Airline Pilot Central Forums - Kalitta Air (K4) Information

Quote:

Originally Posted by K4ALPA (Post 3075379)

The following is the latest information about current working conditions and employment potential at Kalitta Air – aka “K4” and although not from is approved by the CKS 140 Master Executive Council. This message will be updated and re-posted to this thread on or about the first of each month.

About Kalitta Air

Kalitta Air Pilots are represented by the Airline Pilots Association

Negotiations: The current contract was signed in December of 2016 and becomes amendable in December of this year. The company agreed to start negotiating 6 months early in January 2020. We have tentatively agreed to 19 sections and have presented all remaining sections.

Current Company/Union relationship: Productive

Current Fleet: 24 B747-400’s and is a mix of BCF’s (Boeing Converted Freighter) and F’s/ERF’s (Factory Freighter), 9 B767-300ER’s and 3 B777-F’s with at least 2 more coming this fall or early spring.

Hiring: There are currently 677 pilots on the seniority list. Interviewing and hiring has stopped, however we are short pilots on the 747 and hiring may start again. The company has hired back a few pilots that left for Major passenger carriers in the last year or so – if you are in that category and want to return – contact the company.

747 Flights: The 747 has multiple daily departures and arrivals out of Cincinnati, Los Angeles, Chicago, Honolulu, Anchorage, Leipzig, Brussels, New Delhi, New York, Hong Kong, Incheon, Sidney and several cities in China - other common layover cities are Amsterdam, Landstuhl Germany, Kuwait, Bahrain, Dubai, Pattaya Thailand, Hiroshima, Nagoya, Narita, Shanghai, Santiago, - and really anywhere in the world is possible.

767 Flights: The 767's operate only in the DHL network out of CVG and layover in Chicago, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Miami, Vancouver, Newark, Richmond and Seattle. Some new cities are being added and others dropped so these could change.

777 Flights: The 777’s operate only in the DHL network, currently all three are currently operating daily departures to Australia – with layovers in Los Angeles, Sidney, Hong Kong, Anchorage and Cincinnati. It’s likely as more airframes are added that the 747 will loose some of its DHL flying to the 777.

Schedules: The schedules are on a monthly basis and are 16 days on and 14 or 15 off. The schedule is largely planned to be a continuous 16 day rotation but scheduling is good about moving days around if you need it. Travel starts generally in the afternoon/evening of your last day off and you will be home on your last day on by 2359z. The 767 has some 12 and 14 day lines – they go senior.

Bases: We are home based, meaning the company buys a full fare ticket to get you to wherever your line starts and back home when it's done - domestic travel is in coach - International travel is business or first class. Generally, lines start in CVG, LAX, JFK, ANC, ORD and a few others during November and December.

Pay: First year FO pay is $116/hr - the guarantee is 64hrs however we are very busy and you will average above 85 hrs pay per month and much more if you work on some days off which are paid at 150% (767 pilots make 64 hrs/month due to the nature of DHL domestic flying) - per diem is about $1200/month - with no days off flying a new hire can expect to make more than 100k the first year. The pay schedule is to 12 years. Twelve year CA pay is $286/hr and FO is $193/hr.

Crew Composition: The B747’s and B777’s generally operate as a Standard crew consisting of 1 Captain and 2 FO’s. For longer flights, a Double will be assigned consisting of 4 pilots (1 or 2 Captains, and 2 or 3 FOs). Very rarely you will operate as a Basic Crew consisting of 1 Captain and 1 FO. The B767’s are operated as a standard crew of 1 Captain and 1 FO.

Hiring Candidate Requirements:
· 2500+ hours of total time minimum.
· If Military: >1000 hrs. Total Time. Turbine and PIC are flexible.
· 1500 turbine (jet) flight time min.
· 500 PIC turbine (jet) flight time min.

Application and Interview
Apply at kalittaair.com and choose “Pilot Recruitment” from the “Pilot Training” drop down menu
To update your application send an email to [email protected]
The first contact is a call from the Assistant Chief Pilot for a phone interview.
If invited for an interview the candidate will need to travel to Detroit at their expense for a one day interview consisting of 2 computer tests (cog/personality) and a panel interview. A Hotel room will be provided the night before the interview. The hotel van provides transportation to and from DTW the YIP training center and the Holiday Inn located in Belleville.

Training
Training consists of Indoc, CBT (Computer Based Training), FTD (Flight Training Device), Simulator and IOE. Initial Training takes 5 weeks and then you will be in the queue for IOE. Training pay is $600/wk plus hotel and per diem. Flight pay starts on 1st day of IOE or familiarization flight (usually within a month of completing initial training) so about 2 months total on training pay.
It will be a challenge for just about everyone, but if you are willing to put in the work, the instructors will get you through it. Expect to be flying a plane you’ve never flown out of locations you’ve never seen, using procedures you’ve never used while being graded on it. Most of it is self-guided and will require you to study with your class.

Frequently Asked Questions

I don’t have any jet/heavy time, can I apply?
Yes, you can still apply. We have quite a few pilots that came from a turboprop background.

Can they keep you out longer than your 16 days?
No, you are only required to work 16 days. They cannot force you to stay out. If for some reason beyond the companies’ control (weather) they cannot get you home by 2359Z they owe you 6 hours of pay per day or a comp day for keeping you out.

Can you be stuck on a back to back rotation?
It’s possible, but not likely. Most of the people that do back to back rotations are because they chose to, so they could change their schedule around to be home for a personal commitment. Very rarely will you get stuck with it because you did not have the seniority to hold the same schedule. If that happens, you can call scheduling, and they will usually try to help you out.

