pilotstev

I've had many aviation jobs from CFI stuff and aircraft sales, 121, 135, corporate 91 and private owner 91... everything has pros and cons. To pick one of lesser evils, definitely corporate 91. Who really knows anymore what is a good pilot job. It's all so variable and unstable. The only thing I can rely on to provide for my family is having type ratings, a good track record, and trying to stay outgoing, positive, and energetic.

These are crazy times for us all, but job choice really should be based on what is the most important to you and your family - money, schedule, size of the aircraft, destinations, brand... corporate has the potential to optimize all of these by making lateral or positive moves to other companies should it be necessary.

My 2 cents for whatever that's worth to you. Good luck.

kalymnos

be your own boss and make your own corporate and let 121 be the black worthless life sucking hole it is

Sbaker1595

Hahaha thats classic....i feel the same way about some aspects of the 121 life as well... im currently going over the same facts in my head. about to graduate college and i have both 121 and corprate job offers and am torn between the two choices.....god i miss the old days of being a teenager and not having to make any life changing decisions

NoWake200

Another ex-TWA pilot here trying to very hard not to have to go back.

If you can find that one 91 flying job that is truly worth it, stay with it. The equipment you fly is far more advanced than 'most' airlines will ever have. The airlines over the past several years have really turned ugly. Delays, customer service, delays, small 50 seat RJs, delays, no in flight service, delays, terminals becoming run down, and delays. The upper class found other ways to travel and major corporations can not afford these major delays and CX flights. Time is money and if you can find a company that needs you to fly their time machine then do it!

The airlines are not close to what they once were. Corporate is the way to go in my opinion, but the good jobs are few and far between..... kind of like winning the lottery.

Good luck to all of us!

FlyerJosh

If you have the opportunity for a decent corporate gig (part 91) right out of college, I'd recommend giving that a try for a year or two- particularly if it's one where you can log some PIC time in a turbine aircraft.

It's a lot harder to find a corporate gig than it is a regional airline gig. Especially if you don't have much time.

JGreen5278

Wow! I know someone else has originally created this thread but this has definately aided in my decision as well. I haven't been in the commercial scene long but the 91 job I'm currently with is great and somewhat understanding of my college schedule and also ramping part time for a regional carrier and the thought has crossed my mind a million times as far as what would be best for me for my given situation and this seemed to have cleared things up. Thanks

tennesseeflyboy

OK guys ..................... I don't care what you fly or where you fly or who you are flying, there are definitely plus and minus columns to all of this.
I too, have flown Corporate and Airline. My personal experience was that I felt treated better in the Corporate job as long as the Boss respected my time and services but the TIME OFF on the Airline job is much better and with any amount of Seniority this equates to better schedules and pay.
Yea, it is cool to enjoy your flying job and we should not be here unless we enjoy what we do for a living.

FlyerJosh

Like any other job, there are goods and bads, and there are better airline jobs than others, just as there are better corporate jobs than others...

Often you'll find in the corporate world that you might trade one thing for another- For instance, in my job, I don't fly a "glamorous" airplane like the 777 or the G550. Nor do I make what many would consider "great" salary wise. However, my QOL is better than 95% of the industry- I'm home just about every night, had 2 days off for every day I worked last year, and am treated like a valued employee.

Do I still keep my ears open for another opportunity? Sure! You never know what lurks around the next corner. But I'm also not in any big hurry to rush back the the airlines or leave this job!

Trucker

As one who left a Great corporate department after 11 years-(first person to leave voluntarily in 30 years). Each department has its own personality that changes over time. In the last years I was at this corporation, we had to show how we competed with fractional's. That said 8 years after I left they are still flying 3 Falcon 50's.

Flying boxes offers more $$ than I could have ever expected in corp. and the time at home is great. But ask yourself would you rather be a big fish in a small pond or a very small fish in an ocean where you have limited input about the flight department.