Orange or Corporate?

[orangedriver]

Looking at an upgrade with ezy later this year (I hope!! :}). Quite well paid, leave system that, up until now anyway, has been rubbish, every other X-mas OR NY off (if you are lucky), 870+ hrs/year, stable and "secure" job, prob lots of job opportunities around the world in the future, slooooooow improvements to T&Cs over the past 12-24 months with good chances of future improvements, home almost every night but VERY tired "all" the time.....

Think I will be offered a right seat of a F2000, possibly 7X, with a "guaranteed" upgrade planed for the future (years, not months away, since no one is leaving the operation)...2 weeks on, 2 off.... Leave guaranteed during the summer, x-mas and NY (!)... Pay ok, but not really good untill upgrade... Approx 200 (!) hrs/year...

Stay orange or go?
What to do? :confused:

/orange

[FL470]

Tough one!!!

Firstly you have to decide if you want to leave the airline business. The air taxi world is a whole lot different. They ask a great deal of flexibility from you (at least most of the operators) and your crew plan is only valid for the minute or two it was released. So don't bet on having your x-mas and nys off.
A former CEO off my company once told me: "You have lots of days off, but not when you want them!" He was sooooooo right!

I changed to air taxi approximately two years ago. I wouldn't want to change back. All the places you are going to see... and this not only for 30 minutes :}!

By the way: I used to fly the F2000. It's one of the best aircraft in the world!!!

[Angryfool]

Hi Orangedriver

Wise words from FL470. I would say your decision also depends upon your age, family commitments and where you'd like to be in say 5 years time.
Do you want a change from Easy Jet or just airline flying in general? If it's Easy Jet then there are other airlines like BA and Virgin which would perhaps provide you with more positives.

The chance of an upgrade with EZY seems like a very good opportunity, too good to miss in my view. Why not wait and see how things are in 6 months?

All the best in your decision

[orangedriver]

Hi guys!

Thanks for your advice, decision to be made in a couple of weeks...:uhoh:

/orange

[flyboyike]

I think you are in a "devil-you-know vs angel-you-don't" situatuion. Well, at least, it's nice to have options.

[thecoltster]

"You have lots of days off, but not when you want them!" He was sooooooo right!

Amen!..........
How about these thoughts/questions:
What is the company you’re moving to like? What’s their culture/reputation? What about your new crew and skipper/s… have you met them? ... you’ll spend a lot more time with them than your present ones…for better or worse!
Is it an AOC charter or privately managed aircraft, or perhaps both? If owned and operated privately, what is the boss like? Does he turn up on time? Perhaps you could end more tired than you are at present without the protection of an AOC!
As for your command prospects, you say command is “guaranteed”? If they want to keep you it should be. Make sure it isn’t dependent on people leaving. Promotion to captain or co-captain should, in turn be a matter of course regardless of dead mans shoes. You’d then enjoy the career path and improved remuneration that you’re looking for.
I've got some FO mates in similar shoes to you, both in low cost and in bizav.
It's clear that lots of people make the swap from airline to GA and vice versa for a variety of personal reasons....surely only a brave person would say stay or go without knowledge of the bigger picture. All we know here is that either way you have great options. Happy days!
Only you know your lifestyle, career and financial goals. Do the standard thing, do the research....weigh up your option and all the best with your own decision.
Bonne chance.
Carpe Diem….

[orangedriver]

Another thing guys....

How do you guys do it with your wife/girlfriend/family? How do cope/plan with being away for 2-3 weeks at a time? How do they cope with it?

orange

[Doodlebug]

Good point, Orangedriver, you've put your finger on it! Best job doesn't go far if The Better Half doesn't share that opinion! I can only confirm what the others are saying in that the real issue is the schedule. Most bizz operators do not take schedules too seriously. That said, there ARE those that stick to their promises. When the girlfriend realises that you are indeed home when you promise, it works just fine. Probably enjoys getting me out of her hair every 2 weeks! The guys I work with are similarly happy with the arrangements. See you out there! :ok:

[His dudeness]

Mine copes relatively easy with it, but then we don´t have Kids...
Big problem is things getting done: you´re at home, but shops closed etc. You have an appointment with your dentist, but Boss calls you. Thats whats why I´d love to be on a fixed roster...

Another thing is, that my wife wants my attention WHEN I´m home (I´d guess Kids would like it to) and she wants to see places that I saw already... so, in my precious spare time I´m airlining to places like Budapest etcetc, instead of sitting on my sofa and just relax, just to please her. (she is in a "normal job")

But then, it could be worse...

[gumpy972]

H i everyone this is a very interesting post indeed.
I know people doing the opposite that is to say going to be orange and leaving the corporate world....
It seems to me that in the future you will have basically four choices as a pilot :Flag carrier , low cost airline,regional airlline,or corporate in the order you want.

Do you know if more pilots are going from the corporate to the low cost industry or the opposite?

Maybe some of you knew both side as a pilot in their life ,what is their opinion?

Eventually if you had the choice between going to be orange and NJE for instance what will you choose?

Thanks everyone I know a lot of pilots wondering about this question...

[Highwaves]

Definitely low cost. Why? Very simple you are "home" ,i.e. seeing your wife and kids, every day. You have to work a lot less hard than in corporate flying and the money is certainly not worse, on the contrary.
These are 3 simple reasons why...

Keep on riding the waves...

[H.Finn]

Highwaves is correct, IF you want to be home every night, and if you do not want to see the world, stay in interesting (and some less so) places, exotic countries and great five star hotels. It is a matter of discussion who works harder, a low-cost airline pilot doing four sectors a day, five days per week, max duty and minimum rest, or a corporate guy flying 350 to 450 hours per year, having a week off every now and again, plus resting between the flights in the before mentioned five star hotels etc.
Money? Could be worse than loco, but mostly not, at least if you fly heavier bizjets for any reputable company. And I do not have to bring my own water and sandwiches to work, I have a choice of superb hot meals...

[orangedriver]

One week on / one off, left seat? I would take it straight away! My concern is that its two on/two off and right seat for quite some time....

Good luck!

orange

[saffron]

9 months ago I left EZY as SFO for a command on a Gulfstream G550,2weeks on 2 weeks off,based in Moscow.The job is great,300 hours a year,EZY Captain's net pay,not constantly tired & interesting flying.However wife had got used to me being home every night,but actually we now do a lot more things together than previously.
I would think carefully about accepting anything less than a command in corporate,especially with your experience unless you were sure of a quick upgrade(& be very sure,promises in this regard are all to often like politicians promises)

[orangedriver]

Saffron - Check your PM! :ok:

[scareobat]

I reckon there's no better gig in the industry than the left seat in a new gulfstream or falcon with a considerate and generous company that value your presence and wish to maintain it. The trouble is that they are so few and far between. It is all too easy to exploit the corporate driver as he has no defence other than with his feet. Research any potential new job VERY carefully. Schedules can be erratic, but you still get generally much more time off than with a LCC. Then when you do go on the road, its often to somewhere fun with a five star hotel for a few days all expenses etc.. Hopefully you have a crew that gels, and if so, its fantastic. If not, you get to practise all those team building skills..(buy the first AND second rounds)..

Corporate pros (in my company anyway)

Great machinery
Interesting work
5 star conditions
Lots of time off
Great money

Cons:

NO STABILITY