Flight deck positions at FlyDubai Master Thread - Merged
Join Date: Nov 2012
Location: Kotka
Posts: 1
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Planet Earth
Age: 39
Posts: 79
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Also,
Where are most FZ crews living in Dubai.. Which suburbs to they find the best in terms of affordability with what they are paid and lifestyle..
My rough math has the money not to bad, however if you were supporting wife and kids on it i can see how it would prob be chewed up pretty quick.(that's on F/O pay)
But a single guy or married and no kids with wife working. Could def make it work i feel. Someone correct me if I'm way off the mark.
Where are most FZ crews living in Dubai.. Which suburbs to they find the best in terms of affordability with what they are paid and lifestyle..
My rough math has the money not to bad, however if you were supporting wife and kids on it i can see how it would prob be chewed up pretty quick.(that's on F/O pay)
But a single guy or married and no kids with wife working. Could def make it work i feel. Someone correct me if I'm way off the mark.
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: San Fransisco
Posts: 2
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
FZ or not??
Hey guys,
I've been reading a lot of the posts here on this thread and it seems like FZ would be a position to take only as a last resort. My current job is not bad here in the US, but I entertained FZ for the 10+k/mo untaxed advertisement.
If I were to move I would bring my wife and it would just be her and I. We are both under 30. I had originally thought about fulfilling the 3 year contract, picking up another type, saving some money and coming back to the US.
I have my initial CTC interview in April and would just like some opinions (based on my situation) on whether you all think this would be a complete mistake for me or not (if hired). Also, my year 13' salary here will probably be around 65k, gross.
Any comments would be much appreciated!!
I've been reading a lot of the posts here on this thread and it seems like FZ would be a position to take only as a last resort. My current job is not bad here in the US, but I entertained FZ for the 10+k/mo untaxed advertisement.
If I were to move I would bring my wife and it would just be her and I. We are both under 30. I had originally thought about fulfilling the 3 year contract, picking up another type, saving some money and coming back to the US.
I have my initial CTC interview in April and would just like some opinions (based on my situation) on whether you all think this would be a complete mistake for me or not (if hired). Also, my year 13' salary here will probably be around 65k, gross.
Any comments would be much appreciated!!
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: Texas
Posts: 7
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Goat, FD's pay is damn near double your salary man, I'd say go if it's just you and the wife....3 years rolls by pretty quick. I have an assessment coming up in May, do post some gouge please...
Last edited by rj2driver; 9th Apr 2013 at 02:26.
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: San Fransisco
Posts: 2
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Non Rev:
I've got about 3500TT, 1300 SIC heavy time and about 2000 total jet. No PIC jet but about 1000 PIC piston.
I'll post after the interview on how things went.
And BTW, my assessment is in May, not April.
I've got about 3500TT, 1300 SIC heavy time and about 2000 total jet. No PIC jet but about 1000 PIC piston.
I'll post after the interview on how things went.
And BTW, my assessment is in May, not April.
Last edited by Baby Goat; 9th Apr 2013 at 15:00. Reason: wrong info supplied
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: Dubai
Posts: 13
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
All that glitters is not gold
Babygoat,
There is enough suitable feedback on this thread from Flydubai pilots for you to have a good insight into life here. If, as RJ2driver, you think the cash is too good to turn down then go for it. Unfortunately, the reality is that the FO salary doesn't quite go that far out here.
The take home salary (after housing) is around 24,000 to 26,000 AED average, which I is around 6,800 USD. Factor into that water and electricity + cooling fees (if appropriate) plus general living costs in Dubai (which is higher than the US) and you will be nearer the correct figure.
THEN, you have to consider the working conditions here. For example, very random rosters of 5 days on 1 day off, 4 days on, 2 days off. This will be a mixture of day flights and night flights all mixed together with no real concept of the fatigue levels being encountered by pilots. I understand that around 20% of the pilot work force is currently 'sick'. In addition, Captains are flying in the right seat due to a shortage of FO's....
Hope that helps?
There is enough suitable feedback on this thread from Flydubai pilots for you to have a good insight into life here. If, as RJ2driver, you think the cash is too good to turn down then go for it. Unfortunately, the reality is that the FO salary doesn't quite go that far out here.
The take home salary (after housing) is around 24,000 to 26,000 AED average, which I is around 6,800 USD. Factor into that water and electricity + cooling fees (if appropriate) plus general living costs in Dubai (which is higher than the US) and you will be nearer the correct figure.
