Leaving Delta for Corporate

[snow-back]

Does anybody have any tips about how to get qualified for a goodcorporate job. I've got tons of time, but no small jet types and nocorporate experience.

Thanks

T.

 

[cosmotheassman]

Don't go to corporate. You're stealing the positions I need.

 

[Dep676]

Join the club with the rest of us that do have time in the corporate stuff. Not to bust your balls. Network, network, and network so more.

What area of the country you looking in?

Good Luck.

 

[snow-back]

Join the club with the rest of us that do have time inthecorporate stuff. Not to bust your balls. Network, network, andnetworkso more.

What area of the country you looking in?

Good Luck.

Eastern PA or MSP areas.

 

[KeroseneSnorter]

Does anybody have any tips about how to get qualified for a goodcorporate job. I've got tons of time, but no small jet types and nocorporate experience.

Thanks

T.

How far up the seniority totum pole are you at DAL, or far down, whatever the case may be.

Being a furloughed puke, I can tell you that Corporate is better than the regionals, but not as good as the Majors, even in the current climate.

There are a very select few corporate jobs that can match what the majors have to offer, but you will not get one without first having to work some real crap jobs. And about the only thing that will match your payscale at DAL, even after concessions, is a Gulfstream Captian position(or comparitive size). most of which require a couple thousand hours in type, and a close buddy to give you an attaboy to the operator.

If you are retiring from DAL, Network, Network, Network, corporate is all about who you know.

If you are leaving because you will be back on reserve, or are taking a paycut, think very very hard about what you are doing.

If you are about to be furloughed, look at it this way, At least your not furloughed from USAir!!!!! DAL will survive.......I think.......possibly.......good chance......well better odds than USAir!!!

 

[Dep676]

Eastern PA or MSP areas.

Don't believe there is a lot in the MSP area. There is probably a better chance in the Eastern PA area. Having Philly, Harrisburg and Jersey right next door.

 

[hellas]

Be Carefull What You Wish For...it May Come True!...

 

[HawkDrvr]

I can tell you that there are some excellent flight dept.'s in the MSP area, however you will NEVER get in to one without some serious inside networking. I am sure that the market is already flooded with NWA furloughs.

From what I have heard, 3M has an outstanding department but to quote Dell Griffith (Planes, Trains, & Automobiles), "you'll have better luck playing pick-up sticks with your butt cheeks" than getting in to there without knowing someone. As for Target Corp., the last I heard they have 2 or 3 Citation X's and have a lot of shares with FlightOptions.

NETWORK, NETWORK, NETWORK!!!! It is going to be difficult for you to make a lateral move (at least in pay) in to the corporate world without having some contacts. Good luck!!!

 

[capt_zman]

Have a guy in G4 class who is a 25 year Delta 75/76 captain. "Picking up the G4 rating so that I'm competitive when the stuff hits the fan."

Anyway, I believe he's going to be doing some contract work for a large operator in CA. BTW, he's only 50 years old.

 

[snow-back]

Thanks for all the replies guys. I have no illusions about thisbeinganeasy transition. I have several reasons, bothprofessional andpersonalfor wanting to leave. It'd be difficultat best to cram them allinto asingle post. Im in the high 4000son the seniority list. For thosenotat DAL that's a mid tojunior 767 copilot. My chances ofbeingfurloughed are prettyremote and if I WAS on the verge ofbeingfuloughed, then somethingvery bad has happened at Delta. Iwouldn'texpect to make evenclose to a lateral move in pay, but payisn't theonly issue, besides,with the degradation of pay and benefits(I believemore cuts arelikely), making a move becomes a lot easier.I've gotseveralcontacts in the corporate world, just no experience.We'llseewhat happens.

Fly safely

TR

PS: Are my words running together or is it just me?


Dep676,

Is that a 36 in your avatar. I've got a 30...great gun.

 

[G100driver]

Does anybody have any tips about how to get qualified for a goodcorporate job. I've got tons of time, but no small jet types and nocorporate experience.

Thanks

T.

You are qualified, the question is why do you want to leave Delta? Are you on furlough? Are you low in senority and worried about the future? If so, I would seriously look at you for employment. For all the griping I hear on corp boards about airline guys I have to admit, the right guy can do a great job. I also know that I can take time off and not have to worry about what you are doing with the airplane. I know, I work with a furloughed UAL guy who could not tell the difference between a Gulfstream and a Lear Jet.

Now, with that said, I will tell you about another Delta (MD-90) guy I know who flies corporate in the Pac NW. He just retired at 56 years old because he was worried about his pention. Good reason. The only problem is he has put himself on the market to the local guys as being willing to do the job for less money, because he already has his pension ect. He makes me want to puke. Here is a guy who had a great career, made a few bucks and walked away with a good pention. This probably the same kinda guy who rallied against the RJ's and B scale pay. He is now flying as a Hawker 800XP PIC making $50,000/year. This guy is the modern day SCAB in corporate aviation. I hold nothing but contempt for him and his type.

If you are getting out because you are worried that your shrinking pention will not allow you to live like the semi-retired millionare that you planned on, then go home. You will not get very far in a serious corp. flight department.

Judging by the fact that you only have 9000 hours, I would say this is not the case for you. If you NETWORK and knock on a few doors (with an appointment) you may find what you are looking for. Good luck to you. Corp aviation can be very rewarding, but very difficult to break into.

 

[Vortilon]

If you think you don't like reserve at DAL....try 135 for a while....Ithink you're crazy, but then again you are senior to me so GO FORIT!

 

[AA717driver]

Work the he!! out of your contacts in corporate. Keep in mind the operators will be leery of you unless you show that you have resigned your seniority.

