CORPORATE PILOTS???

[scotte]

Just a few questions for all the Corporate pilots out there..

1. What's the best way to get certified from 0 time?
- Are the acellerated flight acadamies a good way to get into the job, or would YOU rather fly with someone who has been trained differently?

2. If there is a better way to train, please let me know. I know that cost plays a large role when deciding to cross into this profession, but I would rather spend the money to be trained right than to chase the "cheapest" school only to find out that was a bad decision seconds before impact.

3. What's the route YOU took? I'm sure I am not the only guy here curious about this topic, we'd all like to hear YOUR journey to flying the Falcons, and Citation 10x, etc. (any tips on what not to do would be appriciated too!)




Scotte

[McCartyCFII]

I'm not a corprate pilot, but flying is my profession. Here are some tips from what i have learned.

First do you have a 4 year education?

Educations is absolutly instrumental in pursuing a flying career. There are great four year institutions out there like Southern Illinois University Carbondale, Embry Riddle, Purdue, etc....

Another option to look into if you already have a four year degree is Airline Transport Professionals.

http://www.allatps.com

hope this little bit helps

["X" Rated]

HEY THERE SCOTTE,
CORPORATE IS DEFINITELY THE WAY TO GO THESE DAYS. IVE BEEN LUCKY ENOUGH TO BE WITH NETJETS FOR THE PAST 7 YEARS FLYING THE LAST 5 OF THEM AS A CAPT IN A CITATION X. ITS BEEN A GREAT RIDE SO FAR AND DONT EVER PLAN ON LEAVING THE COMPANY.

WHEN I STARTED, I WENT TO A LOCAL AIRPORT IN MY TOWN (CLEARWATER,FL) AND STARTED FLYING. I ONLY HAD A COUPLE OF YEARS OF COLLEGE UNDER MY BELT, BUT ALOT OF AMBITION. WHEN YOU START DOING SOME HOMEWORK, YOU WILL FIND THAT YOU CAN GO A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT ROUTES. MY AIRPORT WAS A SMALL PAVED STRIP WITH NO CONTROL TOWER. SOME STUDENTS THINK THATS BETTER BECAUSE YOU GET MORE BANG FOR YOUR BUCK WITHOUT ALL THE WASTED TAXI TIME, ETC.. YOU WILL LEARN THINGS LIKE PART91 SCHOOLS OR PART141 SCHOOLS. THE CURRICULUM BETWEEN THE TWO ARE SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT, BUT PART141 SCHOOLS ALLOW GI BILL MONEY AND MORE LOANS THAN PART91. EITHER WAY IS JUST AS EXCEPTABLE IN THE LONG RUN.

HOW I MADE IT? WELL, I GOT MY PRIVATE AND STARTED WORKING AT THAT SAME AIRPORT RENTING OUT PLANES TO OTHER PEOPLE THAT HAD MY SAME DREAMS. ITS ALWAYS GOOD TO MAKE AS MANY FRIENDS AND CONNECTIONS IN THIS BUSINESS AS POSIBLE. TRUST ME, YOU WILL RUN INTO A FEW OF THEM AGAIN AND ONE OF THEM COULD END UP BEING THE ONE TO HIRE YOU. ANYWAY, AFTER MY PRIVATE, I STARTED FLYING EVERYTHING AND ANYTHING I COULD BEIT MOVING A PLANE FOR A SALE OR FERRYING A RENTAL TO OR FROM THE BASE FIELD. ONCE I ACCUMULATED ENOUGH HOURS I GOT MY SINGLE COMMERCIAL CERT. USUALLY STUDENTS GO FROM A PRIVATE TO INSTRUMENT THEN COMMERCIAL, MULTI,ETC., BUT I HAD AN IN FOR BANNER TOWING ALONG THE BEACH IN AN AVIAT HUSKY (COOL SLED), SO I TOOK THAT OPPORTUNITY. I NEVER THOUGHT OF BECOMING A FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR, BUT MOST PEOPLE DO SO THEY CAN BUILD MORE TIME AND EXPERIENCE AND GET PAID FOR IT. NOT A BAD WAY TO GO AT ALL. MY ROUTE WAS JUST A LITTLE DIFFERENT. WHILE I FLEW BANNERS, I GOT ALL MY OTHER CERT. AND RATINGS UP TO MY ATP WRITTEN EXAM. I STARTED FLYING FREIGHT IN A CESSNA CARAVAN. GREAT EXPERIENCE BECAUSE IT WAS ALL AT NIGHT AND SINGLE PILOT IN A GREAT PLANE. AFTER THAT I GOT AN OFFER FROM A FRIEND (REMEMBER EARLIER WHEN I SAID MAKE GOOD FRIENDS BECAUSE YOU NEVER KNOW WHEN YOU WILL RUN INTO THEM AGAIN) THAT I USED TO FLY BANNERS WITH AND HE HAD BEEN FLYING GOLFERS AROUND IN CORPORATE JETS OUT OF PALM BCH., FL. HE ASKED IF I WANTED TO FLY A JET WITH HIM BASED OUT OF MOSCOW, RUSSIA FOR A YEAR. OF COURSE I SAID YES AND OFF TO JET SCHOOL I WENT. THE REASON I TOOK MY ATP WRITTEN BUT NEVER THE CHECK RIDE WAS BECAUSE I KNEW THAT THE TYPE RIDE IN THE JET WAS THE SAME AS AN ATP RIDE, SO I GOT THAT PART FOR FREEEEE!!!!SAVE $ WHERE YOU CAN. YOU WILL LEARN SOME TRICKS ALONG THE WAY. AFTER THAT YEAR WAS UP, I FLEW 135 AIR CHARTER OUT OF PALM BCH. IN VARIOUS HAWKERS AND A GULFSREAM 2. FROM THERE TO NETJETS. THE REST IS HISTORY.

