the life as a "corporate pilot"

[Lead Sled]

My wise dad used to joke about "The Four Phases of Aviation" and it rings true.

Phase 1 - You pay to fly.

Phase 2 - You fly for free.

Phase 3 - They pay you to fly.

Phase 4 - They pay you NOT to fly.

The ultimate career goal is Phase 4.

He left out Phase 5.

That's when you go back to Phase 1, only this time it's in your personal airplane after you've retired.

 

[BenderGonzales]

Where are all those phases in-between when you're furloughed and go to work delivering pizzas, working at a fast-food joint, or picking up garbage off of freeway exit-ramps?

 

[Lead Sled]

Where are all those phases in-between when you're furloughed and go to work delivering pizzas, working at a fast-food joint, or picking up garbage off of freeway exit-ramps?

Furloughed from Pt 91 Corporate??? I've never had any experience with that one. Sounds to me like you're trying to mix the 135/91 operators into the mix. Those guys aren't corporate, they're charter.

Corporate flying is basically a pretty small world. After a while, it seems like everyone knows everyone else, or has heard of them, or knows someone who know them. Once you're established, if word gets out that you're available (and if you're any good) you'll get phone calls, offers, etc. That's not to say that you won't need to move, but job offers aren't that hard to come by.

'Sled

 

[stratman560]

Try loading 500 - 600lbs of dead ducks and geese, 8 people and all off their sh!t from a weeks long hunt in Canada, into a Hawker 700. And then have the wildlife moron in Great Falls, MT make you unload it all so he can check the birds to make sure no-one killed any endagered birds. Will these private owners ever realize that they bought an airplane and not a Uhaul?

LOL. Your owners and ours must be cronies. One of our owners decided to have cabinets, yes cabinets, built for his house in PSP and so we carted him and his wife and all this crap from the midwest to Palm Springs. Sure the airplane is theirs to use as they see fit but the line needs to be drawn somewhere.... Well, needless to say we made it work but it makes you wonder what they are thinking sometimes.

To address to original thread about corporate flying, (not that anybody reads this deep into the thread) I like the corporate gig but my job presently is not the best corp. job I have had. We have four owners on a C560 and just two pilots, myself and one other. Trips frequently get scheduled inside of 24 hours and more recently, inside of about 5 hours of which that particular trip lasted for three days. First trip with the company we went on the road for 21 days straight and included two trips to MMPR. We are on a trip right now that is going into its second week. Were it not for required maintenance I would have no need for an apartment. Ahhhh, listen to me.....enough whining. I have come to take this job for exactly what it is, a stepping-stone to a better one someday. In the meantime I will continue to keep up my Hilton Honors Super Platinum Status and my $5 utility bills for my apartment. Ya Gotta Love it Fellas!

Blue Skies.

 

[stratman560]

deleted

 

[stratman560]

Once you've made a little headway into an aviation career, you'll understand what the rest of us know... that less flying is better than more flying. You won't find too many professional pilots in *any* aspect of aviation who wish they worked more. If I could fly 100 hours per year or even less, I would. Being home with my family as much as possible is most important, and flying is a distant third or fourth place.

However, my job is satisfying and rewarding, and for now the schedule is good.

I used to always be the guy that said, "pile it on....more flight time..." as I think alot of us were in our younger CFI let-me-fly-anything-to-build-time days. Well, I got exactly what I wished for and then some. I have achieved phase three..... How long will I wait for phase four? Only time will tell.