Jet Source - Carlsbad, California

[qwerty]

Anyone worked at any FBO as a gas guy and then got hired on to their charter department? I can't survive anymore as a CFI in my town and I don't want to quit flying either.

I would be pretty happy flying Corprate out of Carlsbad or am I just dreaming.

thanks

 

[avbug]

I have done that as a mechanic, and as a line person. I'd recommend that you travel and find work doing whatever you can rather than taking the long route. If Carlsbad is where you want to be, that's fine, but with low time or experience, getting upgraded to the charter may be slow. You'd be faster and probably happier finding work flying a single doing freight and upgrading to a Navajo, BE-99, etc. Then with the expeirence you could move back to the jet.

It all depends on the company. But I can tell you from first hand experience it's very frustrating to have given your all for a company, and to deserve the upgrade and the chance, and to see someone get hired off the street ahead of you because of their qualifications. Employers will usually do that instead of taking the low time guy off the line; it's a big leap from pumping gas to a charter cockpit, especially if it's in turbine equipment. It's certainly possible; check with your prospective employer on that but it's usually faster to go somewhere else that will get you cockpit experience direclty.

Others may have different experiences. My personal experience has generally been that if you take a job other than as a pilot, in order to get the pilot slot, it's the slow excruciating way to do it. I've done a lot of other things in and out of aviation at various times, sometimes for this very reason. On the whole, I'd much rather have been flying. Put this way; I'd rather be flying a Navajo than pumping gas hoping to fly a Citation.

 

[Timebuilder]

I'm with you.

People have asked me why I haven't taken a line job during slow times, and your answer spells it out.

Now, if I was 18.........

 

[bobbysamd]

Hiring psychology and perceptions

I second Avbug and Timebuilder. From my personal experience, it's hard to segue from a job for which you were hired in a company to the job you really want. It's some kind of psychological thing. You are hired into a particular job and they don't think of you as being capable of doing anything else. First impressions are the lasting impressions. Do your best to be hired as a pilot. That's how you will be known in the company.

Good luck with your job search.