Hawker Beechcraft Demo Pilot Internship, any info?

A

AA777223

Well-Known Member
Well i was recently hired for the HBC demo pilot internship starting in late june. I was just wondering if anyone here had any experience with this internship or knew anyone that did. Im looking for any info i can get. Its paid...but not much, it would be a huge paycut from my instructing job..but with the possibility of a few hundred hrs turbine time and possibly a type in a Hawker 900XP from what I am told. Just trying to see what I am getting myself into for 6 months and then what happens after that. Seems like a great company to work for though and would be totally worth the risk if a full time spot came out of it...
Thanks!
 
I had some friends get the internship fairly recently...one of them starts on Monday. I got an email a couple weeks back that said the spots were filled...it's a pretty good internship, not really sure how much time you earn there though. If you apply, good luck!
 
fisher37 said:
I had some friends get the internship fairly recently...one of them starts on Monday. I got an email a couple weeks back that said the spots were filled...it's a pretty good internship, not really sure how much time you earn there though. If you apply, good luck!
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It helps to read more than just the subject line.
 
IMO the lackluster pay is more than made up for with the turbine time and possible type rating. Youre lucky, I've applied the past 4 years and only got to the phone interview once... wish I knew what the trick was. I'm even in ICT!

Congrats though, I dont really have info on it, had a friend that got it and seemed to enjoy it but did say sometimes you end up working on what are supposed to be your days off... but again, if I was logging turbine time with low time in my logbook and getting paid (even if just a little) I'd probably suck it up.
 
Our DO is a former HBC test pilot. I'll get the skinny from him tomorrow. I don't think he has good things to say about it, but he's also near the end of his career with not a lot of need to put up with a lot of BS to log some turbine time.

The HS-125 is a GREAT type to have. There are about eight airframes you can fly with that type.

Edit #2: do some research on the stability of HBC. With the flop of the 4000, there is a lot of speculation as to how much longer HBC will be in business.
 
casey said:
It helps to read more than just the subject line.
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Sorry. I thought he was asking about getting hired, I guess I shouldn't skip the first 5 words in a post.

I've heard some good and bad things about it...A lot of work, but I'm sure it's good. If I remember I'll have the friend that just got hired write something up and I'll post it on here in a month or so.

Again, sorry for the mistake.
 
TFaudree_ERAU said:
Our DO is a former HBC test pilot. I'll get the skinny from him tomorrow. I don't think he has good things to say about it, but he's also near the end of his career with not a lot of need to put up with a lot of BS to log some turbine time.

The HS-125 is a GREAT type to have. There are about eight airframes you can fly with that type.

Edit #2: do some research on the stability of HBC. With the flop of the 4000, there is a lot of speculation as to how much longer HBC will be in business.
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Thanks guys, Yeah thats what I am hearing too about HBC. From what I am told they are going from producing 430ish frames last year to only mid 200s this year. Doesnt sound good. Yeah the turbine time looks awesome, but im getting about 80 hrs a month of multi time where im at now. I wonder if its worth the risk and possibly to be without a job after 6 months..decisions decisions. And yes it is only 10 bucks an hr...thats hard to live on.... Any info from your DO would be awesome...thanks again everyone.
 
Another thing to consider is the networking you'll be doing while working there. If you can build a good rapport with the test pilots or other experienced people you'll be working with, that could go a long ways in itself. Say HBC does belly up next year. There's a good chance the highly experienced people you will have worked with won't have much trouble finding more work, and if you've made a good name for yourself with them, they will want to help you too.
 
If a company posted for turbin pilots and they were paying $10/hour for only a 6 month contract there would be a hell storm (See current Lakes thread).

When it is called an internship it is suddenly 'a great opportunity?'

Where does a professional pilot draw the line?
 
Codyjp said:
If a company posted for turbin pilots and they were paying $10/hour for only a 6 month contract there would be a hell storm (See current Lakes thread).

When it is called an internship it is suddenly 'a great opportunity?'

Where does a professional pilot draw the line?
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I'm meaning this in the most respectful way possible, but what kind of job did you do right out of college? Instruct? Fly jumpers? We're just college students, and some recent graduates trying to get into the field of aviation. With aviation how it currently is, what else should we do?

I'm not trying to get this thread fired up, sorry if I am.
 
Codyjp said:
If a company posted for turbin pilots and they were paying $10/hour for only a 6 month contract there would be a hell storm (See current Lakes thread).

