Why the Majors?

[banned username 2]

Falcon Cpt,

I would love to know what flight department you work for. This is not being sarcastic at all either. It sounds like you have a great job and love it. (And that is what counts) I have flown military, fractional, part time corporate and airline. So far, up until furlough of course, the best job I had quality of life wise was the airline job. While flying for EJA we would augment some of the best/premier flight departments out there and I have never found one that has the retirement benefits that you just described. I guess what I'm trying to say is that you are lucky but not the norm for corporate aviation. People ask if I would give up my seniority number for a job right now. I say yes and describe the job you just laid out but they are few and far between and usually you almost have to have the slot given to you in a will or something.

DAL737FO

DAL737FO....

While I won't give out my employer online, I will tell you it is a Fortune 100 Company.... I was hired at 29 (I am 34 now), and have a Pension, Profit Sharing and 401k plan (which the company also contributes to quite nicely) My retirement numbers are projected out to 60, I can (as of now) work to 65 if I want, but I am elgible for retirement with full benefits at 52 (my pension will be smaller of course, but still pretty heafty).. I plan to stay until 60 which will dramatically bump up my Pension and FAE (Final Average Earnings) not to mention my 401k...

I plan to retire here, I will be very comfortable in retirement (financially)... There are a lot of good Corporate Jobs out there... but usually you only hear about the really crappy ones (bad news spreads faster than good news can ever hope to)

What I am trying to say is everyone stereo-types a Corporate Pilot as being married to his pager, making peanuts, flying junk equipment and having no life.... With some jobs, that is 100% accurate, with a lot of other jobs, it is the furthest thing from the truth...

I don't have the perfect job, I doubt anyone does... I have a job that suits me, my desires, my lifestyles and my career aspirations... I am having a blast doing it, and life has been pretty good the last 5 1/2 years... I can't complain, they don't beat me up too bad.... There are guys in the Corporate world making a lot more than I am... there are guys making less....

The key (in my mind) is finding the career route you want to take, getting on it and never wavering from it... if you jump back and forth you are always starting over at the bottom and are going nowhere, fast... I chose Corporate, and stuck to it... So far it has done well for me....

Just like not all airline jobs are the same (there are good and bad) not all Corporate Jobs are the same (there are good and bad here also).. The key is work for a large company that has the financial ability to do things right... stay away from the small operators and especially the Private Owners (TYPICALLY these jobs are the worst, but before someone flames me, there are exceptions, hense I said "TYPICALLY")

I merely posted to give a counter view of the gentleman who implied that only the airlines fly nice equipment, pay well and offer a good lifestyle... Which is not true... and before someone says "Yeah, but when times get tough, the Corporate Jet is the first thing to go" We laid off more than 45,000 employees in the last 18 months... the Flight Department has remained untouched... for our global business it is a necessary business tool... even more so after 9/11...

Fly Safe and Good Luck!

 

[KingAirGuy]

Fly Chicaga

While flying an airliner is fun, I'd personally take the view from 500 AGL or 1000 AGL or even 10,000 AGL over that from FL370 anyday...

There might even be some guys here who would agree with me...

What ever happened to 25' AHO? Now there is a view!

 

[bigD]

What ever happened to 25' AHO? Now there is a view!

AHO? Is this some weirdo helicopter term?

 

[PTinbound]

Above Highest Obstacle, dude.
Right on, King Air Guy.
Plus, never forget:
Confucious say "It is far better to work for a company that has money because of the airplanes than the other way around."

Think about it.

 

[OakRBust]

25 feet AHO also applies directly to PTinbound


It is the amount of feet that PT has been floating

Above
Height
Of

the company we work for ever since he found out he made the pool for SWA!!!


OAK

It is a lot higher then he ever got in the HELO!!!!!

 

[Purple Haze]

livin' MY dream

For me:

1. Job Security (*Largely thanks to unions: FPA/ALPA)
2. Time off*
3. Pay (including retirement)*
4. No duties other than flying*
5. Stable schedule*
6. Low stress*
7. Side benefits:
Camaraderie of 4000 great pilots
With FedEx I will rarely have to hassle with airline terminals

I agree that Falcon Capt has a pretty sweet deal going -- for him. My guess is that corporate pilots with his circumstances don't number too many. As for me, life as a pilot at FedEx would be challenging to improve upon -- and there are very few unknowns: I know what to expect over the long haul (pardon the pun). Seek what will satisfy you.

 

[beytzim]

Falcon Captain,

I'm curious, when you don't fly, do you work in the office. Do you have responsibilities other than flying.

It seems you do a lot of Int'l flying. Does Universal/Jepp do the flt planning, or do you do it yourself.

And oh, I don't have 5000TT, but everything else

 

[banned username 2]

Falcon Captain,

I'm curious, when you don't fly, do you work in the office. Do you have responsibilities other than flying.

It seems you do a lot of Int'l flying. Does Universal/Jepp do the flt planning, or do you do it yourself.

And oh, I don't have 5000TT, but everything else

The only other duty is we have several world-wide sets of Jepps... each is divided up into small segments (about 4 books) we are each assigned one segment to maintain... We don't have to come into the office specifically to do the Jepps, just do them before or after a trip... Beyond that, we have no other duties....

I do a pretty good amount of International travel (Europe 7 times and Asia 3 times since 1-1-02) But we also do a LOT of domestic stuff too....

Hope this helps...

Falcon Capt.