Moving up to management

[skywiz]

Was wondering what it would take to eventually move up to airline management once hired as a pilot at a major?

If you had an MBA and happened to be flying for several years, how hard would it be to get involved in the corporate side of things? If you did, could you still fly a little?

I am thinking about getting an MBA and could see doing that if I was able.

Thanks.

 

[Dizel8]

Joining the dark side of the force??

Have fun!

 

[PCL_128]

Why would you want to join that scumbag pack of thieves?

 

[instructordude]

Was wondering what it would take to eventually move up to airline management once hired as a pilot at a major?

If you had an MBA and happened to be flying for several years, how hard would it be to get involved in the corporate side of things? If you did, could you still fly a little?

I am thinking about getting an MBA and could see doing that if I was able.

Thanks.

I'm brand new to the majors but I bet getting an MBA would help. Also, being a really really really good pilot, probably in the top 10% of your peers is a necessity. Then their is the leadership question. Probabaly have to be pretty **** hot leader. To sum it up, Top pilot + Leader + MBA = Mangement.

Good luck with those odds.

 

[pilotyip]

It is doable

I have no experience with the majors. But would imagine you would give up pay and days off to come into the management ranks. Most likely it would be an entry-level position. In the supplemental airline business, you start hanging around on your days off, offering to help with Ground Instruction, special projects, and other management duties. You get a reputation as an easy guy to work with; you come up with some great solutions, and you put the company first. You then may be offered a position like Asst Dir of Training, Director of Standards for an airplane type, Asst Chief Pilot, or Director of Safety. If you are talking about moving into marketing, finance, or Human Resources, I know of no direct paths from the pilot’s ranks. BTW to expect any reasonalbe answers on this site is not realistic. Here management and the anti-christ are the same thing.

 

[Dizel8]

Just do what pilotyip says, it really is pretty simple, all you got to do is kiss ass.

(No disrespect to pilotyip)

 

[PCL_128]

<font color="black">In the supplemental airline business, you start hanging around on your days off, offering to help with Ground Instruction, special projects, and other management duties. You get a reputation as an easy guy to work with; you come up with some great solutions, and you put the company first.

Sickening. No one should put their company first. Family, God, friends, etc... come far before the danged company.

 

[MINIME]

I think this is flame...but whatever.
At the lower levels you need to be a butt kissing, a yes man, snitch on your fellow pilot, hang your fellow pilot, always side with the company, vote yes on any offer the company ever gives you, type of pilot.

At the higher levels, you need to be ruthless, gutless, lying, decieving, while still trying to be political type of person. You need to have the ability to convince the government on not letting your emplyees strike or even get out of arbitration. Otherwise you will be deemed a complete and utter failure. Oh!... and you need to have the strongest desire and will to build yourself a golden parachute at the merciless expense of your employees. You really need to have the "Screw the employees, I've got mine attitude" to even remotely qualify for the job.

If you don't have these minimum requirements, then I'd suggest you refrain from looking into it. It just really takes a very special person to perform such a job.

Disclaimer: While these discriptions accurately provide an overview of the management bodies at airlines, it does in no way shape or form always hold true at every entity, at every level of operation.

 

[pilotyip]

Company First

Sickening. No one should put their company first. Family, God, friends, etc... come far before the danged company.

Without the company, there are no flying jobs, there is no income, and if you do not preserve the company you have nothing. Now this means taking care of your employees, pay properly inside the limits of staying in business, good maintenance, good benefits and doing those right things to make it a good place to work. All successful companies look out for their long-term survival, and as a result employees benefit from a stable company. Would it be right to barrow money on all the assets and then give all the money to the employees, then go out of business and leave them unemployed? BTW This is the reality of the real world and not the ego centric view of theworld.

 

[Whine Lover]

" start hanging around on your days off, offering to help with Ground Instruction, special projects, and other management duties. You get a reputation as an easy guy to work with; you come up with some great solutions, and you put the company first. "


Or just kill yourself now.... A Scab has a higher place in the pecking order than do those who choose this route.


YKW

 

[Bavarian Chef]

Beware of anyone that aspires to anything more than 19 days off a month.

Oh -- and bobsledders.

 

[PCL_128]

Or just kill yourself now.... A Scab has a higher place in the pecking order than do those who choose this route.

Exactly.

 

[jonjuan]

Sickening. No one should put their company first. Family, God, friends, etc... come far before the danged company.

Shouldn't God be before family? He might be a bit miffed at you.

 

[PCL_128]

Shouldn't God be before family? He might be a bit miffed at you.

Well, yeah, but I wasn't putting them in order. Just a list of things that are far more important than the frickin' company.

 

[instructordude]

Did the moderators remove some comments on this thread? Why?

 

[SuperFLUF]

Was wondering what it would take to eventually move up to airline management once hired as a pilot at a major?

If you had an MBA and happened to be flying for several years, how hard would it be to get involved in the corporate side of things? If you did, could you still fly a little?

I am thinking about getting an MBA and could see doing that if I was able.

Thanks.

Join the union negotiating committee (or greivance committee or any other way you can get some inside scoop) and work a deal with the company to screw your fellow pilots for a cushy mgmt position.

It works at CAL.

 

[Jetjockey]

Did you become a pilot to fly or sit behind a desk? That was asked of me when I once considered the 'dark side'.

