Pilots: Corporate and Airline

[banned username 2]

Plus how often do airline pilots get to fly an empty A/C
(cool factor)

Hehehehe...

Nothing better than pulling up to the podunk airport restaurant ramp in a Falcon 900EX and have two 30 something guys in shorts and tee shirts jump out and have a cheeseburger, get back in and do some "pattern work"...

Gotta love that! You definately get some strange looks from the locals!

 

[kelbill]

From my short 3 year stint here at Southwest Airlines, I can make two generalizations. 1. Company culture can affect pilot attitudes and personalities. 2. You can lead a horse to water but you can't make it drink. What those two statements mean is that most pilots will take on at least some of the company culture; if its fun loving, they too will become more outgoing and easy going. If it is full of resentment towards mgt or other work groups or other airlines, then most will take on some of that ill will as well. But, it also depends on the individual, ie, statement 2 above. Some guys I fly with would be awesome in any flying job. Others act like they hate life and hate flying. So find out about a company's culture first, primarily their flight department of course, and see if you fit in.

 

[Speedtree]

Well said by many above.

It probably depends on the company you work for more than anything.

I've done both and here are some observations.

I would say the fractionals have the most benefit of aquiring airline miles. I flew for a small company and we rarely flew the airlines so I don't have many FF miles. However don't forget that as an airline employee your eligible family members get travel benefits also. My parents have come down to see my newborn boy a bunch of times. 5 plus round trips for the price of one average fare ticket (now that UAL charges us for write-your-own tickets).

Quality of life can be very good at the right corporate job. My company paid for all meals, entertainment, cars etc. on the road. Now that I work for a regional no more steak for lunch.

I left the corporate job to fly more, a set schedule, travel benefits, more pay, and a new, varied flight experience flying new a/c with new pilots. I gave up what I mentioned above along with a pager, three weeks of vacation per year minimum, and an overall great job.

I wish I could do both.


Bottom line= if you get the right corporate job your life will be good from the beginning. At the airlines seniority is everything and it requires time and work to get to the good life.

I would go back if the time and job were right.

 

[enigma]

Originally posted by FlyChicaga
what does each side of the aviation career field look for in terms of flying styles,

Chicago, I've flown for pure Part 91 corporate operators, Part135 scheduled carriers, and Part121 carriers flying t-props and jets. I would say flying style is uniformly rigid in part 121 (135 scheduled ops are no longer) but varies according to the department manager for the part 91 departments. If you're asking about the styles of flying that the differing operators do, that's way too broad of a question. Basically, you will get far more variety in corporate ops, but ever trip is different even for us airline guys. You will have more opportunity to play as a corporate pilot because you will get the occasional empty leg, something that us airline pilots almost never get.

professional personality,

I don't really see any difference in professional personality. The vast majority of pilots I've flown with in my career have been conscientious, safety oriented, and care about their passengers.

crewmember interactions, and so on?

In corporate flying, you know your fellow crewmember better than his/her spouse. If he is cool, life is good. If he's a jerk, life stinks. In airline flying, you get to change every month, so you get to meet more people and develop more relationships. If your Captain is a jerk, knowing that you only have to put up with him for the rest of the month makes life much nicer.

Why would someone say a pilot is better suited for the airlines than corporate aviation, and vice versa?

The only thing that makes a difference, in my opinion, is whether you can stand to be unionized or not. Except for Skywest (and others that don't come immediately to mind) airlines are unionized. Some personality types don't like working in a seniority system as opposed to a merit system. I have worked in both, and prefer the seniority system. I prefer seniority because the merit system isn't really about merit, it is based upon who kisses up the best. If the personal, political aspect could be taken out of the nonunion environment, I would prefer a merit based system. On the flipside, the union environment gives an individual pilot two opponents, management and the union hierarchy; but in the union environment a pilot can participate in how he is treated, by becoming involved in the union process.

What types of skills and traits does each look for?

The skills and traits that help one succeed as a corporate pilot are the same as the skills and traits necessary for success in the airline world. Both worlds require that one be good with people, knowledgable, dedicated, etc. The different careers may use the skills in different area, but those skills are still necessary in both worlds. For example, a corporate pilot may need to deal with diverse personalities among his pax, and not his crew; where the airline pilot never really deals with his pax, but may have to mediate between his flight attendents twice a day.

I hear so often about the differences between pilots in corporate and the airlines. Are these differences apparent before the pilot chooses a career path? Or are the differences a result of the pilot choosing a particular path?

Once again, I doubt that there is really any real difference, but if there is, it would most likely be developed after one gains a job. I say that because of us take the first job that comes along, or we are influenced by "conventional wisdom". If all pilot jobs paid the same, and you could choose which career path without compromising your earning potential or career expectations, the data might answer the question, but as long as most of us will take a job, any job, in order to be flying; I will postulate that the difference in style and trait is only influenced by blind chance.

regards,
enigma