Large corporate transitions

[BoilerUP]

I work for a training company in a simulator. (Hence the name "Gearmunky")

Sorry if my earlier post implied PFT. I was just curious how you might land a gig like that. Does anybody know if FSI/Simcom/Simuflite does this with regular CFIs or do they need to come through their Academy-type program?

Sounds like you have an excellent opportunity!

 

[Throttlebender]

Thanks for all the encouragement guys. I appreciate it. Yeah, I know most departments have higher minimums and that's understandable. I hope to have almost 3000 TT and around 1200 multi when and if the opportunity presents itself. The only thing that makes me think I might have a chance is that the chief pilot is a casual friend and is going to point me in the right direction. The rest will be up to me. I laughed when he said I should give him a resume but he said that it's more about the "fit" with the company more than the hours a pilot has. So, we'll see. I'm confident about my "real world" abilities but was nervous about such a big jump in aircraft. Anyway, thanks again to all and have fun out there. Make a few dollars while you're at it.

 

[gear_guy]

Yeah, I know most departments have higher minimums and that's understandable. I hope to have almost 3000 TT and around 1200 multi when and if the opportunity presents itself.

Don't sell yourself short. I have been working corporate for 4 years now and look at my total time. 3 type ratings and only 2500TT. It happens more often than you think. There is a 91 outfit at my airport where they have an f/o who has 2000 hours and they typed him on the G4, DA-20, and LR-JET. He is only about 26 years old. Just keep sending those resumes. Your persistence will be noted.

 

[Bandit60]

He is right about the "fit" with the company. When my company interviews a new pilot, many of the current pilots sit in on the interview and chat with him/her and take them to lunch just to see if they will be compatible with the others.

It is so important that the pilots work together well. Its not like an airline where you might not see a guy you hate to fly with for a while. In corporate you might be flying with him or her every day.

 

[52Vincent]

You'll be fine. I went through G-IV intitial at about 320 hrs. (Yes, three hundred and twenty hours)

Gulfstream 200yeah why "PFT" question..??

The guy is probably a sim instructor in GIV's...(no?)

No offense ,of course, to the above guy - but anyone can get a type rating in a sim...if they work hard enough.....

but PFT? whats that have to do with it?
Excuse me but you have to admit by the first line of Gearmunky's sentence that it sounds like PFT, Especially with the times. Just what is it that you do Gearmunky?

 

[Gearmunky]

52Vincent, as I expressed earlier I work for a training company in a simulator. I just told Throttlebender that I still went through the same intitial as the guys with thousands of hours. It's quite possible to do, and he'll be fine.

As far as working in a simulator, I keep the time separate and although it counts as total time it does not count as butt in real airplane seat time. I log all my time legally and one day it will add up, and hopefully I'll be able to get one good job instead of the four part time jobs I work now.
I also agree with Bandit. Many a time have I met corporate flight departments that would rather hire guys who you can sit next to for hours, rather than guys that can spit the FARs word for word in their sleep. In the words of one chief pilot, "We can teach monkeys to fly, but we want someone who can represent the company and we can sit next to all day and not want to kill them at the end. A friend of mine just got typed in a DA-10 at around 900 hrs. Corporate flying is more who you know rather than how much time you have. Remember the FARs aren't the problem it's the friggin' insurance companies that are keeping a brother down. If you want your flight time to really matter, go airlines and become a number on a paper rather than a living, breathing person. Keep in mind though there are perks to both. Really good jobs are hard to come by.