...what exactly are they? Someone mentioned them in another post of mine, but didn't really go into detail on the position. What are their other duties other than flying? What are the wages like? More/less than the average pilot? Which airlines have management pilots?

Thanks,

fly straight in

 

No such thing as management pilots.......Those in management dont know how to fly. They go to Harvard or Yale, become lawyers, and learn how get get very rich while intercoursing the employees who actually work for a living: be it bag smashers, gate agents, pilots, F/A's, etc.

 

I'm looking forward to the forthcoming replies...

 

Management pilots include all chief pilots from all airlines. They are chosen by the company as representatives of management to the pilot group.

I believe what you may be referring to are management pilot positions that are hired from "outside" the rank and file of line pilots. These folks are normally hired off the street. UPS hires "management pilots" for training positions and other various positions that their rank and file don't want (better let a Brown guy elaborate more on this).

At ASA, our company Chief Pilot was hired off the street (outside of the company).....

 

It's not that UPS pilots don't want to volunteer for these positions - you are either a line pilot or a management pilot. Mgt pilots do not get seniority numbers. They cannot become line pilots w/o starting all over at the bottom of the list or even reinterviewing. Line pilots that become mgt pilots forfeit their seniority number. There is no going between the two lists. We do have union line pilots that work in the training center. They do sim training, and our IOE guys are line pilots. The mgt pilots do all the PC's, line checks, checkrides, etc. Understand that UPS's mgt structure is TOTALLY different from any other airline. Our mgt pilots are an "airline within an airline." Not very efficient if you ask me...

 

Well Crawdawg.. I was a management pilot (check airman) for a major airline. Nope.. didn't go to Harvard or Yale but did know how to fly. Solo in a J3 Cub at 16, quit High School to enter Air Force enlisted. Did my 4 years during the cold war. Oh yeah, I'm 72 years old. Worked for FAA as a controller, instructed during time off, owned a herd of airplanes, hired by the major airline starting with DC-6/7, then BAC 111, B-727, DC10, turned Capt., Airbus A300-600R, then Check airman 757-767 and MD-11 Domestic, Atlantic, Pacific and ENJOYED working with regular line pilots doing everything I could for them. Also instructed in simulators 707, 727, DC10. Obviously you may have had some bad experiences along the way but please don't label all management as "bad guys". We all love to fly.. try to remember that.

 

Management pilots at CAL are individuals who were hired as pilots and at some point accepted a management position from the company. At CAL these management types retain their seniority number and it is not unusual to have management pilots return to line flying. Management pilots include: Chief pilots, Asst chief pilots, Fleet managers and our VP of flight ops is a pilot on our seniority list. I don't consider check airman and sim instructors as management pilots. In my opinion most line pilots see fellow pilots who accept management positions as sell outs and it is difficult for them to ever be seen as one of the guys again. I remember once walking into our crewroom where perhaps 40 to 50 pilots were hanging out. To my amazement their was one pilot off to himself - not really fitting in with the guys and yup, you guessed it, a former management pilot nobody wanted to be around. They are paid a premium to manage and how much of a premium depends on what or who they manage. I am fortunate in that I have no desire to go there and enjoy the feeling of setting the brakes and going home. There are some good guys in those jobs but it seems the good guys never last - they speak up for the pilots and are then replaced with those more willing to hold the company line. My thought is; If you want to be a pilot, be a pilot. If you want to manage, then be an office person. It is hard to do both well!

 

ddbbjj, what did you think of the DC-6 versus the DC-7? Were the DC-7 engines as cantankerous as they're made out to have been?

Thanks!

 

Hey dawg52, I can't believe I am going to say this, but not all management pilots are dirt bags. It's just the good ones, don't seem to last long. They either retire, quit or go back to the line. DS in HNL, was a prefect example. A good pilot, a good manager who tired to protect the line pilot from the HQ BS.

 

Way back when management pilots that were check airmen were used to manage trouble makers off the property when career day came. I am sure with the atmosphere in the industry that practice is no longer used.