Jobs in Northern CA

[Huggyu2]

I need y'alls expertise/experience/knowledge:
I'm new to this. I'll be leaving the military in about 2 years, and want to start looking for flying opportunities in Northern CA. I'd like to settle in the Sacramento area, which puts me about 2-3 hours drive from San Jose. I'd like to find a corporate-type flying job. What do YOU recommend that I do to start networking and getting my name out and about? What are some of the key things to look for in a corporate job? I hear that schedules can range from pretty brutal to pretty awesome. I do not have a type rating, and know that will impact me, but how badly?
Blue skies.

 

[MacGyver]

Hard to find work in bay area

I grew up in the bay area and have an inexpensive place to live there. Natuarlly, it's my number one choice to work, however I can't seem to find anything there. I've tried all the local charter companies, but I'm either too low on hours or nobody's hiring. I'd give anything to move back!

 

[smokinhole]

Try Woodland Aviation. They have some King Airs, Citations and I believe a Hawker 700. I see them looking for peole every now and then. San Jose Intl. has a pile of corp. operators on the field. Might be a good place to take look at too. Axis jet is a new company out of SAC also.

S.H.

 

[kingairyahoo]

Lol, inexpensive place to live in the bay area? Is that even possible without living on the backside of Hayward???

Ever since the merger with Aerosmith, Sunset Aviation has needed pilots, but only if youre current in the aircraft applying for. They are also opening up a new base in SAC. If it wasnt for them requiring you to pay for your own type in order to move up, it wouldnt be a bad place to be.

Axis Jet, you must be joking. they are too busy trying to suck Jack out from under Woodland ever since they pissed everyone off over there. Not to mention the fact that they dont want full time pilots...only contract guys.

Atkin Air up in Lincoln is "always looking" according to Kent, but he requires 1500 multi to even get into a C90. Otherwise he will "graciously" stick you into his recips for ~20 bucks per flight hour.

Tim Yule from Skytrek at Modesto was looking here not long ago, but that airport aint exactly the bees knees, if you get my drift.

Reach Air has a perpetual ad on their website, but thats all in the 400 series Cessna if memory serves.

Mercy Medical was also looking, but same as Reach.

If you dont mind Caravans, West Air has needed a few for the LONGEST time.

And Redding Aero has a few guys that will be bailing anytime now, as soon as they can get thru the regional interviews without crashing the sims

 

[kingairyahoo]

I'd give anything to move back!

Call John Mattews at West Air, they need 2 more Caravan pilots like, YESTERDAY! 559-454-7843

 

[Huggyu2]

Thanks

Thanks for the time to reply. I do appreciate y'all taking the time to sound off. And please continue to do so. Northern CA sounds pretty grim compared to what I expected! At least I have a house there already, so the current real estate prices won't be a factor. The prices here are very sick.
On a brighter note, it looks like my kids will be eligible for reduced price lunches at school if I take one of these jobs.
Keep the suggestions coming!

 

[kingairyahoo]

Well, thats about it. But then again you are 2 years ahead of the ball game. Who knows where we will be then. If you get here and cant find work, drop me a line. I dont know what your resume looks like, but i do know you can pull at least ~50K with minimal experience and no type

 

[Huggyu2]

It sure seems to be slim-pickins' in Northern CA. Who out there has landed a job here in the last 6 months? Give us any details you can.
Anyone else have any good leads?

 

[LJDRVR]

San Jose is going to be your best bet as far as Corporate/135 activity is concerned. It's been nine years since I left Beale, so I can't help you with much in the way of specifics in the valley. Is that Lear 25 still flying at Lincoln? There have been U-2 guys involved withthat one before. The pay and working conditions probably suck, but you'd enjoy flying the Learjet. Check into Hewlett Packard also. I know at one point they ran a few corporate shuttles.

I'll call my old IP. He retired about the time I took the early out, and still lives in Grass Valley.

Getting started with two years to go is the way to do it. Are you considering the airlines at all? If not then try to focus on the part 91 corporate jobs. Part 135 operators are 95% scumbags. Even the very best (I worked for one.) have some "interesting" issues that better 121 or the 91 gigs won't have. Drop Falcon Capt a line, and ask him to explain the dichotomy between the worst 91 jobs and the career stop. (He'll do it more eloquently than I can.) If you wan't a comparison of 135 vs. 121, I'm your guy, just let me know.

Good Luck!