THEN, you have to consider the working conditions here. For example, very random rosters of 5 days on 1 day off, 4 days on, 2 days off. This will be a mixture of day flights and night flights all mixed together with no real concept of the fatigue levels being encountered by pilots. I understand that around 20% of the pilot work force is currently 'sick'. In addition, Captains are flying in the right seat due to a shortage of FO's....
Hope that helps?
Last edited by had-enough; 9th Apr 2013 at 11:16.
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: usa
Posts: 23
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Goat, FD's pay is damn near double your salary man, I'd say go if it's just you and the wife....3 years rolls by pretty quick. I have an assessment coming up in May, do post some gouge please...
Easy Flicka...life is more than just money my friend. Do, do your due diligence before coming here...besides the cost of living in Dubai will render your salary much less than the "double your salary" you speak. For me, it was a good place to hang my hat for a few years while furloughed from an american legacy..."ual"grizz. FlyDubai, like everywhere has the good, the bad and the ugly. But, it's unfortunate the ugly seems to be getting uglier and the bad worse...schedules (absolute crazy 10 hours night flights followed by serious early morning shows and we are getting more of them) and housing allowances failing to keep up with the skyrocketing rents. As well, we go to some pretty austere places with not so nice guys lurking in the bushes. There is an "attempt" to make some changes to some of the ugly and bad, but this "attempt" has lingered for over 3 years. On the other hand, the good is very good...job security...it is easy to keep your nose clean...just do your job. Your colleagues are good people with very few exceptions. The place is growing like a bad weed...chances of moving to the left seat are good. You can save money in three years, but don't expect to be a wealthy man (in the generic sense) when you leave. There are plenty of posts about Dubai itself. Other than being a hot oven in the summer, it's not a bad place to live, but it's not the States and it's not your country...often times you are reminded...but, generally speaking you are welcomed. Most people that come here adapt well...keep your middle finger to yourself (sometimes that is hard to do when you drive) and be mindful of the customs and courtesies. There is a symposium in April with some FlyDubai reps...if you are considering this place you need to go. Listen to a guy named Randy...he will not blow smoke up your skirt and will tell it like it is.
"Good Luck"..."Taken" with Liam Nesson
Easy Flicka...life is more than just money my friend. Do, do your due diligence before coming here...besides the cost of living in Dubai will render your salary much less than the "double your salary" you speak. For me, it was a good place to hang my hat for a few years while furloughed from an american legacy..."ual"grizz. FlyDubai, like everywhere has the good, the bad and the ugly. But, it's unfortunate the ugly seems to be getting uglier and the bad worse...schedules (absolute crazy 10 hours night flights followed by serious early morning shows and we are getting more of them) and housing allowances failing to keep up with the skyrocketing rents. As well, we go to some pretty austere places with not so nice guys lurking in the bushes. There is an "attempt" to make some changes to some of the ugly and bad, but this "attempt" has lingered for over 3 years. On the other hand, the good is very good...job security...it is easy to keep your nose clean...just do your job. Your colleagues are good people with very few exceptions. The place is growing like a bad weed...chances of moving to the left seat are good. You can save money in three years, but don't expect to be a wealthy man (in the generic sense) when you leave. There are plenty of posts about Dubai itself. Other than being a hot oven in the summer, it's not a bad place to live, but it's not the States and it's not your country...often times you are reminded...but, generally speaking you are welcomed. Most people that come here adapt well...keep your middle finger to yourself (sometimes that is hard to do when you drive) and be mindful of the customs and courtesies. There is a symposium in April with some FlyDubai reps...if you are considering this place you need to go. Listen to a guy named Randy...he will not blow smoke up your skirt and will tell it like it is.
"Good Luck"..."Taken" with Liam Nesson
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: On earth
Posts: 121
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Flydubai
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Dubai, UAE by way of Denver, Colorado, USA
Posts: 71
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Try [email protected] - that goes to all of the appropriate people without inundating their personal e-mails.
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Bur Dubai
Posts: 22
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
imho, ualgrizz has got it pretty much spot on!
Perhaps the only rider that I might add (and also as I wrote previously) would be to suggest that a move from the RHS to the LHS might take a lot longer than some F/O's are either expecting or willing to wait for, what with a significant number of highly experienced F/O's already in place within the company.
Note well that Cmd upgrades within flydubai are done on the basis of seniority, followed by meritocracy.
If flydubai do not order some more aircraft (over and above the ones that have already been ordered and which are still be delivered), any F/O who joins the company today would be looking at a significant number of years before they get a chance at a Cmd upgrade, this being a situation which some flydubai F/O's are now realising and stuck with.
