Do people aspire to be corporate pilots?

[JohnnyHotRocks]

Does anyone actually dream of becoming a corporate pilot, or is it something people tend to do when they dont make it into an airline?
Discuss...

[DanWEC]

Yes to A. No idea about B.

[whistlerboy02]

Geeze Hotrocks you have a gift with words...... yes I am a corporate pilot and no I didn't flunk out of airline school to get here.
Id say compared to my airline buddies the flying is alot more interesting, the pay is initially better (after 10 yrs they will make more) and I fly alot less per month. I work with a great bunch of guys and enjoy my time on the road.

[Roar]

I fly corporate because I really enjoy it, it's a great lifestyle. The Airlines are not the end all be all of aviation.

[Gilles Hudicourt]

I wanted to be any kind of pilot fate and chance would allow, and I enjoyed every flying job I ever had.

[wallypilot]

I was always aiming for corporate. The airlines were a fallback in case I never made it into a good corporate gig. airline flying was never my first choice.

[V2plus10]

I never aspired for either, only to have a flying job that supported an enjoyable life. The decision to go corporate was made very quickly upon researching current pay scales (Fairly recently). I'm now making 15-20k more than my friends who chose Encore/Jazz and I have more days off than a few of them combined.

[Shark]

That is a rich thread to start Johnny considering the recent accidents which have made all of us pilots look like a bunch of retards this last month.

Aside from how you have asked the question (us corporate pilots couldn't make it to the airlines) I would agree that the majority of new and aspiring pilots aim and stride for the airlines since it's something they have seen first hand. Not a lot of people fall into the one percent category and get to travel on a private jet. I'll be honest and like the majority of the pilots out there my initial goal was to become an airline pilot. But once in the industry my goal changed to what ever would provide my family with the best quality of life and future. For myself this lead me into the corporate world.

You also have to consider how the airline pilot route has changed in this country. If your young, single or not the bread winner then the airlines are a viable and eventually lucrative route to take. Since I didn't fall into those categories I have washed out into the latter group of a corporate pilot who didn't make the airlines.

I can't speak for every corporate pilot but I for one enjoy my job and look forward to going to work. It's a challenging job and I enjoy the various places I get to see from the 4000' strip Airports to the busiest airports in North America. There is many perks that I get to enjoy that an airline pilot does not as well there is perks that I don't get versus the airline route.

The main point of my response to the author of this subject is that every pilot will have their own individual needs and requirements which will lead them to their own career path.

[Gilles Hudicourt]

I remember one person posting that only those that didn't make the cut for fighters became transport, helicopter or maritime pilots in the Forces. Some had protested, as some do here, that many had never aspired for the fast jets and had actually asked for whatever airraft they were on, as first choice....

But I guess there was some truth to the initial statement about the Forces because I doubt anyone who didn't make the cut for the transports and was ever relegated to the fighters. ...

As for me, I made no set choice early in my civilian carreer. I spent my life applying everywhere that employed pilots and walked into whatever door was opened to me. Sometimes I had to make a choice when two doors were opened at the same time.....

To state that I had set my sights on any particular job or aircraft when I had 250 hours would be a lie.

[JohnnyHotRocks]

Come on guys...it wouldn't be a proper Avcanada thread if the question wasn't at least a little bit offensive to someone!

[Turbolag]

Does anyone actually dream of becoming a corporate pilot, or is it something people tend to do when they dont make it into an airline?
Discuss...

I have to admit. I'm a complete retard. I couldn't hack the airline world. Getting sh!t food served between Walmart passenger episodes was too difficult for me. Being paid 38k$ a year to start just seemed too much money so I ran away. I guess in retrospect I could have sold my family to make up the difference. Union labour rules also took too much effort for me to understand. At least in the corporate world I understand that everyone is trying to screw me. The job itself is also way harder. I now have to occasionally get involved with planning my own flight or holding full conversation with my passengers. The other issue is flying somewhere I've never been without a route check. OMG!!!

I imagine most airliners out there will have issues with my above statement. Rightly so. Therefore maybe the original poster could drop his/her superior attitude and try again. You might as well insult a fire bomber pilot for not sitting at FL(wtf) for 8 hours and do down and dirty work instead. Come on. Get some perspective. Not everyone wants to be Jewish or Christian or whatever. Thank god for some diversity and pass the atheists.

