Going from Fractional to Majors?

[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
Registered User




Join Date: Oct 2004
Posts: 58


Aircraft Experience: Most the ones we got
Flight Experience: both
Ratings: ATL ASES CFII MEI BE02 CE500 CE750 CE650 SF340 HS125
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.