Had an interesting chat with a Captain friend who who is thinking about making the transition from jet airline flying into working for a corporate flight department (a corporation that owns a plane or a fleet of them, not a corporate jet charter company). His idea is finding something in a small to mid-sized town (not a Toronto, not a Calgary), and eventually managing a corporate flight department (he has an MBA).
I have heard that corporate operations usually don't like hiring airline types, but I am wondering what the thoughts are on how realistic my friend's goals are and how to go about it? Is it likely that he would be hired directly into a left seat of a corporate jet?
Transition from Airline to Corporate
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- Panama Jack
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Re: Transition from Airline to Corporate
I was told by an old dog that it works out to about 1-100 make the transition successfully. Being in the corporate niche myself...I believe it. The logistics behind getting a corporate flight into the air is not what a seasoned airline pilot is used to. In the airlines there is a department for everything. In corporate...you're pretty much (almost) every department.Panama Jack wrote: I have heard that corporate operations usually don't like hiring airline types, but I am wondering what the thoughts are on how realistic my friend's goals are and how to go about it? Is it likely that he would be hired directly into a left seat of a corporate jet?
Plus.....there is no door to lock behind you in the flight deck of a corporate jet. You have to actually interact with the clients AND........carry their bags which usually it's not their luggage that are weighed down, more like a seasoned airline pilots' ego when asked to be subservient.
It's not for everyone. But usually a reputable internal recommend will help.
Good luck to your friend.
Re: Transition from Airline to Corporate
Your Captain friend may be interested in reading this:
http://www.canaero.ca/subpages/Article% ... page1.html
http://www.canaero.ca/subpages/Article% ... page1.html
- ThatArmyGuy
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Re: Transition from Airline to Corporate
Excellent read for me before I get my feet wet. I'm recommending this to my newbie-friends.