What would you do?
 

Hello everyone,

I am looking for helpful advice on a decision I need to make soon. I am currently at a 121 airline and have an offer to fly a citation making about 3x what I am making at my current employer. Would it be a bad decision to leave my current position for a part 91 gig? I am young and would like to make it to a major 121 airline in the future, but this gig sounds too good to pass. Would it damage my future if I left my current 121 job, went with the coorporate gig, and if things didn't work out there in the future try to get back on with another 121? I have heard that employers look down apon you if your past shows you moving around a lot. Any insights?

Depends on what you want. If you want to eventually head to the majors, I would advise AGAINST going to a corporate gig. Simply because you aren't going to log time nearly as fast as if you stayed at the airlines. I fly a citation part 91. In the past 12 months, we've logged 205 hrs. Not good when you're trying to build time/PIC for the jump up.

Decide also what you will accept for equipment. Is it going to bother you flying an aircraft that might not be as fast or advanced as what you are in now? The citation I fly has no APU and a cramped cockpit. Certainly a change from the CRJ cockpit.

Consider job security. Not all 91/135 jobs are secure. Airplanes cost money to operate, and if a business has a bad year, the plane is often the first thing to get cut. It's a HUGE expense (for example our operating budget for next year is about 1.2 MILLION. Just to operate a Citation Encore.) Unexpected or major maintenance can push that up quickly (we had to replace a PFD last year for the tune of $100,000, and just did 8K of unexpected engine maintenance).

All those factors aside, if you find a good corporate gig, you'll never go back to the airlines. I might not make what I would at the airlines flying a Citation 250 hrs a year, but I'll never apply for another airline gig. I make more per flight hour than any 777 captain out there.

I have great benefits and QOL. We get annual bonuses (this year looks like it will be about $6K), and have a reasonable expense account (no more fast food on overnights). We're treated well and considered an important part of my company's structure.

I've been allowed to bring my wife along on two trips in the past 14 months. One to Hilton Head for 3 nights, the other to Las Vegas for 3 nights. Even had the company pay for a round of golf in HXD, and a few shows in LAS.

Do some research on the company and ask questions of the folks that work there. If the QOL/benefits/pay are good, you might consider rethinking your career goals...

damn josh, you got a pretty cool job

I like it... :)

Wish the plane were a bit bigger and I got to fly a bit more (I've only flown on four days this month and have two days scheduled for next month...), but overall it's a good gig.

I guess it's allowed me to catch up on reading a few books that I've had around the house and get a few projects done...

Encores haven't been out that long - that PFD wasn't under warranty still?

It wasn't under warranty (just barely missed it)... but we were able to get it returned for refurbishment after some long dealings with honeywell over a supposed chip in the screen (apparently happened during shipping). Final bill was still $30K.