LEARN AS MUCH ABOUT IT AS YOU CAN AND TAKE ADVANTAGE OF WHATEVER YOU CAN. IT MAY SEEM TOUGH AT TIMES, BUT REMEMBER A SHORTAGE IS ON ITS WAY. PILOTS WILL BE IN DEMAND SOON. ALOT OF VIETNAM ERA GUYS STILL OUT THERE KICKIN IT ABOUT TO RETIRE AND THEY KEEP BUILDING A CRAP LOAD OF CORPORATE JETS AND AIRLINES EVERY DAY. GOOD LUCK TO YOU. SEE YA AROUND UP THERE SOMEDAY!

["X" Rated]

OH YEAH, REMEMBER THERE IS NO WRONG WAY TO LEARN. SOME ARE JUST CHEAPER AND QUICKER THAN OTHERS. THE FAA GOVERNS ALL SO THAT "SECOND BEFORE IMPACT" DOESNT FALL INTO THIS CATEGORY. ONCE YOU GET THE JETS, EVERY COMPANY HAS A DIFFERENT WAY THEY WANT YOU TO TRAIN. WHAT IM TRYING TO SAY IS THAT THEY MOLD YOU INTO HOW THEY WANT YOU TO FLY, EXAMPLE, MOST LARGE COMPANIES OUT THERE HAVE MULTIPLE PILOTS SO THEY INCORPORATE SOP's (STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES). THIS BASICALLY MEANS THE CALLOUTS ARE ALL THE SAME REGARDLESS AS WELL AS FLYING THE PLANE , EMERGENCY PROCEDURES, FLIGHT PROFILES, ETC. AGAIN THERE REALLY ISNT A WRONG WAY. HOWEVER YOU MAY WANT TO INSPECT THE TRAINING AIRCRAFT AND LOOK AT THEIR SAFETY RECORD. BACK TO THAT "SECOND BEFORE IMPACT" YOU MENTIONED IN YOUR POST. ITS AS SURE AS DEATH AND TAXES, SOME PEOPLE MAKE BETTER PILOTS THAN OTHERS. ONCE YOU ACHIEVE A HIGH LEVEL OF RESPONSIBILITY (CAPT. OR CO-PILOT) IT IS IMPORTANT THAT YOU TAKE YOUR TRAINING SERIOUSLY AND MAKE GOOD DECITIONS BECAUSE THE BAD ONES COULD POSSIBLY LEAD YOU TO THAT "SECONDS BEFORE IMPACT" SENERIO. SORRY FOR RAMBLING ON, BUT I HOPE IT HELPS. TAKE CARE AND GOOD LUCK!

[WOODisGOOD]

Hey John,
Do you have any time in a Piaggio? Give me a call if your back home.

["X" Rated]

Ya, Im back home Tony. Tried to call, but it went to voicemail. WHAT UP. You saying I need to reconize your .5 nightflight with Leseberg?

