Grooming ones self for a chief pilot position

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So do a lot of fractional pilots view fractionals as their career goal or are most of them time-building for corporate or airline slots? Further, don't most of the frax operators have similar hour requirements (2500+) as a lot of corporate depts?

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Most of the guys at NetJets plan on it being a career goal, including the "younger" airline furloughees. My plan was to stay here at least 5 years. At which time I would have loads of PIC jet time and could use it as a "stepping stone." Or, I could stay here and try out other aircraft. Since 9/11, it has well defined itself as a destination as opposed to a stepping stone.

I am well past the 5 year mark now, and I am quite content with the way my path has taken.
 
wow is right. the guys at falcon capts company deserve to get paid well. those are pretty high minimums. the people they hire probably far exceed those standards. i don't think you can really compare corporate and fractional pay rates. they are two totally different things. especially when your talking about a fortune 500 company. the average new hire at falconcapts company is probably a lot older than the average new hire at a fractional.(notice i say on average). they'd have to be to have that kind of experience. i would think flying for a fractional would be an excellent way to gain the necessary experience for corporate flying. of course, i don't do either of the above so i could be talking out of my arse.
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The average new hire at falconcapts company is probably a lot older than the average new hire at a fractional.(notice i say on average). they'd have to be to have that kind of experience.

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I was 28 when I got hired a little over 7 years ago... A good friend of mine who was hired back in mid-2002 got hired that day after his 29th B-Day...
 
that's definatley an impressive accomplishment for you and your friend to be that young. i worked at a maintanence facility(Duncan) and had the opportunity to talk with many coporate and fractional pilots. i haven't met anyone anywhere near that young. corporate that is. actually, i take that back. i know one guy who is around 30 that's an fo on a challenger. can't remember the name of the company though. what was your career progression? i'd like to follow siut!
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So do a lot of fractional pilots view fractionals as their career goal or are most of them time-building for corporate or airline slots? Further, don't most of the frax operators have similar hour requirements (2500+) as a lot of corporate depts?

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I've never quite understood the long-term attraction of flying frax. It has all the drawbacks of flying charters, except you get to fly new equipment. Might as well aim for a major and make more money working the same amount, and flyng bigger equipment.

Question for frax guys....how far in advance do you know your trips? I'm having a blast flying adhoc charters, but I wouldn't want to live on the pager forever.
 
The appeal of a place like Netjets is that you know your schedule 3 months in advance. You know exactly WHEN you'll be flying with no question, you just don't know where you'll go then.

Cheers


John Herreshoff
 
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The appeal of a place like Netjets is that you know your schedule 3 months in advance. You know exactly WHEN you'll be flying with no question, you just don't know where you'll go then.


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Same at the airlines. Plus you'll know where you are going, and if your senior enough you can even bid the same line every month.
 
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The appeal of a place like Netjets is that you know your schedule 3 months in advance.

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So does Falcon Capt.
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But there is NO chance of a pop up at Netjets, where there is with FalconCapt's gig, no matter how small it is.
 
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I've never quite understood the long-term attraction of flying frax. It has all the drawbacks of flying charters, except you get to fly new equipment. Might as well aim for a major and make more money working the same amount, and flying bigger equipment.

Question for frax guys....how far in advance do you know your trips? I'm having a blast flying adhoc charters, but I wouldn't want to live on the pager forever.

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I don't think we have ANY of the drawbacks of charter ops.
The pilots at NJA aren't tied to pagers. They are basically used for taking to other pilots, paging in your out/in times and ordering crew food. Hard days off are hard days off. No pagers.

You have 8-12 different types of aircraft to bid into (More than some airlines.), and many more destinations than airlines serve.

There is no way I would trade this lifestyle for a Major. But that's just me. To each his own.
 
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But there is NO chance of a pop up at Netjets...

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Ohhhhhhhhh, I wouldn't say thaaaaaaaat.
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Planes do break down and someone has to rescue the other comrades. (As long as duty and rest limits aren't to be exceeded.) Which brings up another positive for the Frax side of things. If your plane breaks down there are hundreds of others to back you up.
 
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what was your career progression? i'd like to follow siut!
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Graduated ERAU, went over a year without a flying job due to the bad economy & Gulf War I. Then:

Full time CFI for 2 3/4 years (went from 260 hours to 2,450 hours including 850 multi)

Charter Pilot for 2 3/4 years (started at 2,450 and left with 4,500 hours including 1,700 turbine, of which 1,300 was jet and 3 Jet Type Ratings)

Corporate Pilot for 7+ years and counting. (Currently somewhere north of 8,000 hours, including nearly 5,000 hours jet time (nearly 3,000 hours in 3 engine jets) and have 5 Jet Type Ratings)
 
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But there is NO chance of a pop up at Netjets, where there is with FalconCapt's gig, no matter how small it is.

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With my job I am "on duty" Mon-Fri 8am - 5pm... at 5:01pm I can crack a beer and work can't say a thing about it. Our trips are all scheduled well in advance...

When I am not flying, I do whatever I want, without putting a thought towards work... If the family wants to take a day trip down state, we do it... No worries...
 
Getting back to the subject of the first post, if you want to eventually be a chief pilot for a Fortune 500 company it might be good if got a charter job and worked your way up to chief pilot there. By going fractional, I don't see how you would get any chief pilot experience. I agree with the others who think that the airlines are even further off the mark.

On the downside, I've never been a chief pilot, but I work for a charter company and have observed that it seems to be a job with a lot of red tape, scheduling/training hassles and personality conflicts. Not a job I would want.

I'm happy with my charter job, though. We have hard days off and I don't think we're gone from home as much as the fractional people. We *are* on a pager/cell phone, though. I know there's no such thing as job security anywhere, but many of the folks I know who have gone on to corporate jobs have ended up on the street because the corporation decided to downsize or do away with their flight department.
 
falconcap- my story is similar to yours.

graduated WMU, went to flight school, gone nearly six months without a flying job due to gulfwar 2

CFI- 0 3/4 years (went from 252 to 252 with 145 multi)

Charter- 0 3/4 years went fron 252 to 252, 0 turbine, no type ratings)

Corporate- 0+ years and counting (somewhere north of 250 hours, nearly 5,000 hours of looking at jets, 1500 at 3 engine jets, and 2 type ratings i made using microsoft word).

to my fellow aviators-
PLEASE, don't read my story and be jealous of my success. remember, i didn't get here over night and you can't either. i had to pay my dues just like all the other successful pilots out there. a little hard work and perserverence and you too can be here along side us. the road to success is long and bumpy. stay focused and follow your dreams.
if anyone would like to ask me anymore questions regarding my career/success and how i made it in this business feel free to ask. i love helping aspiring aviators.
 
Hollywood, it was that degree from Western Michigan University that has gotten you so far. I'm so glad that I've made your alma mater my choice for my higher education in my chosen major of...philosophy.

Cheers


John Herreshoff
 
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. . . gone nearly six months without a flying job due to gulfwar 2

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But we've gotten rid of those terrorists....
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Oh, wait....ok, I just read the paper. We haven't gotten rid of the terrorists....


sorry...
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I thought hard days off were hard days off?

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If this was directed at me, days off ARE days off. The pop-ups I was refering to, happen on your duty days, NEVER on a day off.
 
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