NowCorporate

rare? hard to achieve? not really. I wouldn't suggest anyone enter this career (or any) without planning on making it to the top ASAP - airline or corporate. By this I mean the best lifestyle and pay you can reach. Others just love flying and are happy making 75K and bouncing around jobs. I'm not one of these....but to each his own. If a guys goal is to fly a Gulfstream etc, there is no reason he couldn't get there pretty quick these days.

very volatile? what do you mean here? as compared to an airline job? As I said before I haven't known a qualified Gulfstream/Global pilot in the last 10 years who was unemployed. I also know I'd rather rather face unemployment as a qualified corporate captain than as a 757/767 pilot.

low ballers? - at any halfway decent department this isn't an issue. Pilots are not brought in based on what they will work for. Sorry, but the most notorious low ballers in the entire industry? contract BBJ guys (airline pilots)

Nobody cares what route you think is better, its just a matter of personal preference as the jobs are vastly different...but to come here and say that corporate is for guys who couldn't get a "real job"??...plenty of us make more money than the average airline captain and have a much better lifestyle (in our eyes)

BoilerUP

You see plenty of Citation/Lear/Hawker/King Air pilots go from 91 to major/legacy 121, because frankly major/legacy 121 tends to have substantial upside from light-mid cabin operations (even good ones).

I'd guess you see precious few Global/Gulfstream/900EX/7X pilots making that transition.

And if you're in the first group, it can be difficult to bust into the second group unless you are willing to move a lot, hit the career lottery, bribe CPs/DOs with Krieghoffs, or some combination thereof.

NoSidNoStar

NowCorporate, again, there are jobs and "real jobs". Some corporate jobs are real jobs, most are not. The percentage of guys making more money than the average airline captain (as you claimed), if you consider major airlines, is insignificant if not inexistent. Major airlines captain base pay starts where corporate tops.
And this is without considering soft pay, retirement contributions, etc.
But you are hijacking the thread. It was about days off and availability.
I never said every corporate pilot never made it, instead I am standing by my opinion that it is harder to make it in here, thanks to people that accept to brake the work rules, and want other pilots fired for not doing the same.
If you get all touchy and defensive when I mention this horrible aspects of corporate jobs, you might be the one feeling that you never made it.
You know yourself better than I do. I hope you are not one of the ass kissers that thinks is the boss friend and get other pilots fired. That is who I have beef with. But do not put words in my mouth which I never said.
If instead I came across to you as meaning that all corporate pilots never made it, it is my fault for not expressing myself clearly enough, and I sincerely apologize and hope my written communication was better.

NoSidNoStar

I agree 100%, while once in a major, you just wait to upgrade when the time is up, unless you have such a good schedule and QOL as a senior FO that you don't need to.
Very few can take the hit and initiation pay cut to go from large size GA to a major, some are looking forward to a longer career and are young enough to do it.
But you never see a major captain leaving voluntarily and coming to fly full time corporate, never happens, never will.

NowCorporate

Agree, it can be much more difficult depending on where you are looking. Bottom line in corporate is that it certainly helps to be local to where the departments are. To myself, and many others, this is an unfortunate downside.

And I'd never, ever, say no to a guy (even an illiterate airline guy) who shows up with a Suhl scrolled K80 and a positive attitude.

NoSidNoStar

Do you mean you take bribes in form of shotguns?
You see? It is difficult and hard to achieve the "real corporate job"
(Don't shoot. Sarcasm intentionally meant, trying to defuse the situation with a joke, I hope it gets across that way, it is much harder without the body language feedback)

GrummanCT

"Do not put words in my mouth which I never said". Comical for you to type that. I really think you need to 're-read this thread a couple times and realize who is putting words in who's mouth.

If the airlines are what you want, you should go to the airlines. If half of the "looming shortage" is true, the quicker you can land A seniority # at a major, the better off you are.

That being said, corporate aviation is a fine way to make a living as well. There's great jobs in big airplanes that do 100% international, and there's great jobs in domestic light jets. I know g drivers making 80 and light jet drivers making well north of 100 (base salary, not including additional benefits). It comes down to the operator and not the type.

At the end if the day find something that makes you happy, and do your best. You have to live with yourself, and life's too short not to be happy. QOL and Pay are king. Find a job with a good mix between the two. Taking one over the other usually leads to heartache.

NowCorporate

Of course not, hell I'm just here building time until Delta calls.

Understand the sarcasm, this is a pilot internet message board! misinformation, lies, and stupidity reign!

GrummanCT

Would agree 100%. If your a corporate pilot not living in NYC Metro, Sofla, Socal, Denver , major metro areas , your at a semi disadvantage to begin with. There's no shortage of rich guys, and you can certainly find corporate flight departments anywhere and everywhere....That being said, Signature HPN may be home to more flight departments, then the entire State of Nebraska.

Good luck

RI830

I know of a few guys who have gone to corporate after retiring from the wide bodies. Some have excelled and some flopped.

I spoke with a APG (Aircraft Perf Group) guy once who said his 777 buddy commented to him that "he was retiring and someone needed him to fly their G550".

The APG guy says to his buddy, "how high can you lift a 55lb suitcase? How do you file a intl flight plan or EApis?"
The 777 guy was bummfuzzeled....quite funny.

On the other side, the DO for a fractional I worked for was TWA'y. An OUTSTANDING, humble and funny guy! Excellent pilot and better manager!