There are some really good and interesting posts from everybody that has replied on saviboy question.
It is interesting to note that the most negative comments on corporate aviation comes from a relatively low time co-pilot flying regional jet equipment for a regional airline. There is of course nothing wrong with his views; it would just be interesting to hear his/her opinion 10 years from now.
When I started in this (aviation) business many, many years ago the airline captain was GOD. One never heard of an airline going out of business. Sure there were some buyouts and takeovers, but overall once one made the airlines one had a job for life earning a great salary with fantastic retirement.
Pam American World Airways ruled the international airways. Being a Pam Am captain was past god; on RONs the captain got his own taxi. Domestically TWA, Eastern, Braniff, Continental, American, Delta and United ruled the skies. US. Air came later. For all practical purposes there were no regional airlines. Oh yes there was the old Frontier, Central and Trans Texas airlines to mention a few, however, those airlines did not consider themselves just a regional airline. No they figured that they were just a small airline waiting to grow into a major.
Then came de-regulation. The airline world changed forever. Pam Am gone, TWA gone, Braniff gone, Eastern gone. Those were just the majors. U.S. Air pilots taking massive pay cuts and looking at little or no retirement, Delta same shape, United same shape. I read an article in the ‘Wall Street Journal’ that said that Continental is losing $1.5 million dollars an HOUR.
Okay, now on the corporate side of this issue. At my age I feel that I have had a fairly typical non-airline pilot’s career. My first corporate job was flying a Navajo starting in 1972. Following is my career.
Navajo, aircraft sold, company went out of business.
King Air 90 (a straight 90) aircraft sold.
Free lanced for 2 years
MU-2 and Jet Commander, I quit to go to work for another company.
Jet Commander, West Wind II, Sabre 40, DC-3, I was chief pilot but the oil industry went down the old crapper and the flight department was shut down. (Wife divorced me.)
Freelanced for one year.
West Wind, left to go to work for the Government.
Boeing 727 captain for the government for ten years. Left go back to corporate aviation.
Sabre 65, Falcon 900EX, Falcon 50EX chief pilot currently and my boss has guaranteed that this is my last flying job and after I stop flying I can still manage the flight department until I decide to retire.
So, am I lucky, good or just in the wrong place at the wrong time? I have friends that fly for Fed Ex and they love their jobs and are making a very good salary. I could have gone to work for Fed Ex, but that is whole different subject (it’s called being stupid). I have friends that are very senior with American and they are always complaining.
My salary is equal to a senior SWA captain, I do have an average of 4-5 RONs a month and we are now starting to increase our international flying. As a matter of fact I leave this month on a around the world trip.
As far as fringe benefits we stay in Marriott’s or better, rental cars if we desire, no questions asked on food expenses and on long trips our spouses join us. (And yes, a week in St. Marrten does not suck!)
However, if I could have gone to work for United Airlines in 1972 and now be a senior B747-400 SFO based captain I don’t think I would have missed corporate aviation a bit.
But I’m not complaining. Its been a good life.
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