And even if flydubai do order some more aircraft, the timescale of their delivery might be such as to make any chance of a Cmd upgrade almost intangibly remote.
Do the math!
Perhaps the only rider that I might add (and also as I wrote previously) would be to suggest that a move from the RHS to the LHS might take a lot longer than some F/O's are either expecting or willing to wait for, what with a significant number of highly experienced F/O's already in place within the company.
Note well that Cmd upgrades within flydubai are done on the basis of seniority, followed by meritocracy.
If flydubai do not order some more aircraft (over and above the ones that have already been ordered and which are still be delivered), any F/O who joins the company today would be looking at a significant number of years before they get a chance at a Cmd upgrade, this being a situation which some flydubai F/O's are now realising and stuck with.
And even if flydubai do order some more aircraft, the timescale of their delivery might be such as to make any chance of a Cmd upgrade almost intangibly remote.
Do the math!
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: Texas
Posts: 7
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
All of you guys that say it is so bad at FD should come over to the States, get a job at a regional that has better schedules and less misery, and you should then be OK when you get that $1,100 paycheck every two weeks. At this point some of us don't care for upgrading etc, we just want to be able to pay off student loans and save some damn money!!
Another thing: DXB is what you make of it, I have been there. If you want to live in a castle then be prepared to pay for it. It is possible to live well and modestly too. These assumptions that the cost of living will wipe out half your salary off the bat are misleading.
The challenge remains: I can get you an interview at my regional, $1,100 every couple of weeks, your choice of base - LAX, SFO, ORD etc
Now you do the math!
Another thing: DXB is what you make of it, I have been there. If you want to live in a castle then be prepared to pay for it. It is possible to live well and modestly too. These assumptions that the cost of living will wipe out half your salary off the bat are misleading.
The challenge remains: I can get you an interview at my regional, $1,100 every couple of weeks, your choice of base - LAX, SFO, ORD etc
Now you do the math!
Last edited by rj2driver; 9th Apr 2013 at 15:10.
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: Florida
Posts: 73
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I agree 100% with rj2driver!
The US regional lifestyle is very hard to deal being single and even worst if you're married with kids! However it's a great place to build flight time quickly!
Most of us hang in with hopes of getting hired with legacy carrier. Sad thing is, they consistently drag there feet on flying, shift flying between different regional carriers, they're notorious for laying off pilots every few years in big numbers and not to mention unions fighting with management for better pilot contracts (every US carrier period). Unless you get hired during the first hiring way, furlough and/or displacement are likely to happen when the cycle comes. Also It's not promised that every legacy we apply to will call!
Their are tons of RJ pilots here in the US and so the legacy carriers could pick, choose and refuse. As rj2driver said its to the point where we don't care about upgrade, just need money to pay bills and survive until a better opportunity presents itself.
As for me FZ has giving me that opportunity to interview and I'm going to take it!
Most of us hang in with hopes of getting hired with legacy carrier. Sad thing is, they consistently drag there feet on flying, shift flying between different regional carriers, they're notorious for laying off pilots every few years in big numbers and not to mention unions fighting with management for better pilot contracts (every US carrier period). Unless you get hired during the first hiring way, furlough and/or displacement are likely to happen when the cycle comes. Also It's not promised that every legacy we apply to will call!
Their are tons of RJ pilots here in the US and so the legacy carriers could pick, choose and refuse. As rj2driver said its to the point where we don't care about upgrade, just need money to pay bills and survive until a better opportunity presents itself.
As for me FZ has giving me that opportunity to interview and I'm going to take it!
Join Date: May 2001
Location: Under a deckchair, Jumeirah Beach, 3 lamppost from the left
Posts: 44
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I don't think anyone here envies the life of the regional pilot in the US, undoubtedly the hours are long and the pay is dreadful, and if i had had to have taken that path to a pilot's job I may well have not bothered. However, getting into the whole "my career is more crap than yours" isn't really that constructive an argument.
What all the guys that are currently here in the Sandpit are trying to do is tell you the pure unvarnished truth, the sort of thing you won't get when you come here for interview, so when you arrive you do so with your eyes wide open because if you come thinking it's going to champagne and roses it will be a very rude shock.
If you read the negative stuff on this thread, and no it's not just belly-aching there's not much I've read here on this thread that isn't the truth (scout's honour), and you still feel your life will be better for you in DXB, then do please come, we will welcome you without reservation, the people I fly with are one of the redeeming features of life at FZ.
