the life as a "corporate pilot"

[Mercury]

You're (and 501261) too kind. Thank you. I'm humbled by your compliments.

We really only have one CAPTAIN ego in the department. He, and his wife of all people, refer to anyone he flies with as "his copilot." Generally speaking, he's a nice enough guy and easy to travel with until his supremacy issues surface. For example, paying for the fuel he'll hand the credit card and receipt to me (especially if there is a good looking CSR behind the counter) and tell me to put it in the log. To this I reply with a chuckle and walk off leaving him holding the card and ticket. Most of the time he knows when he has crossed the line.


2000Flyer

Geesh, he works for you guys too!!!! , Just kidding, I shouldnt judge someone I've never met but it seems to me there is always one in every group!!!!

Cheers

 

[AA717driver]

GulfstreamSDL--When I got started, only flying 48 days a year would have been like a prison sentence. I wanted to FLY!!! Get me out there on the line!

But now, I'm 47 and my daughter will be off to college in a year and my 8 year old likes me being around. You cannot get that time back. That's what's important to me now.

When the kids are gone and the wife is working full time, I may want to fly more. But until then, I'll take these long stretches with time off.TC

 

[BizAvFA]

No one has mentioned that some are one heart attack away from the Dole.

 

[Lead Sled]

GulfstreamSDL--When I got started, only flying 48 days a year would have been like a prison sentence. I wanted to FLY!!! Get me out there on the line!

But now, I'm 47 and my daughter will be off to college in a year and my 8 year old likes me being around. You cannot get that time back. That's what's important to me now.

When the kids are gone and the wife is working full time, I may want to fly more. But until then, I'll take these long stretches with time off.TC

Exactly. Having a low key job is as good as it gets at this point in my career. If the wife and I have a spur of the moment urge and feel like jumping in the 'ol S2000 and taking a 5-day road trip we can - and do.

It wasn't always quite this good. However, during a 25 year corporate career I've avaraged 12 days duty days and approximately 50 hours per month. I've also averaged 8 RONs per month during that same period. (My wife of 34 years tells me that the RONs got me out of the house and saved our marriage. :0 )

I did the airline thing a long time ago and I found out that it just wasn't for me. Different strokes for different folks, but once the novelty of flying "big" airplanes wore off (and it does very quickly) I found it pretty boring - just how difficult is flying a radar vector departure to the departure gate, fly the route, then vectors to an ILS - repeated ad nausium. Personally I really preferred the "hands on" aspects and variety of corporate flying. There are few places on this planet that I haven't flown myself to. I think that if I was a Southwest pilot and only had to look forward to a 35 year career flying 737s on domestic routes I probably end up slitting my wrists. But hey, that's just me.

One thing about it, there is a lot of variety when it comes to corporate aviation. (Please don't confuse those 91/135 positions as corporate. They're not and they, almost across the board, suck.) If you can find a good corporate job there's nothing better. Unfortunately, there are also bad ones out there and there's probably nothing worse.

'Sled

 

[Jeff775621]

thanks everybody for the advice

 

[AA717driver]

Sled--Having done 15 years in the airlines you are right on the mark. I wouldn't trade my time there but I'm glad I was able to make the move I did.

THANKS AA! TC

 

[Spooky 1]

Agreed. To many years at the airlines although they were what some would refer to as the "Golden Years", but none the less I have enjoyed the coprorate flying as much as anything I did in my prior life. Leaving the company that I have flown for during the last five years and starting anew with someone else next week. Life is a hoot if you just keep thinking positive.

 

[Propnose]

I consider myself to be one of the lucky ones who works for a unshceduled 135 charter company that loves my job AND the company! Although we are "unscheduled", we fly corporate shuttles that operate on a schedule. We also do charter search stuff, which is a nice change of pace after doing the shuttles for a while. We also do some 91 stuff, but the bread and butter is the 135 ops. We know our schedule a month in advance and our work week is 7 on 7 off.

 

[Groundpounder]

5: Our new plane is scheduled to enter pre-buy next week.

What are you getting, and what do you have now?

 

[Flybet3]

I consider myself to be one of the lucky ones who works for a unshceduled 135 charter company that loves my job AND the company! Although we are "unscheduled", we fly corporate shuttles that operate on a schedule. We also do charter search stuff, which is a nice change of pace after doing the shuttles for a while. We also do some 91 stuff, but the bread and butter is the 135 ops. We know our schedule a month in advance and our work week is 7 on 7 off.

That's nice...I dont understand why all the other 135 operators can't do something similar.