AirplaneCFI

I'm a 600 hr CFI/CFII, my goal is to work at NetJets, Flexjet, or similar. I'm actually really enjoying flight instructing, and have no issues doing it for the next 1000+ hours, which will take me ~12-24 months at my current rate. That said, I'm concerned that I'll hit 1500, Flex/Net will tell me "come back with more relevant experience," and regionals may still be short on captains and not really hiring FOs.

My wife has a good career going, I want to stick to jobs where I can home-base if possible.

I've got a few questions:
1. Are these companies realistically hiring fresh 1500hr CFIs? I see all the "can you fog a mirror" jokes on the NetJets subforum, but I know just a few years ago they wanted tons of TPIC time first.
2. TradeWinds/PlaneSense both look interesting to me - and work geographically. Probably semi-relevant experience given they are passenger-carrying operations, and single-engine turbine PIC has to be more valuable than single-piston CFI work?
3. Does Aerial Survey experience help any more than flight instructing? There are a couple of survey companies with home-basing and decent schedules, but single-engine piston from what I've seen.
4. Do I just need to accept that I need to find a multi-engine entry-level job prior to trying to enter the fractional world? Ameriflight seems to be the common recommendation, but not a good fit for me schedule/geography-wise.

I guess it comes down to - should I just stay CFI, or will single-engine 135 or aerial survey, get me an interview more easily? I'm very lucky to not have any loans, and I'm not concerned about income level between now-1500.

rickair7777

Turbine experience of any sort will enhance your resume at this point, especially if you want to jump to home-based operators such as Fracs or ACMI at 1500 hours.

As long as the operator is safe, and not prone to regulatory entanglements which would tar your resume. So do your homework on 91/135 jobs.

TexasLonghorn

Flexjet is hiring pilots who are coming in with no turbine experience but they’re still not common. Those who are coming from CFI backgrounds and making it successfully through the interview process are those who generally have stellar resumes beyond flight time and/or are standouts in the sim portion regarding V1 cuts, speed control, and scan rates.

Were still hiring more people with PC12 or King Air time than straight CFIs. Lots of PlaneSense/Tradewinds pilots, as we know they’re used to 91k/135 operations and are usually strong stick & rudder pilots. If you’re looking between piston time and turbine SEL time, the turbine will be more beneficial with getting your foot in the door and getting you more well prepared for the interview, your initial type rating course, and introduction to line flying.

Plus don’t pass up the chance to fly the PC12 if it comes along, it’s a great airplane!

followingdreams

I'd say its all a balance. if you have 500+ hours of dual given, it is not a bad thing to have something else on your resume such as turbine time (even if its single engine) and working in a 135 operation such as Surf Air or Tradewinds (no clue what working for them is like though) or even Caravan time for a Fedex feeder or the company that flies from S. FL to the islands. If I was hiring somebody who doest have true experience, Id look for a CFII first and then dig into the resume to see that the pilot has some addtional experience that show jumping from whatever to a jet will be sucessful.

TiredSoul

PlaneSense would be a great transition and probably my choice if I was in a similar situation.
It really ticks all the boxes except high altitude and high speed. I mean FL300+ and Mach numbers.
Part 135 regulations, customer service, multi crew operations, turbo prop (which really is a jet engine with a propeller) operations, myriad of airports (some small some large) tons of approaches flown, deicing/ anti icing operations and half a dozen more.
You’re flying at twice the speed as what you’re doing now and your brain will adjust nicely to thinking at twice the speed also till it’s time to go 4x

You never thought the day would come that 10,000 feet is low and 250 knots is slow

AirplaneCFI

Thank you for the feedback all! Honestly I'd love to fly the PC-12 (looks like a blast), so glad to hear it's a decent path if I can land such a position.

tanker

At Plane Sense upgrade time to the jet is now 3-4 years so you will be able to get the above FL300 and Mach number time.

jtf560

If you want to fly for NetJets or Flex, meet the mins and apply. I wouldn't waste time on interim employment to build the minimum time if you are getting a reasonable amount of flying instructing where you are. If you don't get hired at minimums, maybe thunk about another plan to get experience, but at least NetJets is hiring lots of flight instructors at the mins- 1000 hours with a restricted ATP and 1500 hours with an ATP. Don't overthunk the current hiring frenzy, but do prepare for the interview.

Brickfire

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Get a job flying something bigger.