An Airline That Makes Sense for Pilots?

[L-39 Driver]

Quick survey help, please - if you don’t mind.

I could ask these questions from a billion different angles, but I’ll pick this angle because it seems to make the most sense to me (at this stage) and be the most direct. There are only nine (9) quick questions to think about here. Please do your best and to make things easier for everyone here to read, please use this format for responding:

(Try this format for ease of reading: Q1 = Question One, Q2 = Question Two, etc.)


Q1 – C
Q2 – H
etc.
Q4 – E1
etc.
Q6 – F3
etc.
etc.



Question One

For someone with the idea of launching a new airline based here in the United States of America, that uses ONLY one (1) type of aircraft, which type of operation would you suggest as being the most viable (please select just one category or operations):

A) Major

B) Regional

C) Air Taxi



Question Two

Given your selection above, which airframe would you prefer to fly as one of the Pilots working inside this airline and WHY do you select that particular airframe:

A) Jumbo Jet

B) Wide Body Jet

C) Narrow Body Jet

D) Regional Jet

E) Regional Turbo-Prop

F) LongRange Business Jet

G) MediumRange Business Jet

H) Light Jet

I) Very Light Jet

J) Commuter Turbo-Prop


Question Three

Given your selections above, how many flight hours per day do you consider fair, appropriate and/or safe:

A) 1-2

B) 2-3

C) 3-4

D) 4-5

E) 5-6

F) 7-8



Question Four

Given your selections above, which conditions do you prefer your salary, flight schedule, days and hours:

E1) Fixed Annual Salary - Fixed Flight Schedule - Pilot sets work Days and Hours (FT)

E2) Fixed Annual Salary - Fixed Flight Schedule - Airline sets work Days and Hours (FT)

E3) Flexible Annual Salary - Flexible Flight Schedule – Pilot sets Days and Hours (PT)

E4) Flexible Annual Salary - Flexible Flight Schedule – Airline sets Days and Hours (PT)

E5) Flexible Annual Salary - Fixed Flight Schedule – Pilot sets Days and Hours (PT)

E6) Flexible Annual Salary - Fixed Flight Schedule – Airline sets Days and Hours (PT)



Question Five

Should Pilots be valued/assessed by the airline based on their:

A) Seniority

B) PIC Time & Aircraft Complexity

C) Seniority, PIC Time & Aircraft Complexity



Question Six

How should an airline compensate you as a Professional Pilot:

F1 – Fixed Annual Salary – company funds your benefits package, annual performance increase review based on revenues – revenue/profit sharing.

F2 – Fixed Annual Salary – company funds your benefits package, annual performance increase review based on revenues.

F3 – Fixed Annual Salary – company funds your benefits package.

F4 - Fixed Annual Salary – you fund your own private benefits package – annual performance increase review based on revenues – revenue/profit sharing.

F5 – Fixed Annual Salary – you fund your own private benefits package – annual performance increase review based on revenues.

F6 - Fixed Annual Salary – you fund your own private benefits package.


Question Seven

How do you (the Pilot) prefer that the airline refer to you as an individual:

A) Employee - having light input on how the airline is run on a general basis)

B) Associate - having medium input on how the airline is run tactical basis)

C) Partner - having heavy input on how the airline is run on a strategic and tactical basis)



Question Eight

How long could you commit to working for an airline as a Pilot, either Captain or First Officer:

A) 1-3 yrs

B) 3-5 yrs

C) 5-10 yrs

D) 10-15 yrs

E) 15-20 yrs

F) 20-30+ yrs



Question Nine

For the one aircraft type (only) that you selected above (please refer to question two):

A) What should the minimum annual salary be for a First Officer?

B) What should the maximum annual salary be for a First Officer?

C) What should the minimum annual salary be for a Captain?

D) What should the maximum annual salary be for a Captain?

(for the aircraft category that YOU designated above only)


For those of you that did participate in this survey of sorts, I very much appreciate your time and attention.

Thanks!

[Kristie]

what is the main purpose for your survey?

[L-39 Driver]

Originally Posted by Kristie

what is the main purpose for your survey?

To find out what Pilots think about how an airline should/could/would/might be run.

I've heard many pilots complain about the lack of autonomy and input into where they work, the conditions under which they work, the policies under which they work, or even the owners that they work for.

If I were contemplating the launch of a new airline, I would not do it unless I fully understood what Customers and Pilots wanted and needed, first. The most valuable asset of any air operation is the Pilot. The most important thing outside of that air operation is the Customer. Making them both happy, is essential to the long-term viability of the operation itself.

Any other approach establishing and running such an operation is........ well........ wrong, IMO.

What Pilots think about the subject is very important. Equally as important, is "that" they think about the subject (as far as I am concerned, personally).

Does that help?

[BCTAv8r]

Is the revenue the only difference between a major and a regional?

[SIUav8er]

The only answer I can come up with is that "it depends"... Some of your options arent exactly what I would choose. for example the length of commitment to the airline, compensation, and aircraft selection.

[Tram]

Q1 - B
Q2 - E
Q3 - D
Q4 - E3
Q5 - C
Q6 - F1
Q7 - C
Q8 - A ( assume this means contract )
Q9 - A - $45K annually
B - $75K annually
C - $65K annually
D - $160K annually

[Hacker15e]

Have you posted this survey at FI, APC, FL350, and other airline forums?