[C208]

I turned down Cathay, AC, Jazz, and Porter to stick it out with Corporate. I just couldn't see myself leaving this company to be at the bottom rung of a long ladder. The interview process were fun and I liked the challenge but in the end I turned them down. I would have to work for 10-15 years at each company to match what my first year pay was at my Company, (And thats for the RIGHT seat) . I work with great people and I am home every night, were encouraged to take courses necessary to further our education in Aviation and outside of it as well, often at their expense.

I do look at the 777s taxi by and wonder if that could be me one day!

[Jasper]

Does anyone actually dream of becoming a corporate pilot, or is it something people tend to do when they dont make it into an airline?
Discuss...

Corporate pilots say yes, airline pilots say no. It's the age old I am better than you argument people have been playing since childhood. There is more to life than providing input to an AFCS, like birthdays, holidays, anniversaries and while most pilots can find to a way to attend some, no pilots can attend all.

I liked the control of my schedule and being part of a corporate team and enjoying variety rather than sitting in a cockpit for a scheduled 75 hours per month flying the same old routes day in, day out. What I want in life has no affect on what you want out of life, other than I chose to free up an airline seat for you. You are welcome!

[cdnpilot77]

Does anyone actually dream of becoming a corporate pilot, or is it something people tend to do when they dont make it into an airline?
Discuss...

Corporate pilots say yes, airline pilots say no. It's the age old I am better than you argument people have been playing since childhood. There is more to life than providing input to an AFCS, like birthdays, holidays, anniversaries and while most pilots can find to a way to attend some, no pilots can attend all.

I liked the control of my schedule and being part of a corporate team and enjoying variety rather than sitting in a cockpit for a scheduled 75 hours per month flying the same old routes day in, day out. What I want in life has no affect on what you want out of life, other than I chose to free up an airline seat for you. You are welcome!

I agree with this 100%...yes I did dream of it since about 4yrs old.

[Old fella]

Seems to me to be an ego thing "airline vs corporate" comparison, you are where you are because that is your 'lot in life". Might have been/could have been is abstract as it didn't happen....

Chill down with a glass of white fer Christ sake.

[SuperchargedRS]

I never wanted to go the airline route.

Currently as a ATP down south with the rule changes I could very easily get on with a airline, but that's just not me.

I'm flying on demand single pilot IFR in a pilatus, great pay, only work half the year, home every night 99% of the time and I'm left alone to do my thing! If I did need support or have a question I know the company has my back, our equipment is in great shape and we have 24hr access to mechanics if needed. Also knowing that the work I do makes a difference, cheesy as it sounds, it makes me feel good.

Frankly if I could have the same job, same pay, same schedule and same working condition but fly a DHC2 VFR I'd jump at it, no such animal though.

[Sulako]

Corporate sucks. It's awful and I'd encourage OP to never apply.

[JohnnyHotRocks]

Edited.

[bcflyer]

I turned down Cathay, AC, Jazz, and Porter to stick it out with Corporate. I just couldn't see myself leaving this company to be at the bottom rung of a long ladder. The interview process were fun and I liked the challenge but in the end I turned them down. I would have to work for 10-15 years at each company to match what my first year pay was at my Company, (And thats for the RIGHT seat) . I work with great people and I am home every night, were encouraged to take courses necessary to further our education in Aviation and outside of it as well, often at their expense.

I do look at the 777s taxi by and wonder if that could be me one day!

I very curious as to what company pays $150,000+ to start in the right seat....

[Turbolag]

I turned down Cathay, AC, Jazz, and Porter to stick it out with Corporate. I just couldn't see myself leaving this company to be at the bottom rung of a long ladder. The interview process were fun and I liked the challenge but in the end I turned them down. I would have to work for 10-15 years at each company to match what my first year pay was at my Company, (And thats for the RIGHT seat) . I work with great people and I am home every night, were encouraged to take courses necessary to further our education in Aviation and outside of it as well, often at their expense.

I do look at the 777s taxi by and wonder if that could be me one day!

I very curious as to what company pays $150,000+ to start in the right seat....

That's qhat airline pilots don't understand. The world doesn't always start in the right seat!!!!!!