Wheels Up Operators (Gama, DPJ, TMC)
08-04-2021, 03:06 PM
#561
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Mar 2008
Position: FAA 'Flight Check'
Posts: 13,839
That maybe an isolated case. I can tell you from experience that planning for 5 flights, weather, notams, TFR's etc, then doing the weight & balance and fuel planning on top is time consuming. Most of that occurs at the hotel the night before when you're supposed to be on rest and more often than not it was all for nothing when the flights get pulled and replaced with new trips.
I'm not one to bash Wheels Up. I had a good 6 years there but now I'm at a place where all of that stuff is done for you and crew meals are provided throughout the day. The difference is significant.
I'm not one to bash Wheels Up. I had a good 6 years there but now I'm at a place where all of that stuff is done for you and crew meals are provided throughout the day. The difference is significant.
I usually only have to do all that stuff twice a day and it can be time consuming and tiring too.
I wasn't kidding about the time it took to get in and out there at the restaurant though - VERY slow service!
08-08-2021, 04:16 PM
#562
Line Holder
Joined APC: Oct 2018
Posts: 99
Still doing our own flight planning and w/b. I do 1-2 the morning of and the remainder get filed/planned etc inflight at cruise. It’s much needed to have guys doing that for us though, and it’s silly it’s gone on this long. We get crew meals paid for by the company, so I’m never scrambling to eat
That maybe an isolated case. I can tell you from experience that planning for 5 flights, weather, notams, TFR's etc, then doing the weight & balance and fuel planning on top is time consuming. Most of that occurs at the hotel the night before when you're supposed to be on rest and more often than not it was all for nothing when the flights get pulled and replaced with new trips.
I'm not one to bash Wheels Up. I had a good 6 years there but now I'm at a place where all of that stuff is done for you and crew meals are provided throughout the day. The difference is significant.
I'm not one to bash Wheels Up. I had a good 6 years there but now I'm at a place where all of that stuff is done for you and crew meals are provided throughout the day. The difference is significant.
In your 6 years at WUP you didn’t try just planning 1-2 the morning of and the rest inflight? Not much going on for a 1 hour cruise, mine as well do the planning then. That’s what I do, only spend maybe 15-30 min a day planning anything at the hotel. If you need extra time, wait till you’re on duty and plan then… no need to waste your rest time doing that stuff
Out of curiosity I am looking to joining Wheels Up in a year or so. However, for y'all that have been there awhile how many hours do you manage to get in a year on the KA side? Are the King Air's single pilot and do you get a single pilot type? What are upgrade times? Any chance of getting waivers for mins depending on ones background? Thanks in advance.
400-500/year, no all our planes are 2 crew no single pilot types. Right now the mins for upgrade are 3000 total, 1500 turbine multi time, 750 multi turbine PIC. WUP counts your PF time in the right seat towards the PIC mins for upgrade. As of right now no chance for waiver for mins we use to do that but when wheels up bought Gama they said no more waivers and made all 3 of those times hard times. If it goes back to the way it was before, 3000 total is the only hard time, the rest are waiverable
08-08-2021, 09:48 PM
#563
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Jul 2013
Posts: 466
Out of curiosity I am looking to joining Wheels Up in a year or so. However, for y'all that have been there awhile how many hours do you manage to get in a year on the KA side? Are the King Air's single pilot and do you get a single pilot type? What are upgrade times? Any chance of getting waivers for mins depending on ones background? Thanks in advance.
08-09-2021, 09:01 AM
#564
Line Holder
Joined APC: Nov 2014
Position: Phenom
Posts: 82
I manage and fly a jet that was part of DPJ’s turn-key program. I’d like to hear experiences from any other pilots in this forum who fly managed fleet aircraft. There were enough problems under DPJ, but things seem to be amplifying since being absorbed by WU. Benefits are eroding, pricing plans changing with no notification, inaccurate monthly statements, etc. Is this how things are going for all of the managed aircraft? PM please.
08-09-2021, 09:04 AM
#565
Line Holder
Joined APC: Oct 2018
Posts: 99
I manage and fly a jet that was part of DPJ’s turn-key program. I’d like to hear experiences from any other pilots in this forum who fly managed fleet aircraft. There were enough problems under DPJ, but things seem to be amplifying since being absorbed by WU. Benefits are eroding, pricing plans changing with no notification, inaccurate monthly statements, etc. Is this how things are going for all of the managed aircraft? PM please.
I can’t speak for the managed guys, but as a branded fleet pilot who flew with Gama before being bought by WUP I can echo your sentiments. Things haven’t gone off the cliff, but it’s been a slow downward decline since WUP bought us. Disappointing to say the least, especially because a lot of us thought we would turn the corner after the buy out into being a true competitor in regards to pay/QOL compared to other big 135/91K. I think WUP bit off too big of a chunk right now, but they can turn this around.
08-12-2021, 03:55 PM
#567
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Jul 2013
Posts: 466
Where do you live/do you want to live? I can tell you about former Gama’s bases and tier system, but they are hashing out the details of the combined group.
The override is more complicated than I want to get into, but basically you’ll get either $850, $1000, or $1200 per day (based on aircraft and seat) you are assign to be phone liable or assigned to an aircraft in excess of your 8-day tour. You also get a premium if you get in later than 2230 local base time on your last day, which goes up at 0000 local base time, and gets bumped again if your total duty day was more than 14 hrs on your last tour day.
08-12-2021, 07:16 PM
#568
New Hire
Joined APC: Aug 2021
Posts: 6
per diem is $64 domestic $85 international, non pro-rated.
Where do you live/do you want to live? I can tell you about former Gama’s bases and tier system, but they are hashing out the details of the combined group.
The override is more complicated than I want to get into, but basically you’ll get either $850, $1000, or $1200 per day (based on aircraft and seat) you are assign to be phone liable or assigned to an aircraft in excess of your 8-day tour. You also get a premium if you get in later than 2230 local base time on your last day, which goes up at 0000 local base time, and gets bumped again if your total duty day was more than 14 hrs on your last tour day.
Where do you live/do you want to live? I can tell you about former Gama’s bases and tier system, but they are hashing out the details of the combined group.
The override is more complicated than I want to get into, but basically you’ll get either $850, $1000, or $1200 per day (based on aircraft and seat) you are assign to be phone liable or assigned to an aircraft in excess of your 8-day tour. You also get a premium if you get in later than 2230 local base time on your last day, which goes up at 0000 local base time, and gets bumped again if your total duty day was more than 14 hrs on your last tour day.
I have one more question, would it be preferrable choosing a tier1 or tier2 gateway having the choice within 30 minutes driving time of one another.
Thanks.
08-15-2021, 06:56 PM
#569
Line Holder
Joined APC: Oct 2018
Posts: 99
Likely the Tier 1 if it’s an airline hub, more direct flights home.
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10-02-2021, 04:48 PM
#570
Line Holder
Joined APC: Aug 2019
Position: BE300 Left Seat
Posts: 47
It’s been quiet here on this thread for a while. Is there any news on hiring, pay, QOL, 7/7 schedule, direct entry captains, are you all flying a lot, morale? Based on the jobs I’ve been seeing on JSFirm there is quite a bit of movement in the industry. Just trying to get this thing kick started.
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