Skymark interview
Join Date: Oct 2004
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I follow the Japan contracts and the Skymark pay seems a bit low to me. Captain pay there is similar to FO pay at Qatar. IMHO, If you are single the money and allowances are enough to enjoy life and save some $$ too. If you are married and have kids its going to be expensive. I would go to QR if its money you want.
WASINC says the domicile is Tokyo but the other agencies are offering Kobe. If it is in fact Kobe, the Kansai (Osaka) area is quite nice and cheaper than Tokyo.
WASINC International
I commute to Tokyo every month and living here is far superior to Qatar, but stay tuned as I am moving to QR soon.....
WASINC says the domicile is Tokyo but the other agencies are offering Kobe. If it is in fact Kobe, the Kansai (Osaka) area is quite nice and cheaper than Tokyo.
WASINC International
I commute to Tokyo every month and living here is far superior to Qatar, but stay tuned as I am moving to QR soon.....
Join Date: Oct 2006
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Skymark seems to be a little on the crazy side with the shenanigans of the boss there, not really a lot of money for the hazel if you ask me, the money at Jetstar Japan and Peach is not any better really but the working environment and advancement prospects (they will eventually operate A330's) are a lot better than at Skymark. I don't think that there is any doubt that Japan is a LOT better than the M.E. in every aspect
Join Date: Apr 2010
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going to Sky
for those considering Sky, and to answer some of the questions on previous threads, you should know:
If you do not hold a JCAB license your training will be a MINIMUM of 6 months, plan on 8 months.
As said there are NO in house Checkers At SKY all checks are by the JCAB (can you say roll the dice, as the JCAB hates Skymark)
If you stumble and fail a check, you will sit in the right seat for at least 6 months! no rush from Sky on this as they are desperately short of F/O's
The management group at Sky are on their own planet, and your not invited to to visit
I hear that all expats have been given till Feb. to move to Kobe or as one other said "your contract is cancelled" That's how they roll at Sky
The ME may not be an ideal place to live, but at least you will fly for a "real airline" with associate benefits. At Sky you only fly Domestic Japan and stay in motels on layovers. They say they are getting A380's but last I heard only the Japan nationals will fly them.
As in my last post my advise,,,,"stay away" I got away like some many others and none are looking back
If you do not hold a JCAB license your training will be a MINIMUM of 6 months, plan on 8 months.
As said there are NO in house Checkers At SKY all checks are by the JCAB (can you say roll the dice, as the JCAB hates Skymark)
If you stumble and fail a check, you will sit in the right seat for at least 6 months! no rush from Sky on this as they are desperately short of F/O's
The management group at Sky are on their own planet, and your not invited to to visit
I hear that all expats have been given till Feb. to move to Kobe or as one other said "your contract is cancelled" That's how they roll at Sky
The ME may not be an ideal place to live, but at least you will fly for a "real airline" with associate benefits. At Sky you only fly Domestic Japan and stay in motels on layovers. They say they are getting A380's but last I heard only the Japan nationals will fly them.
As in my last post my advise,,,,"stay away" I got away like some many others and none are looking back
Join Date: Apr 2010
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I spoke to a couple of expats at Sky and it seems to work for "them!"
The training is what it is in terms of getting a JCAB license but, you are paid during training to sit and learn. Not like alot of places out there where pilots are paying to learn or even worst paying to fly!
As for the checkers, I was told they are working on getting their own in house check trainers and examiners. NOW how long this will take to come to past is another story!
They are short on both Captains and FO's apparently. So hopefully they will start to hire both Captain and FO's soon!
As for the ME and flying for bigger and better companies is great but, to each is own. Some guys/gals wanna travel around the world in nice heavy equipment and not be home, then there is a place for them. As for family guys/gals who want to be home and not on the road for to long, then the domestic flying is for them.
All in all, to each is own!
The training is what it is in terms of getting a JCAB license but, you are paid during training to sit and learn. Not like alot of places out there where pilots are paying to learn or even worst paying to fly!
As for the checkers, I was told they are working on getting their own in house check trainers and examiners. NOW how long this will take to come to past is another story!
They are short on both Captains and FO's apparently. So hopefully they will start to hire both Captain and FO's soon!
As for the ME and flying for bigger and better companies is great but, to each is own. Some guys/gals wanna travel around the world in nice heavy equipment and not be home, then there is a place for them. As for family guys/gals who want to be home and not on the road for to long, then the domestic flying is for them.
All in all, to each is own!
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They are short on both Captains and FO's apparently
Join Date: Mar 2010
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Markovich, the aviation authority which provided the licence you are submitting to Skymark for conversion to a Japanese one should give you a "no incident/accident report" for a small fee. Your contract agency should guide you in the right direction if you ask them.
There is a reason so many foreign (gaijin) Captains have left recently and continue to leave. Skymark used to be a good little company to work for, but times have changed.
There is a reason so many foreign (gaijin) Captains have left recently and continue to leave. Skymark used to be a good little company to work for, but times have changed.
