BlackRocket

What is the best corporate jet type rating for someone looking to work on a contract basis; (day to day). Looking for most common airframe so easy to get work, but at same time max pay per day. Have over 12,000 hours international time.

Thanks!

galaxy flyer

With zero time on the type, none of them are good. Especially when looking at $50k plus for the rating.

GF

DHC2floater

50k plus?? What type is that? I always thought B200 training is good to have. You can find places to get good and inexpensive training all over the country. It really depends on what part of the country you live in and what type of flying you want to do. I'd start by going to the local airports and see what planes are parked. Citation types are cheap to come by and you can get $500-$700 a day (at least in florida)

galaxy flyer

At least in my world, the demand is for GLEX/G550 size planes for international work, as the OP stated. In that class, there is pretty constant work for experienced guys. Those ratings are $50K, minimum.

GF

billythekid

Without time in type and a good network of people, a Global/G550 type isn't quite as valuable. To get customers quicker, maybe go out the your local airport, count the number of Citations/Lears/Hawkers and go with the higher number...Payoff would happen 5 times faster probably--plus you'd be building a name for yourself--and then those operaters may be upgrading... Most of the contract guys work a 1/4 of the year to just pay their recurrent costs...not even including startup/initial costs.

UCLAbruins

Obviously the best type-ratings to have would be the heavy jets (G-450/V/550, Globals, 7X, BBJ). Those birds definetly pay the most.. the problem with these heavy aircraft is that it will be very difficult to find contract work or get on with a flight department with 0 time... they're gonna want you to have considerable international experience... You could be asked to fly into a small airport in Nigeria or Russia in the middle of the night, they're not going to send you there with zero time in the airplane. So they look for guys with extensive int'l time and time in the plane

I'd say the Citation X, CL604/605 or Falcon 2000 give you the best chance at landing a corporate job or finding contract work. and even though those airplanes do go overseas, I don't think they're going to demand you have int'l experience.

my 2 cents

BoilerUP

How much of that 12,000hrs is in business jets?

As others have said, without time in type and/or a regular client already lined up you'd likely be wasting tens of thousands of dollars.

UCLAbruins

Several commuter-airline guys did that, they "charged" their way through Flight Safety's doors.. A couple of guys got lucky, I assume most did not

One guy flies a CL604 for a fortune 100 company. it worked out for him very nicely, I ran into him last week in London. He's having a good time

But I don't think I would do that, huge gumble, if it doesn't work out, you'd be paying those credit cards for a looooooong time

Beaver Hunter

Oh, boy. How many times have I heard that before. We need some skill that you don't have on paper. I have done a very large variety of flying throughout the world. Never had a any trouble yet. Going on 23 years now.
Please save the fluff.

Hawker Driver

Contacts are big. "Fly contract" is probably the most utilized website for finding contract pilots. It would probably be a good idea to contact some of those fellows and see how business is going for them; be it a Gulfstream, Global, Lear, Hawker or whatever.

Contract is truely a feast or famine gig. It also sucks when you've already committed to that day trip next week only to have to forgo that 12 day South American tour.