EdK926

Hi, I'm new here . . . I have almost 12 years seniority with a major airline, and also have a Captain's bid with that airline. Unexpectedly, I may be offered an outstanding corporate job (through a pilot friend), flying a Bombadier Global Express. The corporate job salary & benefits will be approximately the same (if not more) as my airline Captain pay, yet I will work considerably less hours and be home more. Overall career earnings would be on-par with both, yet the average corporate job length is probably not as long as my remaining 20 years of airline flying (I'm 45).

The company is privately owned (I don't want to give names), but from what I have researched, it is very well off. The flying operation is small and there is no on-call, etc. The pilots can work out their own schedules most of the time. The only negative with the whole situation is that their President/CEO, who is a highly powerful individual in the business world, but he is well up there in years of age. This individual is the mover-and-shaker for this company, and does the "bulk" of the flying in the back of the jet. My concern is the long-term prospect of this job. I have talked to the pilot and he says everything is in place to keep the flight dept for years, but in the corporate world nothing is guaranteed. He has been very honest with me with all the positives and negatives of this job (right now the positives outweigh the negatives).

I'm interested in hearing from anyone who has gone from a major airline to corporate, especially from the Captain's seat. I will be commuting to the airline Capt's seat, working approximately 90 hours per month, yet the corporate job is in my back yard and a lot less flying. Also, once qualified in a Global Express, if the job ever goes away, is it easy to find another corporate job? I hear it is a very close community.

To close, I have not yet been offered this corporate job, as I am now doing heavy research. I would be giving up another 20 years of airline flying which is a lot. Yet when contract time comes around in a few years I do believe the unions (all of them) will strike, with the possibility of a company sell-off by management. This, and the attitude of the major airlines employees right now is "toxic," which aside from the flying, can be a detriment. I have thouroughly enjoyed the airline job (flying, layovers, etc), but the labor-management conflict is a hard fought battle that is never ending, and contributes to too much negativity. Finally, I realize a lot of you would love to have this "problem," of mine. I am very grateful for both my airline job and the potential corporate offer, yet it will be a huge career decision for me if I am offered the corporate job to my satisfaction. Thanks for your replies.