First jet jobs

unknowingly upsidedown · Fri Sep 14, 2007 4:02 pm

Just a question for you guys that have moved up into jet aircraft. I was just wondering how you got your first job flying a jet. What is the typical career progression to get into say a gulfstream, or Citation or something like that?

sissyphus · Post by **sissyphus** » Fri Sep 14, 2007 4:37 pm

The trick is to open your throat and cup the balls

The Other Kind · Post by **The Other Kind** » Fri Sep 14, 2007 5:31 pm

The trick is to open your throat and cup the balls

Sorry you had to do it that way sissyphus.

Most people I know did it though hard work and a few good contacts, but whatever floats your boat I guess.

xsbank · Post by **xsbank** » Fri Sep 14, 2007 6:11 pm

One good way is to get a job as an instructor-pilot with FlightSafety and get a jet endorsement that way.

JohnnyHotRocks · Post by **JohnnyHotRocks** » Fri Sep 14, 2007 6:31 pm

First jet job was on a Lear35 for a management company...transitioned from b1900's....got the Lear job with the help of someone I flew with at a different company (don't burn your bridges!

)

The benefit of the management company is the variety of airplanes that you can later fly....challengers, gulfstreams, etc....
pm me if you want more specific info.

John

Four1oh · Post by **Four1oh** » Fri Sep 14, 2007 10:20 pm

I went the hard-core-heavy-turboprop-in-the-north routine. Worked for me.

unknowingly upsidedown · Sat Sep 15, 2007 10:07 am

i guess my question could be phrased better. It seems that almost every job posting for a jet aircraft that I have seen says must be current on type. How do you get current on type if you have to be current to get a job on type?

this may be a dumb question (yes they do exist) but i'm not even a 200hr wonder yet...still a zero hour wonder

LinksInAChain · Post by **LinksInAChain** » Sat Sep 15, 2007 10:35 am

Was instructing Multi-IFR and also doing some single-pilot MIFR work and cross-border ferrying...

A former boss recommended me to a company - and I got REAL lucky!

Can't complain! I had made my own way in the industry until then, with no one carrying me or lending me contacts - so sometimes good luck happens after a few years of ass-kicking and hard work!

... And I don't regret a THING about skipping turboprops

Ciao,
Links

Schlem · Post by **Schlem** » Sat Sep 15, 2007 10:56 am

Hopped into a Learjet 35A with just under 1000 hours and realize how rare the opportunity was but still have thousands of hours on turbo-props.

KAG · Post by **KAG** » Sat Sep 15, 2007 10:57 am

There are as many ways to get a Jet job as there are jobs. With the right attitude, you could walk into one with little experience, or later on down the road when you have thousands of hours. Really depends on you, and of course what the industry is doing at the time.

Noob · Post by **Noob** » Sat Sep 15, 2007 2:31 pm

You could "get lucky" and go to a jet with little experience, but you are still better off getting some time before hand or you'll be in that right seat until you're an old man. Maybe times have changed since I was looking but I'm guessing employers are looking for 4000+ TT and 2000 PIC with lots of multi-turbine for a skipper job even on a small Citation, more for more complex stuff. At some companies the above is required for a co-pilot position.
A Gulfstream is a rare commodity in Canada and a completely different class than a Citation. A Challenger or a Falcon is more common. Inter-continental capability, the fact they are fairly complex and very expensive push the requirements higher still. A large portion of the guys flying them have grey hair and have progressed from smaller jets.
Its a good time now to be looking. As was mentioned in another thread a lot of guys with the time are looking at the airlines not corporate jets and its becoming increasingly difficult to find pilots. No one can see the future but if you get going on your training and complete it fairly quickly you will be in before there is another down turn. When you are ready I would suggest applying at a company that has pistons, turbo-props and jets (such as Sunwest in Calgary). There is progression between types and you won't have to leave to get the big biz jet job.

unknowingly upsidedown · Sat Sep 15, 2007 4:15 pm

if you get going on your training and complete it fairly quickly you will be in before there is another down turn.

this is my plan!! hope to start next may. after a crap day at college i'll often go to the viewing area down at YYC and watch the jets and read a book or something. everytime i see a falcon or citation or something like that i just think to myself...yup thats what i want.

JohnnyHotRocks · Post by **JohnnyHotRocks** » Sat Sep 15, 2007 7:35 pm

I"m sure you'll hear lots of arguments about the topic, but I think corporate is the way to go....forget this airline stuff and actually working for a living

Blakey · Post by **Blakey** » Sun Sep 16, 2007 4:05 am

I passed Initial training in Portage and was issued a nice shiny Tutor on arrival in Moose Jaw. Solo in 8 hours! The opportunity still exists for you to explore but now you can get into a Hawk; they're newer and shinier than the Tutor. I recommend it.

Tibor · Post by **Tibor** » Sun Sep 16, 2007 8:59 am

niko · Post by **niko** » Sun Sep 16, 2007 9:34 am

I have seen a few women getting there by spreading their legs. Needless to say, not all did it that way.

red-neck · Post by **red-neck** » Sun Sep 16, 2007 9:43 am

Its all timing, I went from the harvard to king air and now the CC177 it took almost 4 years and almost 200hrs.