Hello all,

I am currently not a pilot, but I am thinking about pursuing this as a career. I have a question about first jobs after undergoing flight training.

Aside from flight instructing for a little while, I am wondering if companies like Hawker-Beechcraft and Cessna actually hire pilots to deliver planes to customers. If they do, I would guess it`s on a contract basis, not permanently.

I am aware of third party companies that do this, but I am specifically interested in whether the OEMs do this.

Also, I am lucky to not need any type of visa to enter the US, the EU or Brazil (perhaps all of Mercosur countries as well). I would think this makes any planning for international deliveries somewhat easier, and perhaps gives me an edge on getting a ferry job. However I know very little about how these flights are planned, and I was wondering if you all agree or if it`s really not that big of a deal?

Thanks for any help! Just trying to have some sort of plan before paying an arm and a leg to a flight school!

Thanks again!

 

I can only speak for Dassault Falcon - they have their own team of pilots that ferry aircraft from France to KLIT for completion. Typically woners/flight depratments then do acceptance flights looking for need to fix items - these flights are flown with Dassault pilots. Afterwards the aircraft are usually flown home with new owners.

On occasion the manufactures advertise for pilots for demonstration/flight test. These pilots do everything that I mentioned previously to include fliying the aircraft for potential buyers.

 

Thanks for your help Ditch Pickle.

By the way, would the Part 135 forum have been a better place to ask this question? Seems like I posted this on the wrong forum. . .

Thanks again!

 

never hurts to try

 

Your best bet starting out would be smaller aircraft - Cessnas, Diamonds, and the like. You may try looking for regional dealers first. I had a friend who flew for Van Bortel for a while before moving on, showing and delivering new Cessnas.

Unfortunately, you're going to need quite a bit of time for the jobs demo'ing and delivering jets, etc.

 

I have never needed a visa to go to EU either (haven't tried Brasil).

What you need is about 1000 hours after your initial training and some connections to even think about flying any sort of jet.

With just a commercial, you might be able to find occasional odd jobs ferrying small single-engine planes for private owners.

There is no shortcut to that first 1000 hours.

 

What I specifically had in mind was, for example, ferrying King Airs all over the place (including internationally, hence the Visa question) to build up hours - quality hours, too. Jets would be sweet, but I realize it would probably take more time.

Again, thanks everybody!

 

King Airs are a lot of airplane for a pilot that's got less than 1000hrs. Realisticly you may find some ferry work for light singles and an occasional twin, but turbine equipment....probably not.

Ferry work isn't always easy, aircraft are gonna have problems both off the assembly line and after sitting around and not flying for a while. Which also happens to be when they're most frequently ferried. Pilot experience is often needed to get her back on the ground safely, as a result insurance companies often want guys with time in type for ferrying.

 

Fjetter, thanks for the much needed perspective!

 

For Hawker-Beech they actually have a delivery team. The hours can range anywhere from 2000-4000 depending on the aircraft type. They do have an internship though, that accepts applicants with lower times to fly in the right seat in the King Air. You also do some Bonanza deliveries by yourself. It's a great opportunity, but they only select 1-2 people out of hundreds! So you have to know a connection.

With their bankruptcy, I'm not sure if they will be doing that program for a bit.