Hey guys I am really sorry for taking so long to get back with you. Let me address your issues as best I can.
Golgaholic:
First things first: Pitch and Put 11 minutes from SHJ airport. 18 holes (opening in 2009) 3 minutes from my place - yeah!
Ok on to your questions.
1.) Is Sharjah a good place to live in terms of shopping, amenities,
cinemas, schools and driving to work?”
“I do not know what exactly you are asking. Is SHJ a DXB, then the answer is a resounding NO! Is it better that Pueblo Colorado, then the answer is a resounding YES!
You mentioned your family (I purposely left that out.) I have 4 kids ranging in age from 16 to 7. OK I robbed the cradle and my wife is a lot younger than me but I don’t shoot any blanks.
You will get a lot of different opinions on SHJ but for me it quite fine I will say. But then I dance to a different drummer. Everything you mention; shopping cinemas, schools is all right here and some of the best you will find.
“2.) I know ABY works you hard there (not a problem because they work me
hard here too but I feel they aren't paying me the industry standard.)
But will I find time to see my kids grow up during my days off or
standby days?”
OK ABY is not the airline you are use too. You will be home every night but you will fly every day. It is as close to an 8-5 job as you can find in the airline industry. Having said that it is not 8-5 but more like 6-9!
You will have plenty of time off if you use it wisely. You go on a BAH or KWI you will leave at 7:30 AM and be home at noon. Plan it wisely and you have the rest of that day to do what you want. If you fly LONG trips (10-12 hour duty days) – well you will get your time in quick in a month and then have more days off that month. It is all up to you.
The great thing about ABY (for me) is that there is no lost productivity. That said you “strap on an airplane” and when you un-strap you go home. No wasted time sitting waiting for a connecting plane, etc. Your duty time will be very close to your flight time (excluding check in and check out.) You fly (block) 8 hours, your duty time is less than 9 (excluding check in and out.) Including those 2 you got 10:15.
When I say you go to work at 7AM and get home at noon you just blocked 3.5 hours and got paid for 4.
3.) What are the rents like for a 4-bedroom apartment at Buheira/
Corniche or is there really a 4 bedroom villa in Sharjah that the allowance
can cover? Do you know of a website I can find for rentals in Sharjah?
Talk the cornice - you are talking high rent district. I am not a good source for the rents there for there are guys on the sight who live there and can give you much better info.
I can talk about my place and it is 5 minutes from the airport – traffic or not. 6 bedrooms, 7 bath, plus 3 maid’s rooms about 5000 sq ft. on a half acre lot! Bells and whistles included and it is 95K a year. Corniche I believe you might get 2 bedrooms for that?
4.) With regards to the flying pay, if I work 80 hours flat for a
month(240dirhams per hour) and the average credit pay of 110 hours, am I
right to say that I would earn AED26400(240 times 110)? Or am I
calculating this wrong?
YOU ARE CALCULATING IT WRONG! The pay for Capt’s (flight pay that is) 30,60,120,240 for 0,25,50,75 hours. In other words you get 30 Dhm for each hour below 25, 60 Dhm for each hour between 25-50, etc. So it you fly 100 hours you get 11,250. (750 first 25, 1500, 2nd 25; 3000 3rd 25 & 6000 last 25.) Now the new pay scale has things moved. It is scheduled hours not actual. In other words if a two sector flight is scheduled for 5 hours 10 minutes you get paid 6 hours. Do it in 4 hours and 45 minutes you still get 6 hours (differences for holding, diversions etc.) But in order to fly 100 hours NOW, you will get paid very well – very well.
Of course you get basic which is 40K plus for a Captain (those of us around a while we get seniority pay which adds several thousand dirham to our base.)
So a ball park figure for a new DEC, flying 80 hours block for 100 pay, is about 53,000 AED (or $15,000 US.) You got kids the school allowance went up too.
TAX FREE!
5.) Is Air Arabia really (in your own view) the 'Southwest of the
Middle-East' because if they are, I’d love to work for a great airline like
that?
Capt Lou Freeman and Capt Sam Davis (both retired like me) have been friends for over 35 years. Lou is SWA class of 74 while Sam is FedEx class of 76. I can not tell whether the career my friends had is what one can expect at ABY, but what I can say is I received my pilots license October 9, 1967 and I have been earning my living flying airplanes since I got my Air Force command wings in 1971.
I believe ABY has a good business plan and if they do not screw it up, then they have a good future. I will say this pure and simple. I am retired and I got a check other than ABY. Let the CEO and DO leave – Burners and Out for this boy!
Hope that helps!
"shiny_shoes
What is it like living out in the ME all year round, lifestyle etc
Well it is hot as a fart in an old man’s pants in the summer and cold as the hairs on a polar bear’s ass in the winter!
Now lifestyle – well what is your lifestyle. Guys that is a question that is like pimples on a teenager’s face – each one is different but they all are white. You got everything you can imagine here.
There is one simple saying that hits it right on the head. You know you have lived in the Middle East too long when you think everyone’s first name is “AL.”
”and how easy is it for wives to settle into the new country? “
OK are you asking how easy is it for wives or how easy for YOUR WIFE? I’m married to a Russian 20++++ years younger than me and you want to ask me about wives. You know why there is abuse with women – THEY JUST DON’T LISTEN!
We had a New Years party in our home with over 100 folks. A live band, catered food and a whole lot of fun. Many folks from work but an equal amount from SHJ. My wife got drunk, did the Russian wolf dance along with one of our Captains, I hugged his wife and my daughter ran off with their son – where are they anyway?
We had a great time and it was fully western. A full service bar, food, dancing and all – SHJ is what you make of it and it is what your wife makes of it.
greendotspeed
Man I have no idea how many they call for interview nor how many get picked out of a class. The numbers are simple. 43 airplanes coming in about 6 years. Currently short of pilots every day. Block time will be 900 a year (meaning pay about 1100 a year +/-) Upgrades – dam I can’t see how fast they are happening. Every time I take a plane from someone, the Captain flew F/O for me only a few months ago. I don’t know the exact numbers but about 30-40% of Captains were F/Os in the company (and we have only been around 4 years.) Some Captains (on this board) have been in the left seat 2+ years.
chiggii
P.O. Box 132 Sharjah, UAE
Captain Nabeel (sp), Yasser or Mohamed Ahmed are the bosses (check the spelling on the names for I just say it I don’t write it.)
"Pluto's gone
Pluto I will respect you desire to remain – unknown, but let me say this – it will not help you in the business. Remember we work with gears, pulleys, round dials – ok then FMGCs, MCDU – BUT my point is the squeaky wheel gets the grease. From what you say – go do it! “Nothing beats a trial but a failure.” Don’t ask, don’t get.” A bush pilot – oh god I remember when I was young enough to be a real bush pilot – blond bush, red bush, bla—oh yes: that time was great. Get the ATR but ask now. If you have to ask again – then do what you have to do and ask again – it is that simple.
Remember, most major airline pilots on this planet were someone’s rejection. Well that is unless daddy or their government gave them the job.
has1440
I will write to you privately, but hang in their buddy. You got far too much for anyone here and we need to talk about well you know what.
You got the lead,
Weasel is Burners and Out
Last edited by W Weasel; 29th Jan 2008 at 19:06.