Netjets schedule?

Rodger Wilco

Rodger Wilco

Well-Known Member
Can someone explain the Netjets schedule to me? 7 on 7 off 18 day fixed, base aircraft, large cabin.... What does all this mean? I am guessing that new hires all go int a "base aircraft" as it gets paid the least. What is that a phenom?
 
Rodger Wilco said:
Can someone explain the Netjets schedule to me? 7 on 7 off 18 day fixed, base aircraft, large cabin.... What does all this mean? I am guessing that new hires all go int a "base aircraft" as it gets paid the least. What is that a phenom?
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There are some really great and current answers to these questions not too deep into this page...I'm sure they'll be quoted here shortly...
We've got some great NJ contributors on JC....Ty guys!
 
During training you are on the 18 day training schedule. You receive the 18 day pay while attending indoc and FSI initial and while completing IOE. After completing IOE you are on the 18 day fixed schedule. This means by the 15th of the month they will build a schedule for your next month that will consist of 18 days of work with tours ranging from 4 to 8 days with anywhere from 3 to 5 days off between each tour depending on tour length. You can put in preferences for days off, tour length etc but they don't have to be honored. Every 4 months is a new bid period so when this occurs you can bid the 7 days on/7 day off lines (with a few exceptions you are guaranteed to get one though it may not be the start day you like). Or you can try and stay on the 18 day schedule but only 40 percent of pilots in a fleet and seat can be on it. You may also bid the 15 day flex schedule. Only 10 percent of pilots in fleet/seat can hold it so it goes very senior usually. It consists of tours no longer than 5 days with a minimum of 3 days off between. You have to call in each night (after you have your 3 days off) to see if you are working the next day. Don't worry about large cabin aircraft. Assume you will be in the base aircraft pay for several years.
 
Hey thanks that's good info! So they give you a Type in only one of the base aircraft at a time or are you capible of flying multiple airframes? With SO MANY different aircraft on property how do they do standardization? When you are on the same schedule for a full four months do you always fly with the same crew?

What are the pros and cons of NetJets other than the obvious contract negotiations turmoil?
 
Are most people happy with the schedules or are they working on improving them in negotiations? 7 days on the road is a long time but maybe some people prefer that?
 
fracguy said:
During training you are on the 18 day training schedule. You receive the 18 day pay while attending indoc and FSI initial and while completing IOE. After completing IOE you are on the 18 day fixed schedule. This means by the 15th of the month they will build a schedule for your next month that will consist of 18 days of work with tours ranging from 4 to 8 days with anywhere from 3 to 5 days off between each tour depending on tour length. You can put in preferences for days off, tour length etc but they don't have to be honored. Every 4 months is a new bid period so when this occurs you can bid the 7 days on/7 day off lines (with a few exceptions you are guaranteed to get one though it may not be the start day you like). Or you can try and stay on the 18 day schedule but only 40 percent of pilots in a fleet and seat can be on it. You may also bid the 15 day flex schedule. Only 10 percent of pilots in fleet/seat can hold it so it goes very senior usually. It consists of tours no longer than 5 days with a minimum of 3 days off between. You have to call in each night (after you have your 3 days off) to see if you are working the next day. Don't worry about large cabin aircraft. Assume you will be in the base aircraft pay for several years.
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This sums it up.

I will add that the 18 day training schedule is a flex schedule. Meaning that after you are done with training and awaiting IOE, you will have some time off, then you will have to call nightly to see if you are working the next day. Lots of times they have you fit into the schedule somewhere down the line (I called the night before my first day and was told I wasn't going out for 10 days). If you aren't scheduled out the next day, you are off. Then you call the next day to see what the day after looks like etc. You basically do this until you are done with IOE. I did a 7 day tour, and a 5 day tour while on IOE, and in between I had to call in to see if I was working. Once I was done, I was immediately built a schedule for the rest of the month, and for the next month to reflect the 18 day fixed schedule. Anytime between starting IOE and finishing IOE you can request the schedule you want to be on once you are done with IOE. You default to 18 day fixed if you don't request anything. If your fleet allows, you can bid any schedule during IOE and be awarded it once you are done. 18 day training and 15 day flex are the only schedules that you have to call in the night before. 18 day fixed and 7/7 the schedules are built and you have those in advance.
 
Lunchbox said:
Are most people happy with the schedules or are they working on improving them in negotiations? 7 days on the road is a long time but maybe some people prefer that?
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7 days is a long time. It is even longer in Netjets time as the days are hard work. There have been rumors of a new type of schedule, and possibly trying to do away with 15 day flex but they are just rumors at this point. I would rather do 7/7 but I do the 18 day schedule because it pays more.
 