[WOODisGOOD]

Yeah. It aint much, but its all I got.

[Aerotech]

Hello,

Listen to Nelon boys. He (without kissing his a$$) is one person that I would trust with hi talent and experience. Im a single engine pilot for 14 years and Ive flown with John several times. Listen, learn and go fly.

Later

John

[AV8ORS]

Scotte,

The fact that you are 26 yrs old makes a difference right up front. The four year biggie schools ( I went to Purdue ) are probably not a realistic option for you nor is it the most cost effective way to go these days. Yes, a four year degree will get you further in aviation especially if you aspire to become a chief pilot or aviation department manager or a major airline pilot, but you can always take an online BS degree course later in your career too. There are a couple of avenues I'd pursue if I had to do it all over again but was in my mid-twenties:

(1) Enroll in a well known flight academy that offers an ab-initio program with a fast track to the right seat of a regional airliner. Comair comes to mind. Its expensive and the initial career pay sucks, but its turbine time. You'll only have to fly a regional for a couple of years.

-or-

(2) Go to your nearest large flight school and negotiate a complete training package including everything from Private thru Commercial Multi-engine and Instructor ratings. Have them commit to a deal that both saves you money and commits you to the long run (less chance to lose interest/motivation to finish). Once rated, begin working for that same flight school to start building some quality time, fast. This option might allow you to keep your current day job as well.

-then-

(3) I'd contact Cirrus Aircraft and talk to them about their program which supplies a contract pilot with a high performance single aircraft purchase (SR20 and SR22). This would be a sweet way for a low time pilot to build some good glass cockpit time. The contacts you would make through this type of flying will probably set you up for a good long career path. Next, focus on moving into a "baby sitting" job in the VLJ (Very light Jet) market. The VLJ industry is going to suffer some problems when the prospective buyers realize they cant fly their plane with 300 hours of Bonanza time. The insurance companies are going to have NO part of this risk. This is where the lower time "professional" pilot will be able to take advantage, helping to meet insurance requirements by holding the new owners hand from the other seat.......a good secure future for a young pro-pilot. If the VLJ sales forecast holds true, there will be a lot of opportunity for young professionals in this niche industry.

-then-

(4) Go to work for NetJets. Good equipment, good pay, good job security, and fly your butt off month after month after month. Afterall, thats why you wanted to become a pilot....right?

Rick Hannah
Stevensville, Michigan
Sabreliner 40, 60, 65
Learjet 35
King Air 300
Cheyenne IIXL

[Flyinrazrback]

I was a corporate pilot for a bit over 4 years. Timing and especially knowing someone is the way in. I did my civilian flight training at Flight Safety (commercial through instructor) and my ATP at Oklahoma State (also picked up a B.S. Aviation Science and a Master's Degree in Finance). I got my flying job by knowing the right person at the right tiime. My friend told me that they were hiring another pilot because the chief pilot retired and asked me if I was interested, and I took the job (I was previously going to school, and flying Part 135 for UPS at nights ). I really enjoyed it, the pay was good and was flying Citation IIs and Beechjet 400s. However the schedule was mad and I finally got burned out. I decided to change directions and fly in the military, so I joined the Air Force and have enjoyed it so far. I have flown T-37s, T-38s, B-52s, and now back to T-38s, and its a blast, just different type of flying. The best kept secret in flying is the Air National Guard, you get to fly part time, they pay for all of the training (best there is) and you have time to do something else, like fly corporate. Lots of good advice above, you just have to stick with and dont be confined to one area, look around! Meet folks, and keep in touch with them and don't lose sight of whats at the end of all the hard work. The people who say there are no jobs, you shouldnt try, etc, is just BS! There are jobs, look for them, and work your butt off for them.

[scotte]

WOW! That's a great start to what I was looking for! Thanks for all the info "X" rated. I am comming to a transition point in my Air Force career right now (Get out, or Re-up), and could be in a place to attend one of the "accellerated" acadamies to finally get started flying. Corporate flying has always been at the top of my list for a career move, but until recently has not been a feasable move (too poor!!). Maybe if I stop flying R/C I could save some money for full scale flying......... WOW!!! srry guys..... Don't know where that one came from!!!! There has to be a way to "have my cake and eat it too"!!

Scotte

[Flyinrazrback]

PS, if you have the GI Bill, it will help pay for anything past your private license as long as its a part 141 program.