Thanx Boiler- Great post!

Its my pleasure.

I certainly understand the desire to make one's self more employable, but in the corporate (Part 91) world, signing a training contract or paying for your own training while a full-time employee of a company with one more more multi-million dollar aircraft is sometimes considered to be the bizav equivalent of scabbing.

Its all about what you can negotiate...I might be willing to entertain bearing the financial cost of a type rating IF, and ONLY IF, I was 1. repaid in monthly installments, with interest, with the total sum paid within 12 months of training, 2. had an employment guarantee for said 12 months or, in case of employment termination FOR ANY REASON a guaranteed severence package worth the training plus interest AND salary for the 12 month period, and 3. there would be no training contract or paying for one's own training for subsequent recurrent or initials.

I hope to God I'm never in a situation to have those considerations, however...

Will do Lancer! The X is a great aircraft. Been in for 10 years now. It was great when there were only 40 around. When you pulled up on the ramp it turned heads.

Ha, Don't kid yourself maxspeed, that machine will always turn heads. Thanks again!

Boiler- Great advice! I'm taking notes. Lets hope none of us are in that position. However, I fear the current situation will get worse, before it gets better.

I have heard this line of thought before from other sources. Why do you believe so? Is it because of the belief that regional pilots lack a customer-orientated mindset--or something else? I ask because I have been flying for a regional carrier for a few years, but eager to go to the corporate aviation world.

I flew Part 135 (non-cargo) before my present employer. Like many others, I had reached a point where there were few, if any, options to move forward. The regional airlines at that time offered professional experience (equipment, crew time, etc.) that was not available to me before.

I was told by a friend who works for a charter company that if I were to help pay for my training, or work it off, that they might consider hiring me... I'll take the C-310 i'm getting paid 30/hr in any day and wait till i have competitive mins at a company that doesn't have to rely on pilots paying for THEIR expenses. I will admit though that it is tempting to justify buying a type. It can be and easy way to make yourself more marketable. In my case though, im only 23 I've got time to do it the right way. I'll earn it. I hope no one else takes the easy road cause it will make it a lot harder for me to get that "dream job" later on down the road.

Lancer - Good luck to ya, it sounds like you are a respectable dude, I'm sure there are some respectable companies that will see that and put more emphasis on that than anything else.

BoilerUp - Great advice that I hope everyone on this website reads. It's not just the corporate world in danger of this type of thing but the industry as a whole.

I have been flying corporate since 92 so this the third major airline downturn I have witnessed. During airline hiring times most corporate operators loose some pilots and it takes about two years to get back to full qualified staff. So your schedule sucks but your pay and QOL will slowly come back for fear of loosing more pilots to the majors. Then the majors furlough and your hangar is inundated with people "looking to make the jump to corporate". Your pay raise halts and your company reminds you how lucky you are to have a job. Airlines callback and your newly typed and trained pilot is gone and your schedule is out the door. Two years later you are back to full staff and pay and QOL comes very slowly back and the company realy needs your experience. And the cycle begins again. Ask any career corporate pilot with more than 15 years if this isn't the case.

The insulting part of the latest downturn is the belief that a CL65 and CL605 have anything in common and that 2500 total with 2200 RJ is Fortune 100 Captain ready. I have yet to see a CL65 mid crossing or PANC westbound. Same with a 737-?00 or ERJ. Going corporate is pretty easy if you follow the established path and show respect for the industry which I know without question is done on the 121 side.

You don't have to be a corporate manager to get tired of 121 downturns.

I'll cautiously weigh in on this regarding the military benefits aspect (Disclaimer: I'm not ex-military, and I don't know what else you could/could not do with this benefit. I am not presently in the corporate sector of the industry - but it is my home turf). My over-ridding principle would be this:

If you can get a degree (or additional degree) outside of aviation with these benefits - do so. There are so many options open to you with something other than just aviation experience.

If you already have a non-aviation degree or or just bound and determined to use these bennie's for a type - get a type in a very common corporate aircraft; eg. Citation, Lear, ect. A type that covers a number of models - you can then start marketing yourself as a contract pilot (an uphill climb all unto itself, but that's an entirely different discussion). I would not advertise that you are willing to pay for your own type in something a company operates - I agree with all of the other posters, the company should pay for that training. I would even go to the extent of getting the type in something else. The idea here being if you can get a type in "Brand A" you can probably get a type in "Brand B," so you are trainable (which is probably a given anyhow).

Repeat after me.....


"I'm good enough, I'm smart enough, and people like me"

Self doubt is common in the face of unemployment or any change in career path. Looking at the brief bio in your post - dude, you're qualified.

As many will tell you, a type without real experience and 4 bucks will get you a cup of coffee. Paying for a qualified applicants type is the cost of doing business and corporate operators cost this in the operating cost of flying the jet.

Now brush yourself off and go get 'em tiger.