Rodger Wilco said:
Hey thanks that's good info! So they give you a Type in only one of the base aircraft at a time or are you capible of flying multiple airframes? With SO MANY different aircraft on property how do they do standardization? When you are on the same schedule for a full four months do you always fly with the same crew?

What are the pros and cons of NetJets other than the obvious contract negotiations turmoil?
Click to expand...

You are only typed and current on one airframe for NetJets. In fact they further break it down in certain fleets that have different avionics suites, like the Hawker 800 and 800XP, Falcon 2000 and 2000 EASy. EASy pilots do not fly the classic and vise versa.

Standardization at its finest level is obviously fleet specific, however this company is more related to the 121 world than it is any 135 company. I fly a part 23 single pilot jet for NetJets but I can't taxi as an FO because the PIC does it. That came from one aircraft having a tiller so they made every aircraft standard. Just like the 121 world, fleets have different performance criteria and those will vary, but as uniform and standard as they can make it, they will. I would imagine the callouts (aside from make/model/specific) are uniform across all the fleets. I cannot confirm this as we don't get access to all the fleets manuals, we are only assigned manuals related to our specific fleet.

As far as pros and cons, I cannot answer those for you because I am not sure what you consider a pro or a con. I am a Feb new hire and I am happy I came here. I think it is a dark time, and it will get better. NetJets is bigger than lots of 121 airlines, it is a huge company with an unimaginable scope by comparison to any other company. That goes leaps and bounds to making sure this company survives. The biggest con for me is the bitchy pilots. This is far and few between (and don't mistake bitchy for legitimate concerns or justifiable unhappiness). I have come across 2 nutjobs so far that swear the moon landing was fake, and that management singles them out for crazy stuff because of contract negotiations right now. When I ask why they think that, and I hear their story, it is hard not to laugh. Some guys are just looking for a reason to bitch and moan, and these are the same guys that will complain if we received a 50% raise tomorrow. Most NJA vets have legitimate concerns, and want to see them fixed.
 
I'll Go read that, but before I do will say that we can log SIC because our company FOM And OpSpecs requires an SIC.
 
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So upgrade time is safely assumed to be forever? Ten plus years?

What about the captains you are flying with? Is it mostly the same guys out of the same domicile or do you mix it up? Are you with the same guy all month? Are there flight attendants? (Sorry an elementary question I know)...

What is the company culture like? What do trips look like? If I was seven days on is it safe to assume I'll get called and be gone all seven days? How much of the flying is international? How many hours a month/year?

Thanks for entertaining my questions!
 
It's not crazy to go years without flying with the same person. If you live near a big base area (I am OAK based, SFO and SJC are major airports) it's not crazy to pick up a plane in base. You will be gone when you are scheduled to work. Oddly enough I didn't work my first day on tour this time because they wanted me to fly a plane from OAK the next day. This tour I won't airline at all which is insane. Company culture is mostly good, there are jackass captains who hate flying, hate life, bankrupt, divorced 3 times and find no enjoyment out of anything. For the most part people are cool to fly with. The attitude right now is that some things need to be fixed. We are in the process of fighting to get these things fixed. Most of the contract negotiations are already done, we have a few things to iron out which could take time, but who knows...

The last thing on my mind when I came here was upgrade, because who knows how long it's gonna be...
 
Trips range the whole spectrum. I have flown 1 leg days, I have flown 5 leg days. The key is to be smart. Fatigue when you need to, call the company and make smart suggestions that may benefit you and the company and sometimes it works out to where your workload reduces. International is a small percentage. On the plane I am in. At the rate I am going I wouldn't be shocked if I got 500 hours this year.
 
How does your workday differ from that of a 121 pilot? Do you have extra duties and responsibilities that a 121 guy would not? (Such as flight planning, loading bags, serving coffee??)
 
Rodger Wilco said:
How does your workday differ from that of a 121 pilot? Do you have extra duties and responsibilities that a 121 guy would not? (Such as flight planning, loading bags, serving coffee??)
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I don't work at NetJets, but I'm positive that they load bags and serve drinks along with a host of other duties.

Look at a corporate pilot being a personal chauffeur compared to an airline pilot being a bus driver.
 
Yea if you're coming from the 121 world and you have no idea how 135 charter works, you might hate life. We load bags, make sure catering is on board, make sure the aircraft is properly fueled and cleaned etc. much more hands on, personal experience with the customer than 121.

We don't serve coffee in the sense of being at pax beckon call the entire flight, but in fleets without an FA I'll ask if they want something to drink before I sit down. We don't flight plan, nor order catering. That's done by dispatch among other things.
 
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