Join Date: Apr 2008
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Anyone thinking about coming to Japan should really consider the Q400 job at ANA Wings. If you are on furlough or LOA from a jet job, there's no worry about stalling your career on a turboprop.
And for the same money as some jet contracts, working day-only domestic 70 hr blocks is a breeze. Our longest day is 9hr duty with 5 hrs stick time. 4 legs max (plus one DH). Compare that to 90+ hours at some outfits (although the money may be higher),
Overtime is avail above 70 hours and if you work hard for 3-4 months it's possible to string days off together and take a 30 day break. I just had the entire month of Dec off to be home for our newborn. My airline back home is great, but a month off over Christmas? Not possible for another 15 years, at least!
Take home this month just over $10,300 US, after tax, with no overtime (I flew 68 hours in Nov). I am an ex-pat of my home country - Americans, YMMV.
Oh, and we have our own checkers in-house. After your initial you may see JCAB rarely if ever.
Good luck and Happy New Year!
And for the same money as some jet contracts, working day-only domestic 70 hr blocks is a breeze. Our longest day is 9hr duty with 5 hrs stick time. 4 legs max (plus one DH). Compare that to 90+ hours at some outfits (although the money may be higher),
Overtime is avail above 70 hours and if you work hard for 3-4 months it's possible to string days off together and take a 30 day break. I just had the entire month of Dec off to be home for our newborn. My airline back home is great, but a month off over Christmas? Not possible for another 15 years, at least!
Take home this month just over $10,300 US, after tax, with no overtime (I flew 68 hours in Nov). I am an ex-pat of my home country - Americans, YMMV.
Oh, and we have our own checkers in-house. After your initial you may see JCAB rarely if ever.
Good luck and Happy New Year!
Join Date: Apr 2008
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Its all true
Its true, I have been at Skidmark for almost 4 years and everything you hear is true. There have been countless expats leave for one reason or another and not one has ever come back. Here is the latest gem. It was never a problem before and I have been told that they just dont have the staff anymore so as the other posts allude to, take it or leave it. Depending on where you live it may cost you a day, maybe two of your precious days off. If you have the Kobe base and live a great distance from Japan, it may cost you 3 due to the limited international departure times. Enjoy.
Dear Captains,
*
Happy New Year all, I hope you had a great Xmas and New Year. I have received a notice from SKY Flight Crew Dept. regarding scheduling.
*
As the number of pilots have increased and will continue to increase and with their scheduling issues it has become very difficult to provide personal requests. Therefore I*would like*to bring your attention the decision has been made that*the scheduling will no longer be able to provide personal requests, by adjusting the last flight*so*that the pilot will be able to depart on the same day*after the last*flight.
*
Further to that and more importantly SKY have advised that*please do not request*scheduling to assign a flight on the same day of arrival*back from Vacation as this will go against the Company Rules and Policies as they believe the pilot is not under*a healthy condition for flight duty.
*
This of course is about avoiding any possibility of risking the safety of their customers and flight crews and I would suggest it* would be something that the JCAB would consider a requirement also.
*
I understand that there maybe some inconvenience, however SKY would appreciate your understanding and co-operation with this.
Dear Captains,
*
Happy New Year all, I hope you had a great Xmas and New Year. I have received a notice from SKY Flight Crew Dept. regarding scheduling.
*
As the number of pilots have increased and will continue to increase and with their scheduling issues it has become very difficult to provide personal requests. Therefore I*would like*to bring your attention the decision has been made that*the scheduling will no longer be able to provide personal requests, by adjusting the last flight*so*that the pilot will be able to depart on the same day*after the last*flight.
*
Further to that and more importantly SKY have advised that*please do not request*scheduling to assign a flight on the same day of arrival*back from Vacation as this will go against the Company Rules and Policies as they believe the pilot is not under*a healthy condition for flight duty.
*
This of course is about avoiding any possibility of risking the safety of their customers and flight crews and I would suggest it* would be something that the JCAB would consider a requirement also.
*
I understand that there maybe some inconvenience, however SKY would appreciate your understanding and co-operation with this.
Join Date: Sep 2010
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ANA Wings?!?!
"Anyone thinking about coming to Japan should really consider the Q400 job at ANA Wings. If you are on furlough or LOA from a jet job, there's no worry about stalling your career on a turboprop."
TAILWIND,
take a closer look... Skymark pays Japanese Taxes so take home, after tax, is $13000. And all of the complaints about Skymark sound pretty similar to the complaints at ANA Wings (Q400 contract). If ANA Wings was any better, would there be an attrition rate of 50% in the last 12 months?
TAILWIND,
take a closer look... Skymark pays Japanese Taxes so take home, after tax, is $13000. And all of the complaints about Skymark sound pretty similar to the complaints at ANA Wings (Q400 contract). If ANA Wings was any better, would there be an attrition rate of 50% in the last 12 months?
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andthenagain,
Valid points. If Skymark had been an option when I was contract-hunting, I would probably be there. From time to time these gigs in Japan, although they sometimes drop the PIC on type requirement (as is currently the case at Skymark), like to throw in bizarre qualification requests. For example at the time I signed on here, Skymark required a Japanese passport(!). Another one is the FDA requirement for PIC-in-Japan experience.
