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New career

Old 04-08-2006, 05:17 PM
  #11  
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As a young retiree you have a few things going for you...

Obviously the retirement benefits will help you through the entry phase. Do you also have GI Bill benefits? That could defray the cost of flight training after the private pilot rating.

There are plenty of threads about selecting a flight school..please do yourself a big favor and read some of them.

Since you want to work in corporate, assume that you will need the CFI, CFII, and MEI ratings. While there are a few shortcuts to the regional airlines that would allow you to skip those ratings, small corporate operators often need their pilots to have instructor ratings for various reasons. In their culture, a pilot isn't really a pilot without them.

There are two tracks you could go...both start with getting the ratings then getting a job as a flight instructor. I'd recommend that you AVOID the large academy program flight schools as far as working there...they are full of young kids going to regional airlines. In the corporate world, who you know is EVERYTHING, and knowing a bunch of regional FO's won't do much for you. Find a busy GA airport with lot's of corporate/private jets in a local that you enjoy. Get a CFI job there and network big-time, talk to everybody. Get your 1000 total, 100+ multi-engine, then you have a decision to make...

A) You may be able to hook up a corporate co-pilot at this point using your network. The problem is that the advancement opportunities will be limited because many captain jobs will require turbine PIC...well, you can log turbine SIC when working passenger flights, and may be able to get some turbine PIC on repostioning flights, but since corporate pilots often don't fly much anyway, it will likely take a long time to get a captain job (years and years).

B) Or you could take a job at a crappy regional with RJs and a fast upgrade time, upgrade to captain and get 1000 hours turbine PIC in 3-4 years, then start looking for corporate jobs. This would get you into a corporate captain job sooner. But this is a decision you can make after you get 1000 hours as a CFI and better understand the lay of the land.

A previous post mentioned military reserve. Two problems there, I don't believe retirees can participate in the reserves in most cases (maybe state guard?) and corporate flying is totally incompatible with military reserve commitments. Most corporate and private operators are not like the airlines, they obviously don't have hundreds of spare pilots on call to cover your absence. I am deferring a decision on corporate work until I retire from the reserves.

There are a lot of crappy jobs in corporate, and a few really sweet ones, but you have to make your own opportunities in every case. People skills and networking are indispensible, and you have to be comfortable in a social setting with the beautiful people. Also, you have to be prepared to deal with obnoxious customers. As an airline guy, I only have to ask the passsenger one time politely, then the FBI removes his @ss in handcuffs. In corporate you just have to swallow the abuse, if your employer/customer is of that persuasion.

Last edited by rickair7777; 04-08-2006 at 05:27 PM.
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Old 04-09-2006, 01:39 AM
  #12  
jnav
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I'm at the same junction you are bud but on a different scope. I'm a Navigator/Avionics tech in the Coast Guard with my A&P cert. I also have my commercial pilots license: SE/ME/IFR w/ high perf and complex endorse. I used my GI bill left over from my tour in the Airforce to get these ratings. I too have 14 yrs in w/ 6 to retire. These guys have been a great help here from rickair777 to skyhigh in the best options to get to your goal. Find a good 141 school and get your certs before you get out if you can. While doing so really figure out what you want to do thats gonna make you happy without getting bored and keep your significant other involved so that you have the good backing. Me personally, I want my next job to be fun and enjoyable without getting woke up by a siren for SAR or LE flights just when you fall asleep in RDY crew berthing. I enjoy my job but come 20yr mark I'm looking for a new adventure. I'll be 42 vice 38 cause of my break in service. You have alot of options having your A&P, like working at an FBO and being able to fly after you fix possibly too. I know you are looking at Corporate primarily. Just saying look at everything you have and weigh it out to what you want to be able to do on the outside sector with your pension to supplement and you should do good. I'm looking to get on with a cargo hauler like Ameriflight flying their planes or doing maintenance for em or work for an FBO doing the same thing and flying charter stuff. Get your Commercial pilot cert and if I'm not mistaken 1/2 your FE time also counts toward your ATP cert. Network with the other pilots while getting your ratings, which will help you build the time you need too or get you a good price on buying your own plane to build or split time. Who you now really counts. Really soul search and research what you want to go into Bro. Hope I helped you some.

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Old 04-09-2006, 06:24 AM
  #13  
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Six years is a long time from now. By then you will have changed and so will the industry. Jobs that are easy to get today might be gone by then and vise versa. I would not put any faith on future plans and would consider doing something slowly over time and on your terms. If you can build 1500 hours by retirement I am sure it would help a lot. I don't know if you log your FE time but I definitely would keep track of it.

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