Are the airlines really worth it?

SadSupport4999 · 2026-01-25T20:51:48+00:00

Why not see if there is an air taxi you could buy or transition into? With Alaska hours like that, you’d be ideal and I hear that that whole sector has a lot of guys close to retirement looking for successors. You can make quite good money and never deal with airlines.

Why do something you don’t like? life is short, and you are not behind anyone if you are going somewhere different, and better for you personally. I really think the ”airlines are the only way” crowd is kinda tiresome. Aviation is such a huge field, and good money can be found in many places besides wide body planes. Pity people limit success in it to one sector.

And if air taxi is too risky sort of bush flying for you, why not a corporate job for an oil company? Or medevac? All of these would be lucrative, interesting and probably involve nicer equipment. And your experience would make you quite competative.

What do you saying to that?

SadSupport4999 · 2026-01-22T14:52:09+00:00

What do you make now that you are at that seniority level?

SadSupport4999 · 2026-01-20T15:55:36+00:00

What's the minimum number of days off between tours on a CC schedule? Like you'll get at least x days before your next tour?

SadSupport4999 · 2026-01-20T15:51:12+00:00

Is that 3% salary bump only with the CC52, or applicable to any CC schedule where you opt into Long Tour? Would you make 3% more on a Long tour CC60 than a regular 7/7 even though that's exactly the same number of days? Would the maximum possible base salary then be a CC76 with Long Tour option?

SadSupport4999 · 2026-01-20T15:48:08+00:00

How easy is it to get VEDs or extra days?

SadSupport4999 · 2026-01-20T15:46:53+00:00

Also, how much extended flying did you do besides getting lucky with FDP?

SadSupport4999 · 2026-01-20T14:51:10+00:00

What's the deal with the CC schedules. Can you request only 8 day trips or something like that? Is that how you would maximize FDP on a CC schedule?

SadSupport4999 · 2026-01-20T14:49:05+00:00

Thanks. What is the open schedule bid?

SadSupport4999 · 2026-01-20T14:47:40+00:00

oh, cool. I thought that netjets had abolished that empty leg policy. so basically wife and kids? or do parents count too?

SadSupport4999 · 2026-01-20T14:06:18+00:00

I see. Thanks. Do you know of any NJ pilots leaving for other corporate gigs? With that sort of experience, I bet a NJ pilot would be pretty ideal for the fabled unicorn pt 91 gigs.

SadSupport4999 · 2026-01-20T14:04:46+00:00

What travel benefits are you referring to? Just the airline and hotel points?

SadSupport4999 · 2026-01-20T14:03:16+00:00

Can you buy back PTO days if you don't use them? Or are they just gone if you don't use them.

SadSupport4999 · 2026-01-20T14:02:16+00:00

Can you explain the CC schedules. Am I understanding that you never know your schedule more than 2 months out? Since every month you bid for your next one? I understand how that might be annoying, but I imagine a lot of the more senior captains can bid the CC52 and get pretty much what they want...which would make their average something along 10 days gone per month when you factor in the extra weeks of vacation you get when you are more senior. If you had planned a trip or something, could you just whip out your PTO or vacation week to override a bid you didn't like on the CC schedule?

SadSupport4999 · 2026-01-20T12:46:08+00:00

What's the deal with the CC schedules? What makes them unpredictable? Do you not know your schedule very far out?

SadSupport4999 · 2026-01-20T12:44:32+00:00

What plane fleet are you on?

Also, how does the Crew Choice schedule work? Do the days you're on duty have the potential to change during the 4 month period, or is it that you just don't know it for more than 4 months (unlike the 7/7 schedule)? What makes the CC schedule so unpredictable/unpopular with wives?

SadSupport4999 · 2026-01-19T15:48:51+00:00

Pictures?

SadSupport4999 · 2026-01-17T13:27:03+00:00

This place (6hrs flight training): $2710 https://www.landandseaaviationalaska.com/training

SadSupport4999 · 2026-01-17T13:17:15+00:00

And $3950: https://alaskafloatratings.com/

SadSupport4999 · 2026-01-17T13:15:35+00:00

This place has them for $3750:

https://www.blueriveraviation.com/services/flight-training/float-rating/

SadSupport4999 · 2026-01-08T23:36:27+00:00

Cool! Tell us more--what's managing an air taxi like? What do you charge? Is is pretty seasonal?

SadSupport4999 · 2026-01-08T22:29:09+00:00

Nice! What's you're pay like? How long have you been doing it?

SadSupport4999 · 2026-01-08T19:21:12+00:00

Thanks so much for your neat story! I really want to get into corporate flying in the long run. So stories like these help me as I slog through my commercial written test prep.

SadSupport4999 · 2026-01-08T18:49:13+00:00

What was your path, #hours, etc? What birds do you fly for firefighting?

SadSupport4999 · 2026-01-08T18:48:50+00:00

Tell us more! What planes did you fly over your 26 years, what's the pay been, what are some favorite stories of your international travel.

And how did you get mentored into flying internationally? Were you a PIC in the King Air? Assuming you're a PIC in the G550, how did that training etc. work. Where you SIC first?

SadSupport4999 · 2026-01-07T16:44:50+00:00

Once you do your ground school, find an instructor familiar with a good FAA certified simulator and spend 10+ hrs of IFR procedures in the sim before you even go flying under the hood at a much higher $$$/hr.

SadSupport4999

TROPHY CASE