 

[afhercdriver]

Go get the MBA. It is a good idea to have a back-up plan to hedge against unforeseen set backs. I got one in '98 and it was a great experience.

Jim

 

[DrewBlows]

BTW to expect any reasonalbe answers on this site is not realistic. Here management and the anti-christ are the same thing.

Don't be ridiculous. No reasonable person could compare the anti-Christ and management, that is very disrespectful to the anti-Christ.




...can't believe no one beat me to it.:laugh:

 

[SDF2BUF2MCO]

Why would you want to join that scumbag pack of thieves?

Because the political arena is already full?

Somewhat seriously, if this person is an honorable man and has some smarts and leadership capabilities, then why not? Isn't that what management is sorely lacking? I do agree though this may be flame bait.

 

[Ih8AFYesmen]

First, you sell your soul to Lucifer and then sell out your pilot group. Judas would have made one hell of a airline manager or CEO for that matter. Atleast that's how it's done where I work.

 

[densoo]

Was wondering what it would take to eventually move up to airline management once hired as a pilot at a major?

If you had an MBA and happened to be flying for several years, how hard would it be to get involved in the corporate side of things? If you did, could you still fly a little?

I am thinking about getting an MBA and could see doing that if I was able.

Thanks.

One way:

1. Get hired as a pilot
2. Volunteer for union negotiating committee
3. Sell the pilot group down the river
4. Wait for the call from management to negotiate on the other side of the table

No kidding.

 

[Ben Franklin]

Did the moderators remove some comments on this thread? Why?

The comments were removed because no one on this board cares that you touch yourself in your "tingly spot" six times per day.

Sincerely,

B. Franklin

 

[Ben Franklin]

3. Sell the pilot group down the river

While I disagree 1000% with the actions of the person being described here, it was the LEC STATUS REPS who sold the CAL pilots down the river by voting "YES" in the first place to send the TA out for a membership vote.

BTW, the current EWR FO status rep voted "YES" on POS 02.

Sincerely,

B. Franklin

 

[blzr]

Who is more important to an airline, the pilot or the Exec making 500k in the corner office?

Well, the way I see it, on saturdays, sundays, and holidays, I'll bet the corporate office is all but deserted. (I am ofcourse thaking about the MBA's with a PHD in blowing $$$ up a wild hogs ass). The airline seems to function as if more grease was applied to the bearings.

What would happen to an airline if none of the pilots showed up?

I's your job, mr. PHD in wild hogs ass, to sell tickets and create a buisness plan that betters the airline as a whole. If the pilots flew airplanes the way most of you run a company, there would be ALOT of smoking holes out there.

Sorry, too much Scotch, or not quite enough...

 

[pilotyip]

reality?

Because the political arena is already full?

Somewhat seriously, if this person is an honorable man and has some smarts and leadership capabilities, then why not? Isn't that what management is sorely lacking? I do agree though this may be flame bait.

Reality of management and leadership, if someone has the answers it is their duty to step up and make it better. But it is so easy to ignore that reality and throw darts, call names, and think you have all the answers.

 

[Dizel8]

if this person is an honorable man and has some smarts and leadership capabilities, then why not?

People with those qualities generally do not aspire to be management, and if they did make into those ranks, they would either be subverted, fired or hopefully, resign.

Sadly, a few are more than willing to sell their fellows pilots down the river, the company I work for has a few. Interestingly, they came with accolades from their previous fellow pilots, having joined management here, they decided to become pilot unfriendly!

 

[JediNein]

Who is more important to an airline, the pilot or the Exec making 500k in the corner office?

The Exec making 500k in the corner office. There is a reason the exec has the corner office and 500K on the W-2. But even the exec is still working for someone else.

Well, the way I see it, on saturdays, sundays, and holidays, I'll bet the corporate office is all but deserted.

If they're smart and at the top of their careers, they are at home with their families, enjoying their time with their families. If not, and working their way up the ladder, they might be at home, but working. I know of very few execs that take holidays, weekends, and other such days 100% off. Even when off, the brain is still working away at solving whatever crisis or dreaming up some new long term idea to grow the company.

What would happen to an airline if none of the pilots showed up?

It would be a stretch to have none of the pilots show up. Most likely it'd be a bunch of retirees, management pilots, and others that would run a barebones schedule until the airline folded, thus the pilots would not have anywhere to show up to. The pilots would start over at the bottom of the list elsewhere with the corresponding loss of the income, and the execs would find themselves at a similar level or promoted elsewhere with a similar or higher level of income.

Sorry, too much Scotch, or not quite enough...

Not enough. :beer:

Of course I don't like either pilot or exec position, I'd rather be CEO.

 

[PCL_128]

Somewhat seriously, if this person is an honorable man and has some smarts and leadership capabilities, then why not? Isn't that what management is sorely lacking? I do agree though this may be flame bait.

I've seen honorable men try to do these jobs. They end up either losing their honor, or getting fired. Honor and management are mutually exclusive.

 

[SDF2BUF2MCO]

People with those qualities generally do not aspire to be management, and if they did make into those ranks, they would either be subverted, fired or hopefully, resign.

Yes, kind of like politics-most normal people don't have the stomach for it. Your observation about being subverted, fired, or resigning is very keen.