Entry level Corporate Salary?
04-20-2009, 07:06 AM
#21
New Hire
Joined APC: Aug 2008
Position: Chief Pilot
Posts: 9
One other factor to consider during this time of economic corporate aircraft bashing is working for a private individual vs a business flight department. With more corporate flight departments shutting down every day, a job with a secure private principal or family can be a little more secure than when a bean counter says the plane must go. Occasionally we have to adjust our on the road lifestyle (as everyone is now watching expenses) but there is a little more security when the principal and you have a more personal relationship.
04-21-2009, 07:12 AM
#23
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Jan 2008
Posts: 194
04-21-2009, 08:39 AM
#24
Line Holder
Joined APC: Oct 2008
Posts: 30
There's no question now is not the time to start a career in flying, but could a person looking at going into flying for a career be at an advantage because of the recession? Ex. Odds are, less people are going into flight training now because their trying to save their pennies, if I were to start taking lessons now, in a year or two....the economy might be in a better place. major airline captains would start retiring, attrition would begin to occur, and flight schools and corporate flight departments would be hiring and since there might be a shortage of pilots that went into the flight training because of the recession there might be quite a bit of advancement fairly quickly. But what do I know. I just have shinny jet syndrome. what do you/anyone think?
04-21-2009, 09:02 AM
#25
The NeverEnding Story
Joined APC: Sep 2005
Posts: 7,618
Actually, assuming one has the means, I think now is a GREAT time to start flight training.
One can take advantage of the situation to obtain high-quality instruction from experienced instructors (who may have bailed for a turbine job) and rent airplanes for an aggressive price (perhaps one that is negotiated) in order for flight schools and/or leaseback owners to generate some revenue. Assuming somebody starts from zero today and it takes them two years to achieve their COM-ASMEL and CFI-IA-MEI ratings, they'll be in a GREAT position to 1. take advantage of current instructors leaving in droves when hiring at the regional level begins, and 2. should be in a great position for the mass boomer retirements beginning 2011-2012.
The biggest thing for somebody considering this option to understand is managed expectations - odds are pretty good that the 2-year upgrades to RJ Captain are DONE. Compensation will take a while to achieve a respectable level given the investment made for training and even then it won't be great in historical context, and quality of life might be poor for the first few years as well. Once you've "made it" to RJ captain or even the right seat of a major/legacy carrier, you still may have a crappy QOL for a couple years or more until you really start seeing the benefits of seniority.
But what do I know, 9/11 happened three weeks after I started at Purdue and look at how I turned out...
One can take advantage of the situation to obtain high-quality instruction from experienced instructors (who may have bailed for a turbine job) and rent airplanes for an aggressive price (perhaps one that is negotiated) in order for flight schools and/or leaseback owners to generate some revenue. Assuming somebody starts from zero today and it takes them two years to achieve their COM-ASMEL and CFI-IA-MEI ratings, they'll be in a GREAT position to 1. take advantage of current instructors leaving in droves when hiring at the regional level begins, and 2. should be in a great position for the mass boomer retirements beginning 2011-2012.
The biggest thing for somebody considering this option to understand is managed expectations - odds are pretty good that the 2-year upgrades to RJ Captain are DONE. Compensation will take a while to achieve a respectable level given the investment made for training and even then it won't be great in historical context, and quality of life might be poor for the first few years as well. Once you've "made it" to RJ captain or even the right seat of a major/legacy carrier, you still may have a crappy QOL for a couple years or more until you really start seeing the benefits of seniority.
But what do I know, 9/11 happened three weeks after I started at Purdue and look at how I turned out...
04-21-2009, 01:45 PM
#26
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Aug 2008
Posts: 423
There's no question now is not the time to start a career in flying, but could a person looking at going into flying for a career be at an advantage because of the recession? Ex. Odds are, less people are going into flight training now because their trying to save their pennies, if I were to start taking lessons now, in a year or two....the economy might be in a better place. major airline captains would start retiring, attrition would begin to occur, and flight schools and corporate flight departments would be hiring and since there might be a shortage of pilots that went into the flight training because of the recession there might be quite a bit of advancement fairly quickly. But what do I know. I just have shinny jet syndrome. what do you/anyone think?
If you want to fly airplanes for a living, go for it. Get an education, work hard, and network like crazy until you reach you goals....you know, the same stuff you would do to excel in ANY profession.
Aviation is really no different than any other field, just a few more psychos, know it all's, and fragile egos..
05-12-2009, 01:11 PM
#27
Line Holder
Joined APC: Oct 2008
Position: Left, then right, then left again
Posts: 77
Well said NowCorporate, If you want to fly then fly. There will always be a job to be had, you just have to be willing to accept opportunities when they present themselves. Everyone has to pay their dues in the beginning and if you worry about how much money you will make in the beginning you will just worry yourself to death. Remember pay and quality of life comes with experience (unless your one of the lucky ones that trips and falls into a great job early on). Good Luck
05-13-2009, 07:08 AM
#28
Banned
Joined APC: Jan 2008
Position: A-320
Posts: 784
In corporate world, do corporations look at age as a responsibility factor the way that airlines do? Ex. if you're in your early - mid 20's in the airline industry, more than likely you will have to start out flying prop's. If you're in your early 30's and have some life experience as well as 1000 hrs of so of TT, there's a higher likelyhood you will start out on a turbine. Is that same principle true in the corporate world? By the time i start flying, I'll be in my early thirty's and have nearly 8 years of working in IT under my career belt as well as over 1000 of TT. So "I would think" i stand a good chance of being able to start out on a turbine, or at least a larger prop at a little bit better pay.
05-19-2009, 08:32 AM
#29
New Hire
Joined APC: Mar 2007
Position: Part 91 Corporate
Posts: 8
I got my first corporate job last June at the age of 24 with a medium sized company (125 employees) in southwest Missouri. Aircraft is only a Piper Saratoga but company is growing and will likely upgrade to something like a Meridian or TBM in the next few months. Full time salary of 30k with great benefits. Flying an average of 40 hours a month. They do require some extra office work when there is extended down time, like right now with our airplane in the shop for overhaul.
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