In the east, you will only make $90k as a SIC in a GIV or GV. In the midwest, it will be worse. Also, you must always consider that nothing lasts forever--especially in the corporate world. Even big departments can close the doors in a heartbeat.

I was forced out of the airlines by furlough (ex-TWA MD80 capt.) and at 46 have decided to not go back to the airlines (starting over anywhere or going back as 10,000 at AA) AND I got a really good position thanks to a friend I stayed in contact with over the years. But your situation is very different.

Talk to your contacts in the corporate world and keep going back and picking their brains. Research the heck out of this. Good luck.TC

 

[sleepy]

Does anybody have any tips about how to get qualified for a goodcorporate job. I've got tons of time, but no small jet types and nocorporate experience.

Thanks

T.

Being based in ATL we get a lot of calls from DAL pilots wishing to make the transition to corporate flying. They usually call our Chief Pilot and say things like, "I am furloughed from DAL and need a job, so I was wondering if I could come over and fly your little airplanes until I get recalled". The guys that are about to retire usually say something like, "Hey, I am about to retire from DAL with 10,000 hours flying the B-767, so I thought I would like to come fly your little planes, as long as it doesn't get in the way of my golf game on Tuesdays".

You may want to try these techniques as well. It has worked so well for your fellow DAL pilots, as my boss can hardly resist the opportunity to have some DAL pilots tell us how we have been doing things wrong for so many years. Every corporate flight department in America could use a few furloughed or retired DAL pilots to do the same thing for them.

 

[Dep676]

Dep676,

Is that a 36 in your avatar. I've got a 30...great gun.

Why yes it is. Do not have one yet but would love to get one. I have High Cap .40 right now.

 

[semperfido]

Being based in ATL we get a lot of calls from DAL pilots wishing to make the transition to corporate flying. They usually call our Chief Pilot and say things like, "I am furloughed from DAL and need a job, so I was wondering if I could come over and fly your little airplanes until I get recalled". The guys that are about to retire usually say something like, "Hey, I am about to retire from DAL with 10,000 hours flying the B-767, so I thought I would like to come fly your little planes, as long as it doesn't get in the way of my golf game on Tuesdays".

You may want to try these techniques as well. It has worked so well for your fellow DAL pilots, as my boss can hardly resist the opportunity to have some DAL pilots tell us how we have been doing things wrong for so many years. Every corporate flight department in America could use a few furloughed or retired DAL pilots to do the same thing for them.

hey sleepy,

airline pilots are people too! it's good to get a different perspective on the way we do things. value added. nothing should stay the same. i would look at everyone and not exclude anyone.


s/f

 

[Spooky 1]

Does anybody have any tips about how to get qualified for a goodcorporate job. I've got tons of time, but no small jet types and nocorporate experience.

Thanks

T.

As you can see there are just about as many opinions regarding airline pilots going corporate as there are models of corporate aircraft and many of them are right on target. If you have not been corporate somewhere in your life prior to the airline gig then it can be tough, if not at times depressing.

As for the guy who does the PFT thing on a G1V and then thinks he is going to contract somewhere..............don't hold your breath! Ditto for the jerks who think they will market themselves to the world at some rate below the going standard. Corporate is a different business with some very unusual personality traits peppered throught it's ranks. It can be a very pleasent experience, but you should be prepared for the worst.

Have an aquaintence that bought a GV rating after bailing out of USAir several years ago. He had more bells and whistles in his resume than 99.9% of the pilots on this board and I don't that he has done any significant flying as a contractor in the last three years, so watch out for this venue. Looks good on the surface but is filled with possible issues that can only be overcome with significant dollars. i.e., recurrent training for instance.

PM and I will share some interesting facets of life after Delta. I worked there myself for a number of years.

 

[snow-back]

Being based in ATL we get a lot of calls from DAL pilotswishing to make the transition to corporate flying. They usually callour Chief Pilot and say things like, "I am furloughed from DAL and needa job, so I was wondering if I could come over and fly your littleairplanes until I get recalled". The guys that are about to retireusually say something like, "Hey, I am about to retire from DAL with10,000 hours flying the B-767, so I thought I would like to come flyyour little planes, as long as it doesn't get in the way of my golfgame on Tuesdays".

You may want to try these techniques as well. It has worked so well foryour fellow DAL pilots, as my boss can hardly resist the opportunity tohave some DAL pilots tell us how we have been doing things wrong for somany years. Every corporate flight department in America could use afew furloughed or retired DAL pilots to do the same thing forthem.

Sleepy,

One thing I've learned during that my career is that if you have 10000pilots on the list, you have 10000 different personalities. Mostpilots fit into a fairly similar mold, but there are a few who are inand even beyond the fringes. Fortunately the processes we use forhiring pilots filter most of the latter types out, however, there aresome who squeeze through. I'm happy to know that our filterprocess worked for you.

If you actually took the time to read my posts in their entirety,except the parts that said "delta pilot to corporate", you would haveseen that nowhere I made an assumption of being hired as a GV Captainbecause I'm a Delta pilot. I'm taking a very humble approach tothis venture and my decisions will affect my family and me for the restof our lives. If you're so close minded as to automaticalllyexclude a pilot simply because of where he/she has worked, you're luckyyou find anyone to work for you.

T

 

[slowto250]

The fraternity......can't you just feel the love ? And we wonder how management has so successfully exploited our proud profession .

 

[sleepy]

hey sleepy,

airline pilots are people too! it's good to get a different perspective on the way we do things. value added. nothing should stay the same. i would look at everyone and not exclude anyone.


s/f

I was at two airlines before I came to my senses. I don't have anything against airline pilots. These DAL pilots crack me up though.