Going from Fractional to Majors?

[dueguard1]

Do the majors usually avoid hiring Folks who try to come over from biz jets? .......................My goal is to do Frac/Corporate flying for a few years and then hopefully see what the Majors have going on in another 5 to 8 years or so. Any Advice from any folks who arrived at the Majors from the bizjet world??

 

[CUEBOAT]

you will not be discriminated against for flying bizjets by the majors. Especially if you plan on doing it for 8 years, by then you will more than likely have reached equipment like a Global,G550,BBJ etc. Which is good expierence to move to an airline from.

 

[Captain Overs]

Airlines also like to see 121 time. You won't be disqualified for not having it, but there are many guys out there who will have it.

 

[Gulfstream 200]

you will not be discriminated against for flying bizjets by the majors. Especially if you plan on doing it for 8 years, by then you will more than likely have reached equipment like a Global,G550,BBJ etc. Which is good expierence to move to an airline from.

If you get a decent Global / G550 gig in the corp world why would you want to go to an airline? to take a 100K pay cut? get furloughed? be juniour? commute?

chances are by this point in your life you will have a family, a life, bills, etc....

the scenario you describe is not very practical.

 

[PurpleTail]

I made it to FedEx via Flight Options and the corporate route but that was back in '01, times have changed. This business is about timing, I probably couldn't get an interview with FedEx if I was trying to get on today.

You can make it from the corporate route but I think your odds are slightly better going the 121 commuter route. Reason being is that so much weight is put on LOR's because there are A LOT of quality qualified pilots on the street. So having inside help is always a big plus and you will come into contact and make more acquaintances at a regional level than corporate level.

You need to concentrate on building multi time, moving up to larger aircraft and build PIC time. SIC time is useless so pick a place with fast upgrades.

Who knows where things will be in 5+ years but sacrifice everything to put yourself in position to get hired when things start to happen.

Good luck!

 

[cougar6903]

I made it to FedEx via Flight Options and the corporate route but that was back in '01, times have changed. This business is about timing, I probably couldn't get an interview with FedEx if I was trying to get on today.

You can make it from the corporate route but I think your odds are slightly better going the 121 commuter route. Reason being is that so much weight is put on LOR's because there are A LOT of quality qualified pilots on the street. So having inside help is always a big plus and you will come into contact and make more acquaintances at a regional level than corporate level.

You need to concentrate on building multi time, moving up to larger aircraft and build PIC time. SIC time is useless so pick a place with fast upgrades.

Who knows where things will be in 5+ years but sacrifice everything to put yourself in position to get hired when things start to happen.

Good luck!

A little off topic here. Do you think its more important to get the PIC in turbo prop asap part 135 or wait it out for the PIC in a 121 jet? The turbo prop is also >20,000 mtow.

 

[PurpleTail]

A little off topic here. Do you think its more important to get the PIC in turbo prop asap part 135 or wait it out for the PIC in a 121 jet? The turbo prop is also >20,000 mtow.

If MTOGW is over 20k get it anyway you can AS FAST AS YOU CAN whether its 91,135 or 121 (IMHO). When you are filling out apps and writing in your flight times the first thing the employer will look at is "Does this person meet our minimums???" If you do then they might look at how and where you got your time.

I can't stress this enough...PIC IS GOLD IN AVIATION!

 

[CUEBOAT]

If you get a decent Global / G550 gig in the corp world why would you want to go to an airline? to take a 100K pay cut? get furloughed? be juniour? commute?

chances are by this point in your life you will have a family, a life, bills, etc....

the scenario you describe is not very practical.

I agree 100% with you G200, i wouldnt do it personally but hey he asked if it was possible.

 

[Stinkbug]

re: <20000 MGTOW

The <20000 MGTOW requirement only applies to recips. For turbine pilots there is no weight requirement...jet or turboprop it doesn't matter, just get the PIC as quickly as possible.

 

[wheelsup]

The <20000 MGTOW requirement only applies to recips. For turbine pilots there is no weight requirement...jet or turboprop it doesn't matter, just get the PIC as quickly as possible.

Jetblue's hiring page:

1000 hours in airplanes at or above 20,000 pounds (maximum takeoff weight) or 1000 hours in large turbojet airplanes (12,500 lbs or above)

Note it specifies turbojet - I'm assuming you need to be over 20k if you're flying a turbo prop.

Of course, this is the only operator that I know of that requirement.

~wheelsup

 

[beytzim]

At my SWA new hire class there are four of us who are ex-corporate (2 netjets, 1 flexjet, and 1 flying a CitationX). I would still recommend flying the commuter way simply because you meet so many more people and you pick up flight time so much quicker.

Getting a G550/Global Express job is not as easy as these guys make it look like. I would venture it is a hella lot easier to get hired by an airline like SWA or FedEx! Unless you have some kind of 'in' at one of the kick-a$$ flight dept. you will probably be like 90% percent of all corporate guys - making under six figures and being on call 24/7 but only flying 7 days a month....

 

[CRAWDADDY]

I made it to FedEx via Flight Options and the corporate route but that was back in '01, times have changed. This business is about timing, I probably couldn't get an interview with FedEx if I was trying to get on today.


Good luck!

Why is that?

 

[Whale Rider]

Jet PIC time is Jet PIC time is Jet PIC time.........if you do well in the "Pilot Pagent" they will hire you.

 

[Stinkbug]

Jetblue's hiring page:



Note it specifies turbojet - I'm assuming you need to be over 20k if you're flying a turbo prop.

Of course, this is the only operator that I know of that requirement.

~wheelsup

Thanks for that wheelsup...but I was referring to FedEx, which is who I thought PurpleTail was talking about.

 

[capt_zman]

As a guy who recently went from a good Part 91 corporate job to Fedex, it can be done.

There were a couple of reasons why I left, but primarily the main reason I left is for the stability. I can't tell you how many times I flew with contract/part-time pilots who were 50, 55, 60 years old, who all had basically the same story (laid-off, fired, quit, dept closure, etc....). For me, I couldn't see myself at their age in the same situation (not that it would have happened, but I believe the chances are much greater in corp than at fedex). Also, it certainly doesn't get any easier to land a good corporate job the older you get.

Most of these guys were previously making big bank, working for top end companies, flying top of the line equipment and yet were turned over for some reason or another, and therein lies another problem with the corp world, things can change overnight. Whether it's a CEO, General Counsel, VP, Chief Pilot, etc, all it takes is one person/attitude/event and the entire flight dept can change dramatically (no corporation is safe from this).

Z-

 

[PurpleTail]

Today, 05:50 #12
CRAWDADDY
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Join Date: Oct 2004
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Total Time: 11,XXX Quote:
Originally Posted by PurpleTail
I made it to FedEx via Flight Options and the corporate route but that was back in '01, times have changed. This business is about timing, I probably couldn't get an interview with FedEx if I was trying to get on today.


Good luck!



Why is that?
__________________
Columbus Approach, CATFISH 824 is 'on board' at FL410

CRAWDADDY~

When I got hired in '01 with FedEx I had a little over 3000TT (1200 PIC turbine) and only 1 internal LOR. That is minimal to be competitive at FedEx today.

BUT...lucky for me United, Delta and American had hired all the high time pilots from '97-'00. So when FedEx got the postal contact in '01 and needed 500 pilots FAST I got the call. My app had been on file for a year and I had updated my times often. Interviewed on my 31st B-day and was in class 6 weeks later.

Timing is everything.