For me the pay vs. QOL is important. I turned down a job in China for much more money ($12,000/mo at the time, now $14K). Yes, the pay is slightly higher at Skymark, but still low for a 73 compared to China. Out of curiosity, what are the momthly hours flown at Sky on average? I don't mind making less if I'm not working 90+ hours.
Every single guy who has bailed from ANA Wings is a career contractor with no jet time. At this time Qatar and Air Hong Kong are happy to take them and they are going while the getting is good. Can't say I blame them.
For now living in Osaka works for me and my family. The job is far from perfect and we have more than our fair share of BS, but it mostly goes away once training is complete. It becomes tough for guys with families here with the weak dollar/strong yen. Ideally this is for single guys who are happy to live in-country. Quality of life is good and the job is fun and easy. That said, I would not say no to a raise.
Yoroshiku onegaishimasu!
Valid points. If Skymark had been an option when I was contract-hunting, I would probably be there. From time to time these gigs in Japan, although they sometimes drop the PIC on type requirement (as is currently the case at Skymark), like to throw in bizarre qualification requests. For example at the time I signed on here, Skymark required a Japanese passport(!). Another one is the FDA requirement for PIC-in-Japan experience.
For me the pay vs. QOL is important. I turned down a job in China for much more money ($12,000/mo at the time, now $14K). Yes, the pay is slightly higher at Skymark, but still low for a 73 compared to China. Out of curiosity, what are the momthly hours flown at Sky on average? I don't mind making less if I'm not working 90+ hours.
Every single guy who has bailed from ANA Wings is a career contractor with no jet time. At this time Qatar and Air Hong Kong are happy to take them and they are going while the getting is good. Can't say I blame them.
For now living in Osaka works for me and my family. The job is far from perfect and we have more than our fair share of BS, but it mostly goes away once training is complete. It becomes tough for guys with families here with the weak dollar/strong yen. Ideally this is for single guys who are happy to live in-country. Quality of life is good and the job is fun and easy. That said, I would not say no to a raise.
Yoroshiku onegaishimasu!
Join Date: Aug 2004
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Tailwind
Skymark is operating since 1998 and a Japanese passport NEVER been a requirement
As for a rating it is not important in Japan because you have to do an ATPL and a Type rating to obtain the Japanese license ( 5 to 6 months some time longer)
Flying times in Skymark is about 70 to 95 hours a month
Expect to work 6 days ON and 1 day OFF X 3 and you go on leave 9 days including your travelling time (use to be 10 days OFF a month and 24 days of annual leave on the first contract but they reduce it to 9 and 20)
Skymark is operating since 1998 and a Japanese passport NEVER been a requirement
As for a rating it is not important in Japan because you have to do an ATPL and a Type rating to obtain the Japanese license ( 5 to 6 months some time longer)
Flying times in Skymark is about 70 to 95 hours a month
Expect to work 6 days ON and 1 day OFF X 3 and you go on leave 9 days including your travelling time (use to be 10 days OFF a month and 24 days of annual leave on the first contract but they reduce it to 9 and 20)
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and then again
No way you can take home 13000 in Skymark
Basic salary is around 8250 a month for first contract (3 years) plus 150000Yen of Per diem
So take home is 8250 a month if no overtime (110 US per hour)
If you sell your days OFF they pay you $1000 US a day
on the second contract basic is 10000 US plus 150000 Yen Per Diem
No way you can take home 13000 in Skymark
Basic salary is around 8250 a month for first contract (3 years) plus 150000Yen of Per diem
So take home is 8250 a month if no overtime (110 US per hour)
If you sell your days OFF they pay you $1000 US a day
on the second contract basic is 10000 US plus 150000 Yen Per Diem
Join Date: Apr 2008
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Lindberg,
There was a brief window previously where Skymark dropped the 737 experience requirement, but they did indeed require a Japanese passport (at least according to WASINC). I believe they were trying to sign as many JAL guys as possible. The passport issue was dropped shortly thereafter, but the time on type was reinstated until recently.
There was a brief window previously where Skymark dropped the 737 experience requirement, but they did indeed require a Japanese passport (at least according to WASINC). I believe they were trying to sign as many JAL guys as possible. The passport issue was dropped shortly thereafter, but the time on type was reinstated until recently.
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How much of the monthly pay do you actually end up with after living expenses? I'm looking at the Skymark DEC with an interview in Feb. I'll be over there by myself so living should be fairly cheap, considering. I
m looking to work the contract and bank as much money as possible.
How do you manage the stateside taxes, if any? Bona fide resident?
Thanks
m looking to work the contract and bank as much money as possible.
How do you manage the stateside taxes, if any? Bona fide resident?
Thanks
Join Date: Jan 2008
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So for an european guy with family and kids Skymark is not the place to go? I donīt care about moneybut more about days off with family if I have to get to europe so QR looks a better deal even if DOha is hot but closer to europe.