I think you'd get a better pool of replies that way. It would be interesting to see what the internet airliner crowd thinks about this.

[wheelsup]

You never want to ask pilots about running an airline. We think we know but we generally don't have the "big picture".

[777forever]

Originally Posted by wheelsup

You never want to ask pilots about running an airline. We think we know but we generally don't have the "big picture".

[L-39 Driver]

Originally Posted by Tram

Q1 - B
Q2 - E
Q3 - D
Q4 - E3
Q5 - C
Q6 - F1
Q7 - C
Q8 - A ( assume this means contract )
Q9 - A - $45K annually
B - $75K annually
C - $65K annually
D - $160K annually

Very interesting Tram. Thanks for participating and following the reply format!

[L-39 Driver]

Originally Posted by SIUav8er

The only answer I can come up with is that "it depends"... Some of your options arent exactly what I would choose. for example the length of commitment to the airline, compensation, and aircraft selection.

Based on the structure of the survey, what would you change?

[L-39 Driver]

Originally Posted by Hacker15e

Have you posted this survey at FI, APC, FL350, and other airline forums?

I think you'd get a better pool of replies that way. It would be interesting to see what the internet airliner crowd thinks about this.

No I have not, but thanks for the tip - the more data in return the better!

[Alchemy]

I don't think we need any more airlines in the US. I believe that current capacity meets or exceeds the current demand for air travel at prices that won't lose money.

But, to help you out I will answer your survey.

1. A
2. C
3. C
4. E1
5. C
6. F3 (I prefer to be insulated from the volatile nature of the business as much as possible)
7. A
8. F (assuming the compensation was adequate)
9. A) $80,000/yr
B) $150,000/yr
C) $150,000/yr
D) $250,000/yr

[frog_flyer]

Originally Posted by Tram

Q9 - A - $45K annually
B - $75K annually
C - $65K annually
D - $160K annually

With 3%+ COLA.

Don't get screwed like everyone else is. You're getting hosed on anything below 2.5.

[L-39 Driver]

Originally Posted by wheelsup

You never want to ask pilots about running an airline. We think we know but we generally don't have the "big picture".

Wow! You just opened up a can of worms. I won't bite on that one except to say this: Happy Pilots can help to make more Happy Customers. I’d include Flight Attendants in that equation as well, but my focus is on the Pilot right now.

Happy Customers mean more revenue potential. More revenue potential means higher probability of business success. What’s the primary “technical business reason” why so many airlines have had so many problems staying viable here in the United States of America (without getting into the whole 911 sideline – or deregulation)?

When you get down to where the rubber meets the road every business on earth needs proper levels of dynamic cash-flow to remain “sane”. Without it, they eventually go “insane” and eventually implode or “adapt” through yet another “merger”. We have not adapted very well in this country, so failure has become too much the “norm”.

Both Pilot Strikes and Company Furloughs hurt customers at the end of the day. Yet, the causality of both stem from a cash-flow problem. Inadequate cash-flows are always the fault of the executive level (not including severe economic realities, of course) and not the pilot level.

I believe that airline stocks can become viable alternatives again on Wall Street, which means massive success for all involved. Not to mention having an airline that is healthy, strong and an amazingly interesting place to work. But that will require a “new type” of airline structure or business model. And, that is at the heart of my short survey.

Pilots play a very big role in that “change”, but it they are not willing to do things “different”, then the re-designing of an industry simply won’t work. Charity begins at home and change begins in the “mind”. In that “new world”, everybody in the program both understands and has a buy-in to the “big picture”.

It is not just a “job”…… it’s an epic adventure! (or, at least it should be)

[ackeight]

I'm going to make a write in on Q1: Fractional.... even though it's not an airline persay...
Q2: H
Q3: E
Q4: E2
Q5: A
Q6: F4
Q7: A
Q8: F if I get there at an early enough age.
Q9: A-$55K
B-$75K
C-$90K
D-$130K

[scramjet]

Airlines need to shift to bigger and fewer planes and move away from the hub and spoke system to a point to point system similar to a train. Fewer but bigger planes means fewer crews. Bigger planes means more people in the ship for less per ticket cost but only if coupled with multiple stops to increase loads. Sure, the customer likes direct flights, but he/she can pay say $100 (just a random figure) to fly from Boston to Las Vegas on a route with stops in New York, Pittsburgh and Denver versus paying $500 for a nonstop, guess where they'll go. I'm no expert by a long shot, but that's how I see it.

[wheelsup]

Originally Posted by L-39 Driver

Wow! You just opened up a can of worms. I won't bite on that one except to say this: Happy Pilots can help to make more Happy Customers.

You have to understand, pilots will complain about anything. Just paying us more will lead to us wanting even more money, reference the UAL/DAL contracts of pre-911.

[L-39 Driver]

Thanks for the replies - though not nearly enough data on this one. I'll find another forum and ask this question at a later time.

I have my own ideas, but rather than bias the survey, I decided to ask people to select from a range of options that were on my mind - not every option in the world.

Somewhere in that survey, is a new airline concept that I'd like to see based here in the U.S. But, I wanted to know if there would be support for the "factors" involved in setting-up such an operation.

Thanks again guys!