COST ANALYSIS EXAMPLE – FALCON 900LX CAPTAIN: FULL-TIME vs. CONTRACT
Professional contract pilots are people who have committed full-time to their businesses and pay
their own training and benefits. They are not riding their last recurrent for “pocket change” until they
find the next employer to pay for it, nor are they low-balling the market just to build time. They are
experienced consultants who charge industry standard rates according to the aircraft make & model.
A typical rate for a contract F900LX captain is $2,500/day. Think that’s expensive? Think again. To
start, consider the contractor’s largest costs: taxes, pilot training, and healthcare. A typical policy for
a family of four costs over $2,800/mo from most major carriers. After these, you still have to live,
save, and eventually retire.
Do the math. The total cost of a full-time employee will buy you a whopping 180 days of contract
service a year which is 15 days per month! Therefore, if your flight department is not flying more
than 15 days per month, you could realize significant savings using contract pilots. If you are, then
full-time is probably cheaper for you.
On-demand workers are flourishing in numerous industries like Information Technology and
Healthcare to name a few. Aviation is no different. This article was inspired by my friends at
WorkMarket.com.
Today’s workforce is moving to on-demand workers. What are you waiting for?
Call my mobile directly: +1 646.584.3950 for your customized quote! —James