they would do everything to get us back. That six turned into 7. Then 8.

The Pilot Working Guidelines told us we would get two days off. That WAS reality my first few years. But that changed. So do the math. 8 days on, 2 days off, back on the road...you COULD work 16 out of 18 by the PWG. I don't know if that has changed. But you WILL fly. That works for some, not for others.

In the interview, the emphasis was on aligning with the specific owner. JetLinx is SUPER unique in that it does not offer payscales (like NetJets, for example). You would be offered a salary based upon a specific aircraft owner in a specific base, and that was that. So you have a new aircraft owner in Dallas. He has a budget. He knows the market simply based off of JetLinx's info. So he has a number he is looking for to get in. It MAY be market. It MAY be less. It MAY be more.

And that was the beauty/comedy/intrigue of JetLinx. You could be making $20,000 LESS than another pilot AT YOUR BASE on the same aircraft.

But the reality is pilots talk. And JetLinx did not like that. The unspoken mantra was never to speak about salaries. But pilots do talk, and it's rather fun. We sit side-by-side for hours on end. I was also on a mid-size, and you could have a $10-20,000 disparity (if not more) between two local pilots on the same aircraft.

My favorite story is when my Base Chief Pilot learned he was making significantly LESS than a Beechjet 400 pilot. Simply from negotiation tactics. I continue to love it to this day. Our base LIVED off of the Beechjet 400. The Base owner owned the jet, so it flew A LOT. The pilot threatened to leave without a significant pay increase. The Company acquiesced. So a Beechjet 400 pilot was making more than a Legacy Chief Pilot. We all knew it (hired years before him, but the CP did not). That's the beauty/intricacy of JetLinx. Secrets everywhere.

I seriously loved my first 4 1/2 years there. But I was one of the "long-term" pilots. I think I brought up the average by a year-and-a-half. LET THAT SINK IN. The 401-k fully-vested match used to be based off of 3 years. Needless to say, the Company was making bank off of that, because the average stay was less than that. I cannot stress this paragraph enough.

Covid hit, and we tripled our flying. We had poor rules. I lost my life during that. Whereas you used to fly for one base, you were "•d out" to other bases with no bump in pay. Again, everything in the interview was thrown out the door. I told them I was going to leave if they didn't stop selling me to other bases, but money talks. Money for the owners, not you. I ended up leaving after 5 1/2 years because I flew for ALL of the bases, not the one I signed up for. And I was NOT a "floater" (an actual position).

I initially loved my time there. I loved the jet. I loved the flight experience. I loved my co-pilots (and still talk to them to this day). I did NOT love the being told one thing but experiencing another. It comes with many jobs, but I value respect both up and down.

On my drive home from my 4-week resignation, the Base Chief Pilot called and asked what he could do to make me stay. I said calmly, "Everything I have mentioned the last year." He said, "How does $30,000 sound"?

I said, "I am not for sale."

Again, this is old, but probably not so old from a culture-perspective. Do the research. Ask around. The former CEO/founder left but then recently came back. The story is messy. Ask those questions.

I regret NOTHING about going and NOTHING about leaving.

For clarity, I was 2017-2022.
 
Thanks for your feedback @stormchaser. Lots of insight and it sounds familiar to what I've been reading on other forums. JTL seems to only have two of the super mid-size jets that I'm applying for, so hopefully I won't be sent out of base to constantly cover the other aircraft that's based in OMA. Definitely will be something to bring up with them. The salary question will also come up because I've seen many different ranges for this position.

It sounds like an average 3 year stint for most pilots because of numerous issues/concerns, however, it also sounds like QOL is dependent heavily on the owner/account you're assigned to. Hopefully they would get me in touch with the lead pilot on the account to get a more thorough understanding of the QOL.

If there are any current members that are at JTL to offer to some additional info, that'd be greatly appreciate. TIA
 
By all means, seek current employees and their experience. My info is mildly dated.

But full-disclosure, I was sold to all the bases. In training, they tell you that you are based at a specific location. But towards the end of my stay, the reality was different. While I was Midwest-based, I was constantly covering Dallas, Scottsdale, Omaha, you name it. "The needs of the Company, etc."

During training, we were asked to take our vacation over the maintenance of our specific tail number at our specific base. Perfect. In theory. But it became wildly clear that I was a hot commodity with a mid-size jet type rating for ALL of the bases. So a Texas-based aircraft owner could essentially buy me from my Midwest-based owner during the maintenance events. I became a floater pilot without signing up to be a floater pilot...constantly. And the incentive? ZERO. I received ZERO extra pay. If I flew my base, it was the exact same amount as if I flew for another base. Rumor was the aircraft owners paid the other owners to buy their pilots out-of-base. Unverified but plausible. I tell myself I was being sold for $1000/day. But what did I know? Maybe more, maybe less.

But the pilots received NOTHING. I hope that has changed. If you are being utilized out-of-base, they should incentivize. But I received nothing at that time.

Listen, I was there to fly. I complained not. I hopped on the airlines to other bases without so much as a peep. I did it. But it's not for everyone. Just know that the sales pitch might be wildly different than reality. I seriously HATED when I met pilots less than a month in that were considering quitting already because the two sides didn't match up (sales pitch vs. reality). It pained me. I believe honesty is king.

Again, I loved my time there. I picked up 2500 hours in a fun jet and spent my Midwest winters in the Bahamas and Florida. But you need to go in with eyes wide-open. You already said it, but if the average tenure is three years...then why? Remember, EYES WIDE OPEN. And don't forget to have fun!
 
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