Has anyone worked both sides of the fence?
I have been in the SWA pool for over a year, and hope to be invited to a class this year. I have spent my entire aviation career as a corporate pilot. I am considering giving up a fairly good paying stable corporate position for the airlines, with the illusion that working for a major will provide me and my family a better overall quality of life.
While I will be taking a significnat pay cut, the quality of life issue seems to far outweigh the compensation.
I would appreciate any feedback to what it's really like flying at a major airline, and/or SWA in particular.
The following represents how the sky looks in my world. Please let me know if I am seeing the other side as greener than it really is.
Thanks!!!
Pros of Corporate:
Flying all over the world often to challenging airports like Telluride, CO or Lima Peru. Although I have been a corporate aviator for over 13 years, many of my trips are to places that I have never been to. The flying rearly gets boring.
Being 100% in-charge of the trip. When you launch, it is up to you to ensure that the flight planning is accurate, enough fuel is on-board, you can get fuel at places like Luxor Egypt (was there last week, cost me my favorite Univ. of Michigan sweat shirt to get fuel). Never a dull moment.
If you do get layed off or fired (corporate generally does not have furloughs) there are hundreds of other companies with flight departments. It is much easier for someone with a strong corporate background to find another job within the industry. Not true for a layed off airline pilot trying to break into corporate flying.
Cons of Corporate:
Very few companies have a fixed schedule. It does get old to have your trip cancelled or created one hour prior to blast off. Especially when flying overseas.
The best path for a good salary in corporate aviation is to fly "the big iron", like the Boeing Business Jet, Gulfstream V, or Global Express. These aircraft have a 6,500+ nm range which translates into long trips. Last month I was gone 28 days. Generally speaking, the bigger the jet, the bigger your suitcase.
I am a PIC on a Boeing Bus Jet. The max pay at my Company (a Fortune 500 Corp.) is $150K plus 401K and standard health benifits. I believe this to be rather stadard in the industry.
No union protection. Although I have worked for the same company for nine years (great company by the way), I have seen pilots get fired because the passenger did not like the pilots landings. This is less true at a Fortune 500 Corp where we have a Human Resources Dept. Small operators can be difficult since you are literally at the mercy of the personality of the "boss". I was terminated from my first corporate job because I was was not comfortable schlepping to the specialty dog store before each trip to get the boss's dog her favorite dog biscuits. While I am the first one eager to ensure that the passengers are comfortable, this became rediculous and intererred with my duties as the PIC. I was also requried to drive to the boss's house to pick-up the luggage. Flying the airplane was a minor part of the job.
We often stay at a one place for many days while the passengers are conducting business. When I was single, this was a blast. I would now rather fly when I am at work than stay in a hotel. While it is nice to be on a beach in the French Riviera for five days, if you are not with your family, the novalty wears off.
Pros of Airline:
SCHEDULE SCHEDULE SCHEDULE
While I really like the folks I fly with, it does get a bit boring flyng with the same crew year after year. It seems the diversity of people you fly with at the airlines would be interesting.
Knowing when you are going to be home!!!
Percieved Cons of an Airline:
Is the flying boring?
I heard that at certain airlines, the employees are very negative. Northing worse than working at a company where the company culture is to b--itch and moan all the time.
Thanks again for your help!
I have been in the SWA pool for over a year, and hope to be invited to a class this year. I have spent my entire aviation career as a corporate pilot. I am considering giving up a fairly good paying stable corporate position for the airlines, with the illusion that working for a major will provide me and my family a better overall quality of life.
While I will be taking a significnat pay cut, the quality of life issue seems to far outweigh the compensation.
I would appreciate any feedback to what it's really like flying at a major airline, and/or SWA in particular.
The following represents how the sky looks in my world. Please let me know if I am seeing the other side as greener than it really is.
Thanks!!!
Pros of Corporate:
Flying all over the world often to challenging airports like Telluride, CO or Lima Peru. Although I have been a corporate aviator for over 13 years, many of my trips are to places that I have never been to. The flying rearly gets boring.
Being 100% in-charge of the trip. When you launch, it is up to you to ensure that the flight planning is accurate, enough fuel is on-board, you can get fuel at places like Luxor Egypt (was there last week, cost me my favorite Univ. of Michigan sweat shirt to get fuel). Never a dull moment.
If you do get layed off or fired (corporate generally does not have furloughs) there are hundreds of other companies with flight departments. It is much easier for someone with a strong corporate background to find another job within the industry. Not true for a layed off airline pilot trying to break into corporate flying.
Cons of Corporate:
Very few companies have a fixed schedule. It does get old to have your trip cancelled or created one hour prior to blast off. Especially when flying overseas.
The best path for a good salary in corporate aviation is to fly "the big iron", like the Boeing Business Jet, Gulfstream V, or Global Express. These aircraft have a 6,500+ nm range which translates into long trips. Last month I was gone 28 days. Generally speaking, the bigger the jet, the bigger your suitcase.
I am a PIC on a Boeing Bus Jet. The max pay at my Company (a Fortune 500 Corp.) is $150K plus 401K and standard health benifits. I believe this to be rather stadard in the industry.
No union protection. Although I have worked for the same company for nine years (great company by the way), I have seen pilots get fired because the passenger did not like the pilots landings. This is less true at a Fortune 500 Corp where we have a Human Resources Dept. Small operators can be difficult since you are literally at the mercy of the personality of the "boss". I was terminated from my first corporate job because I was was not comfortable schlepping to the specialty dog store before each trip to get the boss's dog her favorite dog biscuits. While I am the first one eager to ensure that the passengers are comfortable, this became rediculous and intererred with my duties as the PIC. I was also requried to drive to the boss's house to pick-up the luggage. Flying the airplane was a minor part of the job.
We often stay at a one place for many days while the passengers are conducting business. When I was single, this was a blast. I would now rather fly when I am at work than stay in a hotel. While it is nice to be on a beach in the French Riviera for five days, if you are not with your family, the novalty wears off.
Pros of Airline:
SCHEDULE SCHEDULE SCHEDULE
While I really like the folks I fly with, it does get a bit boring flyng with the same crew year after year. It seems the diversity of people you fly with at the airlines would be interesting.
Knowing when you are going to be home!!!
Percieved Cons of an Airline:
Is the flying boring?
I heard that at certain airlines, the employees are very negative. Northing worse than working at a company where the company culture is to b--itch and moan all the time.
Thanks again for your help!
)AND made the fuel stop in SLN. Some things never change 
