Mink

I agree. Maybe in a Big Company (3M, QualCom, etc.) flight department you have a little better protection, but if you're flying for an owner/family, they can dismiss you for wearing the wrong color sox.

brianb

If you like to run your tongue up and down the boss a#$, then you might love being a " corporate " pilot. Money was swell, destinations varied and the flying was, at times, very challenging. Maintenance was pretty good and they generally paid for everything, including medicals, cell phone, etc. They could and would fire your a*% for the smallest things. Overall, a good experience but not one I would want for a career.

NowCorporate

You must have had some pretty low-end "corporate" gigs if that's your experience...

Having done both Fortune 5 and wealthy Pt91 owner gigs I can say I have never even remotely experienced anything like this. Even as a 22yr old on demand learjet charter grunt I never experienced that $hit.

There is always a certain level one wants to avoid in any industry....and sorry, I wont stay in aviation if it comes down to the above type jobs.

Fired for leaving out the Kleenex??....if that's an individual owner I imagine they run through pilots every 6 months. Yes, those jobs are out there, and everyone with half a brain avoids them.

Have you ever been involved in trying to get someone dismissed from a company? Next to impossible so long as they actually show up and have a pulse.

landlover

I agree with NC, usually when someone is disliked or sucks at their job for what ever reason. They are usually laid off first or denied a promotion/raise. Thus usually making them quit.

The dude

There's not an airline in the world I'd leave my job for. Going through security two or three times a year is enough for me. I've had enough of having my luggage searched by a guy with corn rows and gold teeth.

Destinations are overall way better than airline flying. Pay is great....and I've never had to kiss anyone's as$. If you are a good pilot and know how to do your job and keep your mouth shut corporate is an awesome career.

Never pass up an opportunity......to keep your mouth shut.

aa73

Great perspective. It's good to know there are Corp. jobs out there like that.

Likewise, thanks to the destinations, type of flying I do, and travel bennies, I don't think I could ever leave my airline gig for corporate. 3 on, 4 off flying Europe/SA/Caribbean in a great a/c with lots of room, rest breaks - exactly what I signed up for.

I did "pay my dues" flying regionals, and I could definitely see going corporate had I gotten stuck there. In fact one of my good friends did just that, and left to go fly for Southwestern Bell which became AT&T, and he got laid off. Now he's at another great corp job, thankfully.

Just like many folks have gotten burned out on crappy 121 jobs, I've heard of too many corp. jobs sitting around FBOs all day long... catering the aircraft.... filing flight plans.. arranging hotels... carrying the boss's bags... etc. just sounds like WAY too much work. but then again, never done it so maybe it's not as bad as I think. And if you fly a great a/c with good pay, maybe it's worth it.

Two different perspectives. To each their own!

BoilerUP

That's actually pretty standard fare in business aviation, common to almost every pilot job description - driving the plane is the 'easy' part.

Its really not, but I understand how folks can become accustomed to one type of operation and struggle transitioning to another.

QuietSpike

Once again, not *my* job! Just know of people getting canned for crud like I described-- the kleenex thing is more of a saying than an actual event... just pointing out that you can get canned for something as insignificant as a kleenex after just flying around 45k foot thunderstorms for 4 hours!

My corp jobs (which is 2 atm) have been very pleasant-- granted one was a manufacturer, so slightly different.

My current one I am basically 'friends' with the boss-- granted I know my place-- but I can say pretty much whatever I need to, and there is a mutual respect there which I know doesn't exist in other jobs.


Just like AA73 said and some others said--- it really depends on the individual and the individual job itself. I was going to make 30k first year at a legacy carrier working 20 days a month on reserve... left that for never less than 6 figures and never less than 15 days off a month. For *me* it works.

NowCorporate

Agree!.......

Climbto450

To Begin with there is no such thing as an "average corporate job". I also know great pilots that have been canned from so called "average corporate jobs". On the other hand I know horrible pilots that have kept "average corporate jobs" for a long time.
The bottom line is corporate job lose has little to do with any factor but company politics and how well you can manuver within those politics, if a pilot is lucky they can avoid them but most times this is not the case. 20 years of working in corporate aviation has taught me this, hence the reason I am in phase 2 at JB. Now that I have a family I value different aspects of a flying job and most corporate jobs don't match up with what I am looking for. I love the experience that I have recieved from corporate but it is time for me to move on.