SkyLens Hiring for 2015-16 Season (new low mins)
- Thread starter pilotbry
- Start date
Christophsen
Well-Known Member
Resume sent, thanks Bryan.
pilotbry
Well-Known Member
The idea is that the tablet is replacing the use of paper charts (which are damn near impossible to get anymore, anyway). Otherwise I don't care what brand it is.
Ricardo Torres
Well-Known Member
Resume sent! Thanks Bryan for giving us low timers a opportunity.
pilotbry
Well-Known Member
The two weeks in the summer would be a non-issue but unfortunately, one weekend every month during regular season just doesn't work with this biz model. It sucks too because I lean toward hiring former military when I can and I've had to pass on some quality candidates. As we grow there might be a point where we can keep a backup pilot on payroll and maybe rotate for some kind of vacation/person time off etc but the one weekend every month would just be a logistical headache - especially if I open up this can of worms and end up with multiple pilots needing the same weekend off. You might check in with Air America. My guess is that they will have the same position but I know they have a larger fleet and a system of vacation rotation so maybe worth checking.
Finny
Well-Known Member
I was able to do it with my commander's permission. I basically made up 3 months of drill before I left and then 3 months once I got home. Depending on how the math works, you may have to take an excused absence for where your 90 day make up period doesn't overlap. As long as you're not using education benefits though that shouldn't have any negative effects on your career.
pilotbry
Well-Known Member
UPDATE: I'm still out of town until next Thursday but am starting to eval the resumes I've received so far. I'll be back in my office and getting into it full tilt by the end of next week. I've gotten over 50 resumes so far and they are almost all technically qualified. Over 40 have already completed and sent back the application/info sheet. I think I'm going to have about 9 seats to fill by October and two more by December so the odds are not too bad for any one applicant.
Applications are assessed and classified into tiers. The first top tiers will be set up for a phone interview. Others will receive an email with either a request for more information/clarification or a "no thanks". My administrative assistant will be calling the first several tiers of applicants starting the week of Aug 23rd to schedule a telephone interview with me. I expect to be conducting phone interviews into early September and plan to have an initial roster set by mid September. Be advised that just because your app is not in the first tiers doesn't mean you won't receive an offer and be a great pilot for us. Some candidates look great on paper but during the interview, turn out not to be a good fit for us or visa versa.
After the phone interview you will either receive an offer by phone or by email, or receive a "no thanks" by email. If you do not receive an interview or offer, please do not take it personally or become discouraged. There are only so many slots and I have to do the best I can to get the best fits for the job.
Anyone just getting to the party, feel free to get your resume in (check the original post)... it ain't over till it's over.
Good luck, everybody
Applications are assessed and classified into tiers. The first top tiers will be set up for a phone interview. Others will receive an email with either a request for more information/clarification or a "no thanks". My administrative assistant will be calling the first several tiers of applicants starting the week of Aug 23rd to schedule a telephone interview with me. I expect to be conducting phone interviews into early September and plan to have an initial roster set by mid September. Be advised that just because your app is not in the first tiers doesn't mean you won't receive an offer and be a great pilot for us. Some candidates look great on paper but during the interview, turn out not to be a good fit for us or visa versa.
After the phone interview you will either receive an offer by phone or by email, or receive a "no thanks" by email. If you do not receive an interview or offer, please do not take it personally or become discouraged. There are only so many slots and I have to do the best I can to get the best fits for the job.
Anyone just getting to the party, feel free to get your resume in (check the original post)... it ain't over till it's over.
Good luck, everybody
pilotbry
Well-Known Member
Yeah, if you guys can pull that off then that works for me. The thing is, I'd need to confirm that is all set before hiring.
pilotbry
Well-Known Member
No prob. Not everyone understands why that isn't necessarily in their best interest.
pilotlife88
Well-Known Member
What's the issue with being 1099?
Taxes mostly. It can be a real lousy feeling having the uncertainty of how much you owe looming over your head as a contractor if you're not really on top of everything and you will pay more tax on social security and medicare.
In simple terms, less real income than if you were a proper W-2 employee. By classifying you as an "independent contractor," an employer is able to avoid paying their 50% share of social security taxes and also skip out on other benefits obligations. You then get to have fun paying more into social security and Medicare than you would otherwise (because access to these benefits is based on contribution credits over ones working life) as well as likely make quarterly estimated tax payments because required federal income tax withholding isn't done by your employer.
Here is a quick IRS overview: http://www.irs.gov/Businesses/Small...oyment-Tax-Social-Security-and-Medicare-Taxes
pilotlife88
Well-Known Member
I see. But that could be overcome by making more money and being able to write off all your business expenses right? It's like owning your own business. I could be wrong, but from what I've heard of the Pictometry vendors, the 1099 guys make more money in the end.
I don't know which vendors aside from AA are 1099. I know Northern States guys used to get a $120 per diem, but I also know that many of them would camp out on airports, in FBOs and hangars in order to save that so while they were making more money. At AA a lot of people would stretch their per diem by sharing hotel rooms among two and three pilots which can create some real tension between pilots, but you'll make a lot more money than any other vendor if you do it right. As a low time pilot doing a season with any Pictometry vendor is well worth it. Skylens has made some improvements and for some pilots might make the most sense overall. Ultimately it sucks being a low time guy and the chance to more than double or triple your total time within 7 or 8 months is a great opportunity so any outfit is worth it. Hopefully the pay continues to increase among the Pictometry vendors and the industry as a whole. Every pilot would rank them differently, but in my personal view the companies that treat their pilots best from best to worst is AA, Skylens, Landcare and last is NSA. Skylens has boosted their pay and treated their pilots better the longer they've been in business and hopefully that's a trend that continues across the industry. I would avoid NSA if possible, but they're still better than most instructing jobs.
You could do really well with going 1099 if you were smart with your receipts and really kept track of everything, but it's not for everyone.
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pilotlife88
Well-Known Member
What makes it illegal? I find it hard to believe that any company would put themselves at that much risk. Aren't there pilot's that legitimately offer their contract services for corporate or 135 operators for when their main pilot is sick or something? What's the difference between this and that?
It's very wide spread with a lot of companies out there in all sorts of industries are abusing it, so while they claim you're an independent contractor to minimize what they pay in taxes they still treat you like an employee which is illegal.
