What is the typical weekly/monthly schedule for a corporate pilot?

Thanks for your responses.

 

Judging by your other posts, it looks like you are trying to decide which route to go. I will provide you with the pros and cons that I have experienced in my particular corporate job.

Pros
- I am paid more than a regional jet first officer, yet I only fly 200 hours per year.
- When I fly to a different city, I often stay there for a few days. As a consequence, I get days to simply screw off... sightseeing, beach, shopping, et cetera. Most airline pilots rarely see the places they fly to.
- I have an expense account with no limit; though I always use prudence so as to not lose this luxury.


Cons
- I rarely know my schedule a month, let alone 2 weeks, ahead of time. I can be called to travel across the country at the drop of a hat.
- Corporate pilots often have responsibilities outside of basic flight duties. In my case, we are responsible for everything ranging from scheduling maintainence to cleaning the aircraft. It's not just show up and fly.
- Little to no room for advancement in a small flight department. Captains usually only leave with a plaque or in a box.


Here is my past flying schedule.

1/12 Pittsburgh - Sarasota
1/15 Sarasota - Pit

1/17 Pit - Kentucky
1/17 Kentucky - Illinois
1/17 Illinois - Pit

1/20 Pit - Sarasota
1/26 Sarasota - Orlando
1/29 Orlando - Pit

2/4 Pit - Detroit
2/6 Detroit - Pit

2/7 Pit - Maintainence
2/9 Maint. - Pit
2/9 Pit - Ft Lauderdale
2/12 Lauderdale - Sarasota
2/21 Sarasota - Pit

2/22-now: Schedule aircraft wash, clean out aircraft, and now sitting on my duff waiting for a trip.

 

Thank you for your response.

Is it difficult to have a family and maintain that schedule?

 

[QUOTE=KiloAlpha]Judging by your other posts, it looks like you are trying to decide which route to go. I will provide you with the pros and cons that I have experienced in my particular corporate job.

Pros
- I am paid more than a regional jet first officer, yet I only fly 200 hours per year.
- When I fly to a different city, I often stay there for a few days. As a consequence, I get days to simply screw off... sightseeing, beach, shopping, et cetera. Most airline pilots rarely see the places they fly to.
- I have an expense account with no limit; though I always use prudence so as to not lose this luxury.


Cons



Here is my past flying schedule.



2/4 Pit - Detroit
2/6 Detroit - Pit

QUOTE]

Did you get a ticket to the game? That would be a great perk!

 

- Slice
No ticket to the big game... or the Maxim party that my boss and his friends attended.

-Paul
I can't answer you family question. I am 22 with no kids or wife.

 

You could get a gazillion different responses of corporate schedules...I flew corporate for 6 years before crossing over to the dark side and in those 6 years I had 3 different jobs..my first was a fortune 500 company whos mainstay was chicken...not a bad job if you wanted to be married to your job with surprisingly low pay....the schedule was maybe once a week flying and every week day to come in and log some face time picking your nose....the second job was a local corporate jet job that included flying 3 to 4 days and on the off days I had to keep the airplane in like new condition...wash, dry, vacum etc. the third jet job was in the summer 3 to 4 days a week to include overnites then on friday was up to the lake home to drop off and then back home only to go back up sunday and pick him up...then in the fall it was the same schedule except on saturdays we were off to the college football game to give it one for the gipper...then when it was winter, same schedule during the week except there would be weekly trips to naples, fl on thur and come home sun or mon.. which brings us back to spring and the lake home stuff all over again....all the while keeping the airplane in like new condition, and keeping jepps up to date...there are pros and there are cons...my problem is the cons outweighed the pros....the older I got (Im 43) the more money I wanted and the more time I wanted to be home....the airline thing does not keep me home but at least when Im flying Im flying and when Im home I'm home and the money is much better or at least it will be, ya see I'm on furlough so my thread may not hold much water with you....I am very soon to go back so I'm not too worried...I currently fly pilot service so it keeps me in the air keeping the captain awake...this schedule is roughly 8 day a month with mostly overnites ie next week is Aspen for 6 days.....boring as hell sitting in the hotel room but making $400 a day plus expenses....talk to alot of corporate pilots/flight depts before you make a decision....there are good corporate jobs out there...Its all about whats best for you...

good luck

 

I agree with ultradrvr, in that experiences will vary GREATLY depending on the company, type of operation they are (91/135), type of plane, and type of company (large, midsize, fortune 500, etc).

I work for a subsidiary of a major international equipment manufacturer. We're based in Roanoke, VA and most of our flying is carrying passengers to company factories or on entertainment trips within our distribution area (NC, VA, WV).

Like KiloAlpha, my schedule varies greatly... Some weeks I will fly 3-4 days, others I will sit at home all week long and get paid to watch TV. Its a small flight department (just two of us, both CA qualified, plus a contract FO for when one of us is on vacation).

Pay is good (better than what I was making at a regional as at 4th year captain pay), and I'm home most nights. We have mostly day trips, and are home by dinner most of the time. We typically know about overnight trips well in advance, and major trips (multiple day) we know often months in advance (For example I know that I'm flying to SoCal in the last week of April, and Tuscon in the first week of May).

As previously mentioned, I too do additional work on the side. Our plane is the cleanest on the field (I don't exaggerate... it's so spotless that I'd eat off the underside of the wings). We spend around 4-8 manhours cleaning the plane each week. The plane gets completely wiped down at least once a month (every surface), and we wax it and polish the chrome regularly. (As a bonus for our hard work, we look damn good).

I also do administrative work from home that is related to the flight department. I'm in the process of revamping the MEL, writing an emergency (accident) response guide, and drawing up new safety briefing cards.

Overall, it's a great job though, and I would say that I am one of the fortunate guys that works for a stable corporate flight department. The execs don't sweat unexpected maintenance, and I don't have to worry about my job every time something breaks (In fact we just got authorized $25K for optional service bulletin work that I don't particularly think is all that important -It's related to extreme cold weather flying that we don't do-, but the boss wants it).

The best part about corporate is that I am treated like a valued member of the team. I interact on a first name basis with our executive team. They acknowledge me as an employee and an asset. Certainly it's not like the airlines where you are just a number that carries out an assigned task in managment's eyes.

Although I would say a downside is that if you enjoy working with a variety of people, or need to be able to know your schedule in advance, or do a lot of traveling (non-rev), the airlines may have better benefits... I do know that I definately miss the people, having a flight attendant, and being able to jumpseat just about anywhere I wanted to go at the drop of a hat.

 

I've pondering the idea of leaving my regional crj job after two years and trying out corporate. I commute to work, sit in the right seat with a possible upgrade in another 1-2yrs. I have a wife and two small childeren that I get to see on avg 12 days a month and I make $35,000 a year. I've been offered a King Air 350 captain position locally, pay starts at $60,000 with benefits, flying avg 2-3 days a week with 1-2 overnights a month.

 

Sounds like an easy decision.

Are there a lot of corporate jobs out there?

 

Are you still pondering? I know plenty of people that would love to pick this jewel up if you don't take it...