Living life well and modestly in DXB is harder than I thought and a recent report in the press here said 70% of ex-pat workers find it difficult or impossible to send money home. I've been here 3yrs and only in the last few months have I been able to save anything.
A modest 3 bed townhouse villa in an expat community will cost you about $40,000 to rent per year. Food costs are 20-30% more than I was paying back home. I know the package looks like king's ransom compared to the regionals, but you will burn through it at an alarming rate. Most people need about $10-15000 just to set themselves up over here, paying deposits, buying cars, furniture, paying the UAE government for an almost endless number of pieces of paper.
Best of luck
F-C
What all the guys that are currently here in the Sandpit are trying to do is tell you the pure unvarnished truth, the sort of thing you won't get when you come here for interview, so when you arrive you do so with your eyes wide open because if you come thinking it's going to champagne and roses it will be a very rude shock.
If you read the negative stuff on this thread, and no it's not just belly-aching there's not much I've read here on this thread that isn't the truth (scout's honour), and you still feel your life will be better for you in DXB, then do please come, we will welcome you without reservation, the people I fly with are one of the redeeming features of life at FZ.
Living life well and modestly in DXB is harder than I thought and a recent report in the press here said 70% of ex-pat workers find it difficult or impossible to send money home. I've been here 3yrs and only in the last few months have I been able to save anything.
A modest 3 bed townhouse villa in an expat community will cost you about $40,000 to rent per year. Food costs are 20-30% more than I was paying back home. I know the package looks like king's ransom compared to the regionals, but you will burn through it at an alarming rate. Most people need about $10-15000 just to set themselves up over here, paying deposits, buying cars, furniture, paying the UAE government for an almost endless number of pieces of paper.
Best of luck
F-C
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: usa
Posts: 23
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
RJ...your getting your panties is wad...take a shot of that Texas whiskey. If you come here try the Armenian Cognac...never tried until I got here...not too bad either. Nobody is advocating not coming...well, I take that back, I'm sure there are some. You were insinuating that a first officer is going to make a lot of money...."double your salary man, of 65 large...do it man" right??? I recently flew with a gent from the States, married, he is living pay check to pay check. I shared a spot with a mate of mine on arrival and he too was living pay check to pay check until he upgraded...now that's just anecdotal ain't it...but you've been to Dubai and know all about this stuff. Neither was living high off the hog. Now, I've been to Paris, Munich and lot's of other hot spots, but I don't have a clue about the cost of living. You have been to Dubai...when and for how long...you lived here in some sort of castle? The recession is no longer a player here my friend. I assure you, you will not be able to afford that castle. There are very few us that live in said luxury. It sounds like you have it rough wrt the cash flow and the balance sheet...I assume you have kicked your wife's a$$ out the door to work. She will not make much here...but there are exceptions. Just sayin' lower the expectations a bit...the coin is OK but I remind you again, you're not going to be wealthy. That reminds of my buddies that used to give me grief about my free $100,000 education (30 years ago). It was free alright, shoved up my a$$ in nickel at a time. Point being...that extra cash you are gonna make here is coming out of your hide.
Come on down...enjoy the place...just be aware. There are some people that love it. I say again it's not the States. I hope you get here. I am told the recruiting folks are targeting guys like you...young guns, with some jet time, little green around collar, perhaps having a tough time at home with the finances. Gets you wondering...don't it!
Come on down...enjoy the place...just be aware. There are some people that love it. I say again it's not the States. I hope you get here. I am told the recruiting folks are targeting guys like you...young guns, with some jet time, little green around collar, perhaps having a tough time at home with the finances. Gets you wondering...don't it!
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: Dubai
Posts: 143
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
rj2driver
"These assumptions that the cost of living will wipe out half your salary off the bat are misleading"
Really? Based on what? I live here and totally agree with the other posts.
If you want to come, come! But don't please start telling people already here how it is. The fact is, the money is much better than back home, but so is the cost of living. My rent has just gone up by 30,000 AED, that's 8000 USD. Do you think my salary went up that much this year?
By they way, don't sound so angry, we're just giving you the facts!
Really? Based on what? I live here and totally agree with the other posts.
If you want to come, come! But don't please start telling people already here how it is. The fact is, the money is much better than back home, but so is the cost of living. My rent has just gone up by 30,000 AED, that's 8000 USD. Do you think my salary went up that much this year?
By they way, don't sound so angry, we're just giving you the facts!
Last edited by what-to-do; 9th Apr 2013 at 19:45.