Citation Bravo / Single Pilot w/Mgmt Duties Salary

[SheGaveMeClap]

In my experiences, take what you can get to start. But, always make sure you show where you are saving money and how much you are saving them. Lots of pilots either don't take the time/effort to do this or they just think the boss will somehow notice their good deeds. I document all savings in spreadsheets and make sure the CFO gets a copy. At the end of the year you should have a nice long list of areas where you have gone above and beyond your normal duties. Normally you will find that you can save your company well over your 100K+ salary if managed properly.

Managed properly? Tell me more. Where are these 100K savings?

I started up a flight dept. 18 months ago. What's to manage? Track maintenance, clean the plane after trips, keep the owners happy, fly the thing and don't bend any metal. What's so complicated about it? Besides flying, "managing" the plane adds another few hours per week to my job. What's the big deal?

My owners pay me well and give me a great QOL, but I'm curious why we are so high and mighty about being "Department managers" for small one plane/one or two pilot operations here? If you have two or more planes with a staff of pilots, I totally understand the rationale, now it's a real management situation (been there, done that). But c'mon guys, single pilot (or even two pilots) in a one plane operation? It's not f'n rocket science! Holding the title doesn't entitle us to a six figure salary and the arrogant attitude to go with it. Let's get over ourselves. Where's the extra work?

Flame away.....

 

[CDogg]

Who is the dummy ho doing it for those numbers? Dang.

Probably Air Ambulance...

 

[hawkerflyer]

Who is the dummy ho doing it for those numbers? Dang.

You're kidding, right ?

 

[SpaceBall 1]

Managed properly? Tell me more. Where are these 100K savings?

I started up a flight dept. 18 months ago. What's to manage? Track maintenance, clean the plane after trips, keep the owners happy, fly the thing and don't bend any metal. What's so complicated about it? Besides flying, "managing" the plane adds another few hours per week to my job. What's the big deal?

My owners pay me well and give me a great QOL, but I'm curious why we are so high and mighty about being "Department managers" for small one plane/one or two pilot operations here? If you have two or more planes with a staff of pilots, I totally understand the rationale, now it's a real management situation (been there, done that). But c'mon guys, single pilot (or even two pilots) in a one plane operation? It's not f'n rocket science! Holding the title doesn't entitle us to a six figure salary and the arrogant attitude to go with it. Let's get over ourselves. Where's the extra work?

Flame away.....

Last flight department I managed had one Westwind and two pilots. Granted, usually a pretty easy job. However, I saved the company my salary and then some annually. Example, one inspection the shop was performing the recurring AD inspection on the horizontal tail hinge. The guys came up and said the hinge fitting was cracked; my response was "show me". This would be a $75,000 repair if completed with a titanium hinge. I climbed the ladder and they had applied dye penetrate to the area and you could see a faint (very faint) area of a possible crack. However, the AD spells out to use a 10x magnifying glass to inspect for cracks, not dye penetrate. I had them wipe it off, we all looked the area over, very carefully and could not find any trace of a crack. So, there is no defect and $75,000 saved on one squawk.

Now, could anyone managing the jet be able to catch that?? They should be able to, however, many have not. It's all about knowing the animal and properly feeding and maintaining the beast. Maintenance visits and refurbs is where you can break the bank quickly. I also did wheel and brake changes myself, in house and some minor inspections. Another significant savings.

So, if Joe Blow is simply tracking numbers and taking the jet to the shop when it's time for an inspection, going back home and just coming to pick up the jet when told its done, then no....they shouldn't be making 6 figures because they are costing the owners money! That is not managing a jet/flight department in my mind. If your doing the job properly, you should be saving money and be able to show the savings on paper.

 

[NCherches]

....or having a good shop that is not trying to rip you off

 

[SpaceBall 1]

I never felt they were trying to rip us off. That is the way the AD was previously done. A revision changed the inspection procedure and this shop simply stayed with the old method. Granted, dye penatrant is more thorough, but the manufacture decided not necessary and so the procedure changed. Helped me out.

Good shops are a requirement, but so is knowing your stuff if you don't want the boss ripped off.

 

[solpilot]

Savings

Fuel-4,900/month
Hangar/storage-12,000/year
Training-3,000/each training event (4 per year)
Maintenance-saved over 67K last year just by shopping around and knowing how much parts/labor actually cost
International Trips-saved 17K in handling fees for the year

...and oh yeah, I perform all of the accounting/tax prep for the department as well.