For the on demand charter people here.

Aztec Driver

Aztec Driver

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Elizabethtown, PA
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Bryon
What is the method generally used to calculate the pay for on demand charter pilots? Specifically, on what is flight time based, and how is it calculated? What are the "normal" pay rates for part-time charter pilots?

I realize these are loaded questions, and the answers are likely to vary considerably, but I am trying to find some commonality in the industry, and the model to which I am exposed seems "different".

Bryon
 
I'm not sure how much commonality there is within the industry. I'll tell you that I work for an on-demand company and get paid a straight salary plus overtime if I work one of my scheduled days off. Flight time has nothing to do with it. However, I have heard of people being paid some kind of retainer and more if they fly. As far as part-time or contract pilots, I think it's common for them to be paid a daily rate rather than hourly. The dollar amount depends on the type of airplane, among other things.

What are you questioning about the way you are paid?
 
I've talked to five different operators and gotten five different answers. Part-time work complicates it even more!

As an example, a contract I held to be a "relief" (only get called if someone gets sick or otherwise incapacitated) pilot for a night cargo operator specified that I got paid a specific lump sum (small) for the term of the contract (1 year) as a retainer, then got paid on a per-day basis when I was called in, as long as it was less than 24 times in a year, and a higher per-day rate for days 24-48. It also specified that they would send me to sim training once every two years at their expense. It put obligations on me like drug testing, keeping medical current, etc, and required me to schedule my "off" times one month in advance.

In the three years I did this, I got called out five times.
 
In our operation, the pilots are all salaried, and pretty much paid as Mari has expressed, less the OT.

But we do on occasion use contract pilots, and they get paid a flat daily rate. They pay for their own training, insurance, etc. The amount paid to a contract pilot depends greatly upon which aircraft they are typed in. Obviously a Hawker or Astra Captain will not demand as high a daily rate as a G4 Captain.
 
I think that at my FBO a full time pilot will have a basic salary plus hourly pay for flight and layover time. also pretty sure that a part timer would get only hourly and layover time, although the rates for the part timer would be higher due to not getting the salary. they use the same basic setup for CFIs.
 
Our pilots have a base salary plus a day rate if called to fly. The base salary is based on 10 days availability per 2 weeks. It seems to work a little better than strictly day rate because during a slow time, you are still getting something of a paycheck.
 
citationxjl said:
Our pilots have a base salary plus a day rate if called to fly. The base salary is based on 10 days availability per 2 weeks. It seems to work a little better than strictly day rate because during a slow time, you are still getting something of a paycheck.
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Is the base pay enough to cover the mac&cheese dinners?:D
 
charter pilots get mac & cheese?? now i GOTTA get that job!!
 
Everskyward said:
I'm not sure how much commonality there is within the industry. I'll tell you that I work for an on-demand company and get paid a straight salary plus overtime if I work one of my scheduled days off. Flight time has nothing to do with it. However, I have heard of people being paid some kind of retainer and more if they fly. As far as part-time or contract pilots, I think it's common for them to be paid a daily rate rather than hourly. The dollar amount depends on the type of airplane, among other things.

What are you questioning about the way you are paid?
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Not a paid pilot yet, just looking into it. From the myriad of answers here, I'd say not much commonality at all.
 
Aztec Driver said:
Not a paid pilot yet, just looking into it.
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Well, good luck! It's a wild world out there and you can really see the free market in effect! Personally I would rather see someone get paid a salary. It takes the money part out of any decision making to be done. We all know no one would ever make a decision based on their pay for the day...

Really, Part 135 on-demand covers a pretty wide spectrum of companies and a wide range of aircraft from small ones to much bigger ones. Similarly there are bad companies and better ones. On-demand had a bit of a crappy reputation, but it doesn't have to be your worst nightmare.
 
Thirty years ago I got paid by the working hour -- one rate for flight time (about $12/hour, or about $35/hour in today's dollars), a lower rate for ground layover time (about $5/hour, or about $14/hour today).

