the life as a "corporate pilot"

[b757driver]

Hawker F/O, you're funny, man! Maybe you should have been a politician? Or an anchor.

Quote<"OK, fine, but when Clinton said O#al sex is not sex (definition of is is), which I agree, he believe that to be true, so what is the difference aside from the fact that no soilders got killed because BC got his duck sicked. If I get head from some chick and someone says did you have sex with her, I'd say no, and all of you would too!! ">End quote

Ergh, are you talking about those hunting ducks in an earlier post? I thought they were dead, not sick!

Ah, the speed-tapping keyboard.......lost in translation,maybe?

 

[sigler]

To the guy with the original question that started the thread: remember you're in the corporate board, if you had asked the same questions to the guys over in the Majors board you would probably have gotten different answers.... Or not, seeing how deep most airlines have sunk to.

I'm a corportae pilot myself, on a large, long-range bird and wll probably try to make the move to the airlines in a year or two. I bet most corportate guys would love to have my job, but I'm too young make 40 landings a year while working 290 days a year. Note that I said working, which by no means is equal to flying (at least not in my Part 91 operation). When I'm 50 and fed up of flying 20 days out of the month I might want to come back to corporate aviation.

 

[LegacyDriver]

Best job I have ever had. Sure beats the airline gig... I just hope the Regional folks don't get wind of what a good thing we have going right now and start sending out resume's. It's competitive enough as it is!

 

[Gulfstream 200]

To the guy with the original question that started the thread: remember you're in the corporate board, if you had asked the same questions to the guys over in the Majors board you would probably have gotten different answers.... Or not, seeing how deep most airlines have sunk to.

I'm a corportae pilot myself, on a large, long-range bird and wll probably try to make the move to the airlines in a year or two. I bet most corportate guys would love to have my job, but I'm too young make 40 landings a year while working 290 days a year. Note that I said working, which by no means is equal to flying (at least not in my Part 91 operation). When I'm 50 and fed up of flying 20 days out of the month I might want to come back to corporate aviation.

huh?

you work 290 days a year and think most corporate guys would "love to have your job"?

thats 24+ days a month avergae. Not including vacations, etc..

good luck at the airlines...

 

[Pilot_Ryan]

I totally understand why your current position is one with high QOL....but, dont you get bored only flying 48 times a year? No offense at all. I would love barely working throughout the year, but still, barely working is barely doing anything. I guess its one of those things that having side-projects get rid of the days spent watching paint dry.

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.

 

[Gulfstream 200]

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.

yup. what he said.

:beer:

 

[sigler]

huh?

you work 290 days a year and think most corporate guys would "love to have your job"?

thats 24+ days a month avergae. Not including vacations, etc..

Ok so maybe not most guys but a lot of them, at least that's what I get from most pilots when talking about work. The airplane we fly probably has a lot to do with it, I must confess it played a big role when I decided to take the job which is a mistkae I will never do again.

The pay is great, but if liked to do office work I would had become an accountant, not a pilot.

 

[Gulfstream 200]

huh?

you work 290 days a year and think most corporate guys would "love to have your job"?

thats 24+ days a month avergae. Not including vacations, etc..

Ok so maybe not most guys but a lot of them, at least that's what I get from most pilots when talking about work. The airplane we fly probably has a lot to do with it, I must confess it played a big role when I decided to take the job which is a mistkae I will never do again.

The pay is great, but if liked to do office work I would had become an accountant, not a pilot.

I assume you are talking GV/GLEX type of equipment then.

Why not look for a better job in that equipment that didnt fly 25 days a month and require office work?

the job you describe is NOT normal on this equipment...and why not step into another 6 figure better job instead of taking your chances at the airlines?

My best friend is a 5yr Delta pilot - he makes 80K/yr today and sits reserve (at least until his NEXT furlough) - you shouldn't start at under 120K in a GV or equivelant.


just a thought....

 

[treetopflyer]

...and then, of course, there is the benefit of watching your children grow up (and being there to participate!)

Weekends at home...
Holidays at home...
Birthdays at home...

and, most importantly, spending almost every night at home in my own bed with my wife.

that one gave me chills, really.

my own bed is a luxury I see only 13 days/month but as the late MC would say, "this is the life you have chosen"

relish those nights at home..

 

[LegacyDriver]

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.

 

[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.