Airline Vs. Corporate

[MichaelB-VA-609]

Adam,

Being that you work for Express Jet, you should be the perfect "go-to" guy to answer my first question.

Airline or Corporate? Do you know anyone who flies for the Corporate Charter side of EJA? What are the extra responsibilities, requirements, pros/cons and pay differences associated with this area of flight? Do you fly for the Corporate Charter side and if so, which do you prefer?

I am curious to know the above because as mentioned earlier, I want some sort of excitement. I feel that if I flew from Richmond to Newark to New York and back, I would become bored over time. Have you experienced this at all since you've started flying?

Thanks, by the way, for your compliment and for getting back to me so quickly. I hope you have a fabulous weekend "flying the friendly skies."

Michael

[ExpressJet Adam]

Michael,

I'm actually in the "Charter Pool" at XJT so yea, I'm a good "go to" guy. Charter at XJT is highly desirable for 2 main reasons, pay and base. There's a pay override for Charter flying (additional $18 an hr), a 5.5 hr guarantee per day, and a 90 hr monthly guarantee (regardless of how much or little flying you do, most often it's less). That may not sound like much but on top of the regular pay it's pretty good. The other advantage is Charter pilots are homebased. That means no more commuting. You can live wherever you want and the company will buy you a ticket to get you to the plane (nice deal). As a result of those 2 perks, Charter slots go VERY SENIOR (literally the top 15-20 guys in the company) and only those guys actually hold Charter lines. However, the company has been doing very well with Charter, and therefore there's a "Charter Pool" of pilots who have been accepted (there's a separate interview) and trained for the Charter division. The company will then offer Charter trips to pilots in the pool (in seniority order) based on demand. I flew Charter the entire month of February and flew another 5 trips since. So here's the deal......

The trips vary considerable, I've had some great overnights in the caribbean, and some not so great freezing my butt off in small towns in the middle of nowhere. Sometimes there's more work and responsibilty, I had to file my own flightplan (no biggy), you have to know how to drain the lav (never had to but....) and there's more customer interaction (we had a customer who wanted tomato juice, we had Bloody Mary mix, close but not the same, so we ran to the market to find some). The main thing is they're looking for people who don't mind doing a little extra if they have to.

Personally, I prefer the airline flying. The biggest thing for me is I LOVE TO FLY, I really do, and the Charter guys simply don't fly that much. There's alot of sitting and waiting. I have a good friend who's been flying Charter since it started and I fly more than double what he does. I also just dig the whole "airline pilot" experience. This is something I've dreamed of since I was a child, and I still get a rush everytime I pull up to the airport. I enjoy walking through the terminal in uniform (don't even mind security), I like when the little kids come up to the flightdeck, I like it all. You lose some of that when you do Charter. BUT, the money's much better and that's hard to argue with and it's always different. There's obviously pro and cons on both sides. I'm fortunate, I get a little of both.

And as long as we're on the subject, this job can be as routine as you like (or not). We have day trips, 2,3 and 4 days. So if you want to be home every night you can do Newark to Richmond turns all month, if you want. Me, I'm like you, I still like going to new places and mixing things up so I usually do 4 days (which will generally get you further). I very rarely go to the same place twice in a month. I do alot of Mexico, West Coast and Canada. Many guys bid days off or showtimes, me, I like a good overnight. Xjt flies to many locations and I've done them all. I go south in the winter and north in the summer. Maybe I'll get bored one day but it hasn't happened yet. I'll let you know.

You have a great weekend too sir, I just happen to be off so I'll be working the friendly BBQ.

[MichaelB-VA-609]

Adam,

This definitely answered my question. Originally, I wanted to do 100 percent corporate flying. I don’t think I would mind working my butt off for some overpaid CEO or catering to the needs of an obnoxious 20-year-old sports team. In fact, I think this "challenge" would allow me to grow and become a more well rounded individual.

Right now I work part time at Staples as an EasyTech. My favorite customers are the little, old, completely computer illiterate ladies that come to me because all of the other sales people don’t want to deal with them. This is the environment in which I thrive. I don’t mind being completely frank, yet professional. I like being the sole person that is given a task and wants to offer a solution. I have worked in Customer Service since I was 15 and think I’m really good at it (if I may say so myself).

What advice can you give me as far as getting into the Charter Pool, assuming Express Jet Airlines is in my future ? Also, off topic, but did you flight instruct before being hired? What advice can you give me as far as being hired by a flight school? Any insider tips would be greatly appreciated, as I’m the kind of individual that likes to watch everyone else mess up before I complete a task perfectly (once again modestly is my greatest asset haha).

Thanks again, and hope you enjoy your BBQ. --Michael

[ExpressJet Adam]

Michael,

Not to be overly philosophical or preachy, but the answer is the same for both questions.

I did flight instruct (for ATP) and it was a great experience. Nothing hones your pilot skills like the person sitting next to you trying to kill you. Makes you sharp.

The Charter pool at XJT WAS a separate interview, and you had to have a record of good attendance and no disciplinary action. The airlines are union based and EVERYTHING operates on seniority. Some pilots started making some noise that the Charter pool was in violation of the contract so now it's open to any and all (I won't debate whether or not that's a good or bad thing).

Anyway the moral to the story my young friend is I have found nothing will help you in any endeavor more than hard work and a good work ethic. At ATP the are very honest about the fact that if you do well and work hard you'll be offered an instructor's slot (if there is one). Same deal at XJT. In addition to my flying duties I'm also a CRM (Crew Resource Management) instructor (a great gig, I get to fly the line and teach). A large number of pilots applied, but I was offered the position. I'm not the best or the smartest, but I know how to bust my butt. I work hard and do "the right thing" for the company (perfect attendance, no mis-trips, answer my phone when scheduling calls), some people don't agree, but it's always worked for me.

Adam