jrh
Well-Known Member
I have a job opportunity. I'm leaning towards taking it, yet am really torn. I'm at a point in my career where it could either be one of the best decisions I make, or derail me for a few years. Here's the deal:
My former employer, an aircraft broker/flight school owner, has offered me a position working as a full time ferry pilot / instructor / demo pilot / general assistant to the aircraft sales side of the business.
Basically, my role would be to deepen the business's relationships with clients face-to-face. There are a lot of clients who buy a nice, modern aircraft, then don't have an easy way to get trained how to fly it. If you buy a Cessna Corvalis, it's kind of dumb to try to get some local 400 hour CFI with no time in the plane, no G1000 experience, etc., to give your transition training.
The broker's idea is to have me deliver aircraft and spend a few days with the new owner training them. This would take the brokerage a step beyond the usual services of paperwork, advertising, and such, over the phone and internet, to an actual face to face service. Not only would it be better for the customer, it would also build long term loyalty with the customer for when they want to buy or sell aircraft in the future. With most sales commissions ranging from $5-10k, repeat business can really add up.
Outside of flying, I'd also help with things like photographing aircraft/logbooks for listing aircraft, talking to potential buyers and sellers of some of the more oddball aircraft the broker doesn't normally specialize in, etc.
There are many things I'm attracted to in this position. It's a huge variety of flying. I'd be going all over the country in all sorts of aircraft on a regular basis. I'd become CSIP certified (Cirrus instructor) and be the only CSIP for quite a distance. I'd get to fly all sorts of cool airplanes and be an expert on all the latest and greatest avionics. Down the road, there's potential for putting something like an SR-22 on an already established charter certificate and have me fly it. The broker might also start dealing with 300/400-series twin Cessnas, as he's never had the staff to handle those until I came around with my 402 time.
I'd get to live in a city I spent four years in and really enjoy. I'd get to settle in to a place and not be at the whim of the seniority list, needing to move to a new base every six months. I'd get to set my own schedule, within reason. I'd personally get a bit more satisfaction out of my day to day work, as I feel like training pilots to fly safely is more rewarding than shuttling people in and out of a hub city all day.
The downsides are that I'd stop building multi/IFR/airline time. I'd probably lose multi-engine currency. There'd be little chance for turbine time. I'd no longer have my cushy four day work week with CASS jumpseat travel benefits, which I've grown to love. I'd actually have to work...ferrying and training is a lot harder work than showing up at an airline and flying a line. Although I'd be networking with aircraft owners, this job is kind of "stand alone" in that it doesn't directly lead anywhere--not to the airlines, not to corporate aviation. I have no idea if or how I'd ever get back in to airline flying after doing this. There are no guarantees with this job...it's very dependent on my own skills, rather than sitting on a seniority list.
Pay is livable. ~30k to start, with realistic potential to be making ~50-60k within a couple years, at which point I'd top out. Definitely lower than an airline career, but we're really talking about an entirely different lifestyle along with it, so kind of comparing apples to oranges.
I have a decent job at a really solid commuter airline. I'm not miserable. Working my way up the seniority list, getting good experience, slowly getting better pay and QOL. Everyone keeps saying the floodgates will open soon. Maybe if I stick with it, I'll be in a 737 with a great life ten years from now....although I'm skeptical. I feel crazy for wanting to leave, but I feel crazier for wanting to stay.
Any advice on how to decide?
My former employer, an aircraft broker/flight school owner, has offered me a position working as a full time ferry pilot / instructor / demo pilot / general assistant to the aircraft sales side of the business.
Basically, my role would be to deepen the business's relationships with clients face-to-face. There are a lot of clients who buy a nice, modern aircraft, then don't have an easy way to get trained how to fly it. If you buy a Cessna Corvalis, it's kind of dumb to try to get some local 400 hour CFI with no time in the plane, no G1000 experience, etc., to give your transition training.
The broker's idea is to have me deliver aircraft and spend a few days with the new owner training them. This would take the brokerage a step beyond the usual services of paperwork, advertising, and such, over the phone and internet, to an actual face to face service. Not only would it be better for the customer, it would also build long term loyalty with the customer for when they want to buy or sell aircraft in the future. With most sales commissions ranging from $5-10k, repeat business can really add up.
Outside of flying, I'd also help with things like photographing aircraft/logbooks for listing aircraft, talking to potential buyers and sellers of some of the more oddball aircraft the broker doesn't normally specialize in, etc.
There are many things I'm attracted to in this position. It's a huge variety of flying. I'd be going all over the country in all sorts of aircraft on a regular basis. I'd become CSIP certified (Cirrus instructor) and be the only CSIP for quite a distance. I'd get to fly all sorts of cool airplanes and be an expert on all the latest and greatest avionics. Down the road, there's potential for putting something like an SR-22 on an already established charter certificate and have me fly it. The broker might also start dealing with 300/400-series twin Cessnas, as he's never had the staff to handle those until I came around with my 402 time.
I'd get to live in a city I spent four years in and really enjoy. I'd get to settle in to a place and not be at the whim of the seniority list, needing to move to a new base every six months. I'd get to set my own schedule, within reason. I'd personally get a bit more satisfaction out of my day to day work, as I feel like training pilots to fly safely is more rewarding than shuttling people in and out of a hub city all day.
The downsides are that I'd stop building multi/IFR/airline time. I'd probably lose multi-engine currency. There'd be little chance for turbine time. I'd no longer have my cushy four day work week with CASS jumpseat travel benefits, which I've grown to love. I'd actually have to work...ferrying and training is a lot harder work than showing up at an airline and flying a line. Although I'd be networking with aircraft owners, this job is kind of "stand alone" in that it doesn't directly lead anywhere--not to the airlines, not to corporate aviation. I have no idea if or how I'd ever get back in to airline flying after doing this. There are no guarantees with this job...it's very dependent on my own skills, rather than sitting on a seniority list.
Pay is livable. ~30k to start, with realistic potential to be making ~50-60k within a couple years, at which point I'd top out. Definitely lower than an airline career, but we're really talking about an entirely different lifestyle along with it, so kind of comparing apples to oranges.
I have a decent job at a really solid commuter airline. I'm not miserable. Working my way up the seniority list, getting good experience, slowly getting better pay and QOL. Everyone keeps saying the floodgates will open soon. Maybe if I stick with it, I'll be in a 737 with a great life ten years from now....although I'm skeptical. I feel crazy for wanting to leave, but I feel crazier for wanting to stay.
Any advice on how to decide?