Moving up to management

[skywiz]

Was wondering what it would take to eventually move up to airline management once hired as a pilot at a major?

If you had an MBA and happened to be flying for several years, how hard would it be to get involved in the corporate side of things? If you did, could you still fly a little?

I am thinking about getting an MBA and could see doing that if I was able.

Thanks.

 

[Dizel8]

Joining the dark side of the force??

Have fun!

 

[PCL_128]

Why would you want to join that scumbag pack of thieves?

 

[instructordude]

Was wondering what it would take to eventually move up to airline management once hired as a pilot at a major?

If you had an MBA and happened to be flying for several years, how hard would it be to get involved in the corporate side of things? If you did, could you still fly a little?

I am thinking about getting an MBA and could see doing that if I was able.

Thanks.

I'm brand new to the majors but I bet getting an MBA would help. Also, being a really really really good pilot, probably in the top 10% of your peers is a necessity. Then their is the leadership question. Probabaly have to be pretty **** hot leader. To sum it up, Top pilot + Leader + MBA = Mangement.

Good luck with those odds.

 

[pilotyip]

It is doable

I have no experience with the majors. But would imagine you would give up pay and days off to come into the management ranks. Most likely it would be an entry-level position. In the supplemental airline business, you start hanging around on your days off, offering to help with Ground Instruction, special projects, and other management duties. You get a reputation as an easy guy to work with; you come up with some great solutions, and you put the company first. You then may be offered a position like Asst Dir of Training, Director of Standards for an airplane type, Asst Chief Pilot, or Director of Safety. If you are talking about moving into marketing, finance, or Human Resources, I know of no direct paths from the pilot’s ranks. BTW to expect any reasonalbe answers on this site is not realistic. Here management and the anti-christ are the same thing.

 

[Dizel8]

Just do what pilotyip says, it really is pretty simple, all you got to do is kiss ass.

(No disrespect to pilotyip)

 

[PCL_128]

<font color="black">In the supplemental airline business, you start hanging around on your days off, offering to help with Ground Instruction, special projects, and other management duties. You get a reputation as an easy guy to work with; you come up with some great solutions, and you put the company first.

Sickening. No one should put their company first. Family, God, friends, etc... come far before the danged company.

 

[MINIME]

I think this is flame...but whatever.
At the lower levels you need to be a butt kissing, a yes man, snitch on your fellow pilot, hang your fellow pilot, always side with the company, vote yes on any offer the company ever gives you, type of pilot.

At the higher levels, you need to be ruthless, gutless, lying, decieving, while still trying to be political type of person. You need to have the ability to convince the government on not letting your emplyees strike or even get out of arbitration. Otherwise you will be deemed a complete and utter failure. Oh!... and you need to have the strongest desire and will to build yourself a golden parachute at the merciless expense of your employees. You really need to have the "Screw the employees, I've got mine attitude" to even remotely qualify for the job.

If you don't have these minimum requirements, then I'd suggest you refrain from looking into it. It just really takes a very special person to perform such a job.

Disclaimer: While these discriptions accurately provide an overview of the management bodies at airlines, it does in no way shape or form always hold true at every entity, at every level of operation.

 

[pilotyip]

Company First

Sickening. No one should put their company first. Family, God, friends, etc... come far before the danged company.

Without the company, there are no flying jobs, there is no income, and if you do not preserve the company you have nothing. Now this means taking care of your employees, pay properly inside the limits of staying in business, good maintenance, good benefits and doing those right things to make it a good place to work. All successful companies look out for their long-term survival, and as a result employees benefit from a stable company. Would it be right to barrow money on all the assets and then give all the money to the employees, then go out of business and leave them unemployed? BTW This is the reality of the real world and not the ego centric view of theworld.

 

[Whine Lover]

" start hanging around on your days off, offering to help with Ground Instruction, special projects, and other management duties. You get a reputation as an easy guy to work with; you come up with some great solutions, and you put the company first. "


Or just kill yourself now.... A Scab has a higher place in the pecking order than do those who choose this route.


YKW