That said, I would not accept such an arrangement today, when I would demand the same high rate for all time, and a full day's pay for anything over about 4 hours work (the daily rate being slightly less than 8 times the hourly rate -- volume discount and all that). For full-time employment rather than my usual job-task assignments, I'd be looking for straight salary (and either appropriate benefits or a higher pay rate) -- and no base-plus-flight-time deal, either; if you buy me, you buy all of me, or none at all.
 
Ron Levy said:
Thirty years ago I got paid by the working hour -- one rate for flight time (about $12/hour, or about $35/hour in today's dollars), a lower rate for ground layover time (about $5/hour, or about $14/hour today).

That said, I would not accept such an arrangement today, when I would demand the same high rate for all time, and a full day's pay for anything over about 4 hours work (the daily rate being slightly less than 8 times the hourly rate -- volume discount and all that). For full-time employment rather than my usual job-task assignments, I'd be looking for straight salary (and either appropriate benefits or a higher pay rate) -- and no base-plus-flight-time deal, either; if you buy me, you buy all of me, or none at all.
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What about overnight layover time? One can hardly live their normal life if stuck in a hotel a thousand miles away than they could in their own home each night. Meals, expenses and lodging covered?

Edit: Assuming Mari's on-line life in the PoA chat room each night is not the standard. :D
 
KennyFlys said:
What about overnight layover time? One can hardly live their normal life if stuck in a hotel a thousand miles away than they could in their own home each night. Meals, expenses and lodging covered?

Edit: Assuming Mari's on-line life in the PoA chat room each night is not the standard. :D
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Meals an lodging are likely covered as they should be. Other than that I think you're stuck without pay for the time away from home, even most of the airline pilots aren't compensated for that. And there's plenty of other (non-aviation) jobs which keep employees away from home without any compensation either.
 
I flew awhile for a part 135 on-demand cargo operator a few years ago, nearly starved to death. Was a DC3 FO, got paid by the mile, lived on a pager. Never, ever again. When the company closed the doors I was outta there before the sun went down, went back to working in my degree and flying biplanes part-time.

Life is much better now. :)
 
KennyFlys said:
Edit: Assuming Mari's on-line life in the PoA chat room each night is not the standard. :D
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You never know where Mari is chatting from. Tonight I am in Kansas. I know I don't have a normal life by normal standards, but it is normal for me. :dunno:
 
KennyFlys said:
James, I thought I saw a Stearman in Epps' hangar. Is that your pretty lady?
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Sorry, just saw this response, hadn't subscribed to the thread. The Stearman in Mr. Epps' hangar belonged to an old gentleman who decided it was a better deal to give the airplane up than to pay the back rent on his hangar. It might have actually sold by now - not airworthy, never had an electrical system (has the old inertia crank), needs an engine and a total recovering. No rust or really bad stuff.

Our Stearman is in NC getting a complete restoration, so right now we have two WACO YMF-5 in T-hangars on the airport. Our Stearman is supposed to be back in April.

Know any reasonably experienced tailwheel pilots looking for a part-time job? We could use one or two.

James
 
Everskyward said:
He said,

“I am the heart of the warrior child
I am the moment the beast becomes mild
I am the part of the soul that is wild
I am the answer you’re finding
I am the star in the black sky shining”​
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Who is He?
 
lancefisher said:
Meals an lodging are likely covered as they should be. Other than that I think you're stuck without pay for the time away from home, even most of the airline pilots aren't compensated for that. And there's plenty of other (non-aviation) jobs which keep employees away from home without any compensation either.
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Scott and I (and others) could give you a full rundown on how that works. :rolleyes:
 
Ghery said:
Scott and I (and others) could give you a full rundown on how that works. :rolleyes:
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Different companies work, well, differently. I am most certainly paid for my time away from home. In fact, a lot of time I get paid for sitting at my desk at home goofing off on flashchat...
 
Everskyward said:
Different companies work, well, differently. I am most certainly paid for my time away from home. In fact, a lot of time I get paid for sitting at my desk at home goofing off on flashchat...
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That's a good deal. I'll be traveling on company business on Presidents Day holiday and the only way I'll get that day back is by taking it and not telling my boss. "Comp Time" isn't in his dictionary. And the following weekend? Forgudaboutit. Fortunately the sightseeing should be good (weather permitting). Paris.
 
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