Career Adviser: Breaking into the business

» A: Nadine, let’s face it: The airline industry is the “big gorilla,” hiring more pilots and contributing more to the economics of aviation than any other sector.

Corporate flying can vary dramatically. In one instance, you may have a single entrepreneur who is a real estate developer and has amassed a fortune because of shrewd deal making. The “one-man show” can pony up the cash for a Beechcraft Baron or nifty Cessna Citation and recruit a small staff of pilots. One of the pilots may be crowned the chief pilot, and that person not only flies but also manages the airplane, pilot training, and scheduling. In this type of flying, the crew may be called upon to fly the owner’s daughter to college, take fishing trips to Walker’s Cay in the Bahamas, or transport the boss to San Francisco for the next business meeting. In the smallest of operations, the pilot may merely be a contractor and not on a fulltime payroll.

Then, there is the large corporation for which the Gulfstream IV is used solely as a business tool to transport executives around the globe. No personal junkets to test the ski runs at Jackson Hole. All flights are business-related. These operations generally have a flight department under the direction of an aviation manager.

A trend right now is for corporations to hire an outside jet management company to oversee the operation, including maintenance as well as pilot recruitment and training. In many instances, these airplanes are placed on an air taxi/charter (FAR Part 135) certificate. This means that, when the bosses are not using that Hawker 800, the management company is free to sell and schedule flights to the public, thus generating revenue for both the owner and the management company/Part 135 operator. In these situations, the owner—whether corporate or individual—may recommend that the management company/Part 135 operator use its pilots in air taxi service. In this instance, those corporate pilots become contractors to the management company/Part 135 operator while flying air taxi flights, and they must be trained according to that firm’s FAA-approved training program.

The wild cards in all this are treatment and lifestyle. The largest enterprises pay well and generally will schedule pilots with guaranteed duty times and days off. Smaller corporate operators have been known to abuse their pilots by calling on the spur of the moment to fly the boss and some pals to a Notre Dame game in South Bend, Indiana—and carry and load the bags. And when business turns sour, the company airplane is often the first to go.

The most effective route to a corporate job is through networking. Think about it. If you were managing a fleet of Gulfstream IVs and one of your pilots retired, what would you do? You would be more likely to ask your staff, “Do you know of anybody that would be a good fit?” than to search résumés in a drawer.

Defining business aviation and pilot opportunities is elusive. But there are good jobs out there. Life as a corporate pilot can be heaven or a bit of hell, depending on who pulls the strings. Bottom line: Do the due diligence before signing on.