Thinking of Leaving Charter Airline. Where should I go?

[sdds38]

I currently work as a senior first officer for one of the UK charter airlines. I'm on the Boeing 757 which is great to fly but I find the lack of rosta stability very frustrating. Days off dont work to a fixed pattern and we have to submit our day off requests about 3 months in advance so it can be very difficult to make plans.

I find it frustrating to be called out on standby to go to work out of another base for a few days. I'm also not a great fan of a 4 hour coach ride back to base through the middle of the night after a 6 hour sector. During the summer of this year, I received on average 1 to 3 rosta changes per week. There seems to be an expectation that we will happily go into discretion in order to do the Egypt flights. About 50% of all my egypt days have gone into discretion. Finally, I find it tough to make the transition from very early flights that are then sometimes followed by two night flights.

The plus side to the job is that there is quite a lot of time spent on standby in the winter that I dont seem to get called.

I just feel that the charter business is not for me. I find the long sectors extremely boring (long haul is not for me!)

Does anyone have any suggestions of where I should think about going? Some kind of rosta stability would be good. I've been thinking about easyjet as the salary is about the same (more after sector pay) and they operate a fixed rosta pattern. They also have a much quicker time to command that my current place of work.

Any suggestions?

[Drop The Dunlops]

You've answered the question yourself with the last paragraph.

Cheers.

[silverhawk]

Jet2 have 75s

[Diabolo]

Try DHL..

Merry Xmas and good luck

[Mr Angry from Purley]

sdds
The answer to your first paragraph is DHL. You go away and come back on time. Roster stabality is high (apart from whilst on tour). There are never any delays at start of the night, discretion is minimal, 10 incidents of over 2 hrs discretion in 5 years. You get loads of time off compared to where you are now, particulalrly at weekends. Nights can be as long as 10hrs 30 mins, and as short as 2 hours.
Rosters are out for Feb, March couple of weeks, requested days off are never declined.
Down side is no flying hours (average 250-300 a year), time in crew room at night, and some politics. Command, if all the Captains say they are going to Silverjet go, well it could be quick.
In summary compared to a Charter Airline, its more like a holiday camp (in my humble view)

[sdds38]

Thanks for the replies!

I must look into DHL. That is one that I hadnt though of at all.

Thanks

[BYMONEK]

Don't confuse turnround charter flights to egypt as longhaul. It's a long day sure but longhaul it ain't. 6-8 hours with 24-48 hrs off downroute before same back, followed by a couple of days off. Or 14 hr flights with 6 hours in a bunk, eating, watching a movie.However, as someone's already stated, from what you say,Easy jet seem the better option but be careful. We can be a fickle bunch us pilots and for every one of us that leaves to daytime shorthaul, an equal number will give their right arm for hours in the cruise reading the paper. Instead of 4 short and busy sectors around Europe in Winter. Day after day after day.....

Good luck in your decision

p.s. Roster instability. Monarch, by any chance......?