When it is called an internship it is suddenly 'a great opportunity?'

Where does a professional pilot draw the line?
Click to expand...

It's a job paid hourly, not just for flight time, he'd net more than the Great Lakes guy making $10/hr full time with HBC.

One job is an opportunity to network and get your feet wet in the industry, the other is taking a bowling ball to the groin in an effort to take the shortcut to TPIC (which cant be much of a shortcut these days). IMO
 
I had a friend do it last summer. He has since been hired by a charter outfit in Ohio. He was flying pretty much every type of bird that HBC makes at some point or another.
 
cmsuav8r said:
I had a friend do it last summer. He has since been hired by a charter outfit in Ohio. He was flying pretty much every type of bird that HBC makes at some point or another.
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Do you know around how much time he got while he was there and if they actually typed him? I think i might have heard about him...was he on the demo side or the production test side? As yall were saying earlier yeah it does suck what you have to do these days. Im actually out of college..graduated in 2008 and picked up the internship still. I wanted it for the type, to network, and to hope for a full time job at the end. But it is a blow taking that type of a pay cut even from my current instructing job. Its hard to know what to do since im getting about 80 hrs piston twin a month and next on the depth chart (i think) to start instructing in our A90 and C90.
 
fisher37 said:
I'm meaning this in the most respectful way possible, but what kind of job did you do right out of college? Instruct? Fly jumpers? We're just college students, and some recent graduates trying to get into the field of aviation. With aviation how it currently is, what else should we do?

I'm not trying to get this thread fired up, sorry if I am.
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FlyingPoke said:
It's a job paid hourly, not just for flight time, he'd net more than the Great Lakes guy making $10/hr full time with HBC.

One job is an opportunity to network and get your feet wet in the industry, the other is taking a bowling ball to the groin in an effort to take the shortcut to TPIC (which cant be much of a shortcut these days). IMO
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I don't fault you both one bit really. I'm just trying to differentiate the difference between a low paying job to build time and an internship. To me they both are about the same, but again, I've got nothing wrong with either.

As for me I'm in a bind. I've got an instructing gig that is hard to beat and I have a great time doing it, moving to anywhere else would hurt financially, but at the same point, I'm not moving up to anything else... Rats!
 
A guy I know got the internship and left his MEI job for it. Ended up getting hired after the internship as a full time employee and has recently been ferrying Texans across the pond.

I'd say its likely to open a few doors for ya!
 
I've applied for the internship the past few years. Man, I would love to have it. I've been a little too shy of the minimums I guess. Good luck with it and let us know how it goes.

Where do you instruct at in DFW? I'm out of GPM, but things are very, very slow.
 
AA777223 said:
Do you know around how much time he got while he was there and if they actually typed him? I think i might have heard about him...was he on the demo side or the production test side? As yall were saying earlier yeah it does suck what you have to do these days. Im actually out of college..graduated in 2008 and picked up the internship still. I wanted it for the type, to network, and to hope for a full time job at the end. But it is a blow taking that type of a pay cut even from my current instructing job. Its hard to know what to do since im getting about 80 hrs piston twin a month and next on the depth chart (i think) to start instructing in our A90 and C90.
Click to expand...

I don't know exactly how much time he logged, but they did type him. I'm thinking he was on the production side, but I can't remember. It seemed like he was flying most days all over the country. It does seem that it opens a lot of doors though.
 
Mr AA777223. Be assured, if you do not want the position, I am positive that a replacement could be arranged. I understand your situation, however, this internship IS a great opportunity, with chances to get some training at flight safety, meet customers and industry leaders, and fly some slick planes.
I do have a couple friends in the company, and I can sure let them know that you are less than satisfied with the opportunity.

I don't care how cool you think your sunglasses are, you still have to bite the bullet to move up in this industry.
 
AA777223 said:
Well i was recently hired for the HBC demo pilot internship starting in late june. I was just wondering if anyone here had any experience with this internship or knew anyone that did. Im looking for any info i can get. Its paid...but not much, it would be a huge paycut from my instructing job..but with the possibility of a few hundred hrs turbine time and possibly a type in a Hawker 900XP from what I am told. Just trying to see what I am getting myself into for 6 months and then what happens after that. Seems like a great company to work for though and would be totally worth the risk if a full time spot came out of it...
Thanks!
Click to expand...

If there is a Guaranteed position, then there really isn't any risk. :dunno:

You have to weigh the consequences and seeing that you have already accepted the position, I would hope you have done that.
 
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