Now I understand you can't duplicate someone else's networks and everyone gets to where they are in a different way but I am curious to know what some people did and what career progressions they took after reaching the commercial. Also what kind of experience you had along the way. I don't really care if its a G650 or a Piper cherokee. If your flying corporate I'd like to hear how you got there.

Im not looking for names of companies just the type of flying and I'm prepared to hear I knew someone who knew someone. This is solely out of curiosity.

 

I graduated Sept 2001 and after being dropped by a regional I acted as a right seater for what was GE Capital (now CAE) working for free for nearly 6mo to cover training costs. Flew Lears for nearly a decade, and recently was hired by a Fortune 100 flying the Global Express. 95% of your career path in corporate aviation is dictated by your personality and willingness to go the extra mile. The quality departments care less about a resume and more about how the interaction with others will positively affect the group as a whole. Best of luck-

 

Started college/PPL August 2001
COM/CFI/CFII April 2003
Instructed summer 2003/2004 and part-time at Purdue through Dec 2004
Student Beechjet copilot at Purdue Fall 2004
B727/747 Co-op at UPS Airlines Dec 2004-Dec 2005
Graduated Purdue Dec 2005
Started Air Wisconsin CRJ-200 Jan 2006
Started at current company as Citation II Copilot Nov 2007 (roommate during UPS co-op previously worked for company and was close to CEO, walked my resume in to him)
Promoted to Captain in January 2008
Promoted to Chief Pilot (by default thanks to CP taking another job) in March 2008

 

- Graduated from a university with an aviation program (B.S. degree); while in school was working for a local Pt 91 company cleaning the planes/hangar, etc.
- Flight instructed at the university after graduation and eventually went full-time at the Pt 91 company (flying a Saratoga and getting right seat Citation trips)
- Lost that job due to insurance minimums (I didn't have enough AMEL time when they wanted to upgrade to a twin)
- No gap of employment, was able to land a C208 Part 135 freight job
- After C208 job went to another Pt 135 freight job in twin Commanders
- Then had a connection get me an EMS job flying King Air C90s
- Stepped up to a Part 91k job flying C90s, 350s, Phenom 100s and Beechjets (got that through a connection as well)
- The 91k job was nuts and I was always gone; family life was horrible, so I took a job at a Part 142 sim instructing job for a couple of years so I could regain some type of life for my family and I (had some connections, but still had to go through the full interview experience)
- Was ready to go back to flying; had several connections and was able to get in, after a very intense and lengthy interview process, at a very large Part 91 company. Love the job and the company and, as of now, could see myself retiring here in 30 years.

 

-4 year degree
-Found an aerial survey company on a blog similar to this one worked there 4 months (2007)
-A friend called to see if I wanted a Convair SIC job (Late '07)
-Took the regional plunge for 4 months for jet sic (2011), got displaced.
-Charter 135 in E110 and C310 (Late '11)
-Still flying 135 and moving into King Air 200.
-Corporate Job in the future...???
If you're just graduating from school, expect at least 10 years of hard work and networking. If you get plucked earlier, kudos! Good luck and stay positive!

 

4 year
-instructed six months
-got picked up at CommutAir flying the Dash 8.
-bypassed upgrade, twice (didn't want to be back on reserve and didn't like the job; had no desire to tie myself to it)
-wife's company wanted a plane. I got a call saying if I wanted the position, it was mine.
-they picked up a King Air 200.
-less than a year later got this CJ2.

Everyone here loves the plane, and as long as the position stays, I'll stay. No desire to fly anything bigger.

 

• 4 year science degree from a large, non-aviation University
• Instructed for a couple of years, while also doing some contract work in Cessna 340s and 421s (at ~500 hours)
• Full time Part 91 job in a turboprop (at ~1200 hours)
• SIC in Citations for a 135 outfit (at ~2000 hours). Upgraded 6 months later and flew as a 135 Captain for 5 years.

A few years back I sold out and went off to fly for a national 121 carrier (at ~4500 hours). As I got older, the unpredictability of 135 was burning me out, and I needed a little stability in my schedule. That said, the right 91 gig would have kept me on the corporate side.

 

UND Grad in 2000
Alaska Airlines Intern
Flight Instructor in Anchorage for 7 months
Hired as Metroliner F/O by PenAir for 18 months
Hired at Flight Options as King Air F/O, moved to Hawker F/O
Hired as Captain on a Hawker for a charter company in SoCal
Upgraded to Falcon 50 Captain due to Hawker being sold
Hired as Chief Pilot for a part 91 Hawker 800A, 7 years
Recently hired as PIC on a Falcon 900EX for another private company.

 

-Instructed for a big state school's aviation program from 2006-2008
-B.S. Aviation Management 2008
-Paid internship at a small Part 91 flight department flying CJs/PC-12 2008-2009
-Laid off for most of 2009. Waited tables....
-Picked up at the end of 2009 by a 135 scheduled airline flying PC-12s
-2010 to early 2013, flew Citation 500 series aircraft for a 135 charter company
-Early 2013, G-IV Part 91 dream gig

All my aviation jobs except the 135 PC-12 gig were had due to some sort of connection. I can't stress enough how important it is to network in corporate aviation! BPWI was on point earlier in the thread....

 

Mines not as interesting as everyone else's, but I'm not flying and bored so here we go.

-graduated with AAS in aviation in '05 from a local aviation college
-began instructing at said college after graduation
-BS in aviation from what is now UVU (Then UVSC) in '07.
-In fall '07, started chasing airlines and was hired by 3 of them, but the economy had other plans and never saw a class date.
-In fall of '08 I accepted a job as a part-time Asst. Chief Instructor at the same local two year college while waiting on regional call backs (which never came until early 2010 at which point I declined.)
- In 2010 I did some volunteer crew member work at CAE in the Citation VII sim. (Great learning experience)
-Also in '10 I convinced the school to change the Asst. Chief position into a full-time salary job.
- In 2012 I was promoted to chief flight instructor.
- Later in 2012, I got my ATP cert to boost the resume.
- Shortly after I earned my ATP cert, I accepted a local offer for a full-time job flying 100 hours/year in a King Air B200.

... and here I am bored hoping the phone rings for another trip.