Advice please: thinking about a career change to XJET

Rather B. Flyin · 11-10-2007, 02:04 PM

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Stan Marsh · 11-10-2007, 03:32 PM

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Originally Posted by Rather B. Flyin

1. What is the chance of getting based here in Houston right out of the box? I have friends who are senior captains at XJET now (or have moved on to CAL) and I remember one had to go to CLE and one to EWR, but two who got IAH. The other two were able to come home to Houston after about 6 months or so. How does all that work?

That's a shot in the dark as to get assigned where you want to go right of the bat. Hopefully the policy will change but as of right now we have base requests every 2 months so you should be able to get back to IAH soon, since training is down there you already have those days at home.

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Originally Posted by Rather B. Flyin

2. Even bigger, I remember my buddies being on reserve. Many days suiting up and showing up, only to warm a chair in the crew room and never go anywhere. What kind of time is spent (wasted?) like this? How long is someone generally on reserve these days? I'd like to be able to continue working in my other profession as necessary but it would be a little difficult to be in my office if I had to loiter around the airport for days on end. Do you get paid for hanging around the airport in case they need you?

You don't SUIT up for days on reserve. You can sit at home and play with your kid for all they care. You just need to be able to show up in 2 hours if they call you. Your call window is generally 15 hours, but if they haven't called you in the first 8 you probably won't get a call unless its for the next day. This is because your duty hours start at the beginning of your call window so they can't really use you at the end of it.

The only time you suit up is on airport standby, which they may assign you on once or twice a month during one of your reserve days. On reserve you get a minimum 75 hours of pay, so the only motivation to fly is to pick up the extra per diem or fly over 75 hours. The latter is tough, so don't waste time trying to when you can be at home instead.

To tell you the truth I love reserve and I have to commute. 12 days of a month is a lot. Basically its a 4 day work week with 3 days off. What regular job gives you that?

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Originally Posted by Rather B. Flyin

3. Lastly, I've seen that 600/100 are the published minimums for XJET but then I've heard stories about people with even less time getting interviews. Any truth to that? How hard and fast are those mins? I also hear variations in the number of pilots being hired each month, but it will probably be next summer before I get 100 hrs. multi time anyhow.

You can throw your app in but unless they are struggling to find guys they will stick by those numbers. My advice is to get the multi right now since SENIORITY is everything.

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Originally Posted by Rather B. Flyin

4. Anything I'm overlooking and really need to consider about doing this?
Thanks again!

Great company, great work rules.

Rather B. Flyin · 11-10-2007, 04:15 PM

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Stan Marsh · 11-10-2007, 05:21 PM

No, its all about recency. I bet your buddy didn't have any recent multi time. I believe part of the interview asks how many multi hours you have flown in the past 6 months. If that was 3 years ago, they may have wanted CFI time, but they don't now.

I was a CFI/CFII/MEI and I never wanted to do it either, but it actually made me a lot better pilot. I thought I was a good pilot before, but after I flight instructed I realized I knew nothing. Being a flight instructor is actually PIC experience since you are the one that makes the safety decisions when it comes to others flying. Do you really want your first in charge PIC time to be as a Captain on an airliner?

Whatever you do get the multi time and apply ASAP since recency will help you get hired.

SDSUNick · 11-10-2007, 05:23 PM

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Originally Posted by Rather B. Flyin

Thanks for the info, especially clearing things up about the reserve time.

One other thing I am curious about - is XJET going to want me to have my CFI/CFII/MEI? I only ask since I know someone with about 2000TT and a BE350 type who was told at his interview to go teach for 6 months and then come back to see them. This was about 3 years ago now and he's flying a Lear 55 now. Never went back to XJET because he didn't want to work as a CFI just to get another shot with them.

I don't necessarily want to have to instruct either.

It probably won't hurt to have the CFI, but most likely the reason the guy was told to go back and get his CFI was because some of his knowledge was a little weak. My sim partner for instance had no CFI, but he did have over 1200 hours. They want to see the quality of your flight time and just quanity. If you just have 600 hours of flying around yourself doing fun x/c's, then another guy next to you had 600 TT and 300 of as instruction, he might be looked at as having better flight time. However I would just throw your app in, and if they turn you down then you can interview in another 6 months. During that time you can get your CFI if you want. Like the previous poster said, senority is everything.

NightIP · 11-10-2007, 07:17 PM

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Originally Posted by Rather B. Flyin

1. What is the chance of getting based here in Houston right out of the box? I have friends who are senior captains at XJET now (or have moved on to CAL) and I remember one had to go to CLE and one to EWR, but two who got IAH. The other two were able to come home to Houston after about 6 months or so. How does all that work?

If it's any help, I'm a September '07 hire and just got awarded IAH right out of training. It's very hard to say what it'll be in the coming months though, since it seems to go in cycles. Classes before me went to CLE and EWR mostly.

txgi229 · 11-11-2007, 01:39 AM

Running along with what has been previously said, many people in my class did not have CFI experience. They got other jobs that allowed them to forgo the CFI and build time. I for one instructed for 4 years prior to coming over to xjt. I learned all kinds of things that I would never know had I skipped over instructing, it really did help better me as a pilot. Than again seniority is everything in this industry. If however you are set on next summer, money or time to get the ratings for example, than look into instructing if it is feasible for you to do so. I have no regrets with my time as an instructor sans one; I could have been a captain 3 years ago had I left earlier.

Rather B. Flyin · 11-11-2007, 11:00 AM

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OH Flier · 11-11-2007, 11:18 AM

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Originally Posted by Rather B. Flyin

As to "quality" of flight time, I'd argue that a lot of XC time to places as far north as Spokane and as far south as Miami - coast-to-coast and border-to-border - is higher quality time than 400 hours of dual gained by doing slam-n-goes in a 150 with students at your home base. Maybe that's just me though.

You may find there is a difference between pattern work in a 150 vs instrument or multi instruction.

Rather B. Flyin · 11-11-2007, 01:22 PM

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