What’s a split line, and can I work less than 16 days in a row?
A split line is a line that does not have 16 days in a row during any calendar month. In general they would be 5-6 days at the beginning, and 10-11 days at the end. This does not mean you will be on the road any shorter, it just means that you will get the middle of the month off vs the beginning or end. If you work 10 at the end of March, and 6 at the beginning of April you are still on the road 16 days in a row. There are very few opportunities to work in small chunks, so if you don’t like the idea of being out for 16 in a row, you will not like Kalitta.

Will I be sitting reserve for a long time before getting a line?
Things don’t work like that at Kalitta. There aren’t many pure reserve lines. Being assigned a line doesn’t really mean you will actually fly those trips, so bid the time off that you want. You probably won’t fly the entire month with the crew you were assigned to either.

What type of flying will I be doing as a junior guy vs a senior guy?
The exact same thing. It doesn’t matter if you’re the number 1 guy, or the last, you most likely will not fly the line that you bid. You will however get the schedule you want based on seniority. There are also some lines that have a higher guarantee, so you will be paid what the line awards even if you don’t fly it.

How many hours do you fly per month?
Most people fly around 800 or so hours a year, but you will end up getting around 80-90 per month pay credit because of dead heads and reserve days.

How much Deadheading do you do, and in what class?
Lately there’s been a lot more of it, but in general you will deadhead about once or twice in addition to your initial positioning and going home. We get business class or better on international deadheads over 3 hours. Everything else is coach. Alaska and Hawaii are considered international.

What is the quality of the Hotels?
In general they are decent. In the US expect a lot of Holiday Inn, Double Tree, and Courtyards. In Asia and the Mideast they are outstanding with things like the Oakwood, Shangri-La, and the Millennium. In Europe they tend to be the Penta, and Radisson.

Do I have to sit around in the hotel on Reserve?
No. There are several types of Reserve, but the most common is R2. It means you have to check in with scheduling within an hour, and depart for duty in 2 hours. That basically means you have 2 hours to get into uniform and check out of the hotel. That leaves plenty of room to go out and enjoy the cities that you visit.

How long are you in each location?
You are required to have between 11-18 hours of rest depending on how long the day was, however min rest days are fairly rare. We are usually in any given location for about 24 hours, and there is a required day off each week.

Does Kalitta feed you on the flights?
Yes, the 747 is catered almost everywhere we go. There is a full galley, and ample time to eat. The 767 on the other hand is not catered due to the flight segments being short and the hub turn in CVG where food is available.

What is the Max Duty Day?
24 hours on a Double Crew – 17 hours on a Standard Crew and 14 hours on a Basic Crew.

Sick leave/Vacation
Vacation: 14 days per year until year 5 then 21 days per year.
Sick: 7 days immediately in the bank, and after the first year it accrues at .67 days/month

Uniforms?
The official uniform is from Crew Outfitters. You will be sized and purchase it at Initial training. On your anniversary you will get $250 from the company for “uniform maintenance”.

What bag should I buy, and how do you guys pack for 16+ days?
People use anything from Luggage Works to Costco bags, so it’s really up to you. You will not be jumpseating to work, so if you want to check a bag you can. Most of the people pack for 10 days, and do laundry once on each rotation. There are places to do laundry at 75%+ of our hotels.

Upgrade Times
The DOH for the most junior pilot holding a 747 Captain bid is September of 2016, and March of 2017 for 767 Captain. There will be another 747 Captain bid out early next year.

Is there a seat lock?
There is a 2 year equipment lock when you’re assigned a plane, but you can bid up to Captain before that 2 years is over. Once awarded a bid, you are seat locked for 2 years.

How does Overtime work?
You have to work 16 days per month. If you chose to work 1 extra day, you will be paid 1.5X your hours flown, and 4 hours minimum for not flying (whichever is greater). Example: I flew 10 hours on a day off, so I get paid 15 hours of pay. I then had a down day and flew another 10 hours on my time off. I get paid 4 hours for my down day, and 15 hours for the last flight. Total: 34 hours of pay for 3 days of overtime.

Miles for travel or Zed fares?
No Zed fares, or benefits for family travel. You will however get miles, and stays at most hotels.

Medical Benefits?
We enjoy one of the best Cadillac health care plans in the industry which is as good as or better than any major airline today. Medical benefits start after 90 days. Medical is currently $75 single and $150 family per pay period. Each year it goes up $25.

401K
You can sign up after 90 days, and it’s 5% matching up to $10,000 per year. The vesting is based on the number of years you’ve been at the company. <1 year 0%, 1 year 20%, 2 years 40%, 3 years 60%, 4 years 80%, and 5 years 100%

Is there a lot of attrition?
No, there is very little attrition. 1-2 FOs every couple months tend to leave for the legacies. Very few of the captains leave for anything other than retirement.

Do you fly for Amazon?
No.

Can I live outside of the US and fly for Kalitta?
Yes! We have quite a few crew members that live outside of the US. The catch is that the company will only buy you a ticket to the plane from an airport in the US, so you will have to find your own way to your chosen US airport. Scheduling will work with you though if you happen to live by a very common location that we fly to (Leipzig, Hong Kong, etc).

What does the 767 do?
The 767 has ETOPS certification and may start doing some International ops in the coming months.

What are the bases at Kalitta?
YIP is the only base. The company will fly you to and from the plane wherever it is, but you will have to find your own way to YIP for training.

Who is Kalitta Charters, K2, K4 etc?
Kalitta Air (K4) is 747s and 767s. It’s run by Connie and is one you clicked on.
Kalitta Charters is a completely different company run by Doug Kalitta and is small stuff like learjets.
Kalitta Charters 2 (K2) is also run by Doug, but flies 737s and 727s.

I want to jumpseat on Kalitta. How do I do it?
Call Ops. The number is listed on the website, and they will be able to give you the schedule and list you on the flight.

Always appreciate the update for us hopefuls!