Corporate pilot life

Matthew Black

Matthew Black

Filing Flight Plan
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For those who fly biz jets corporately or any other business, private, ect. When you fly somewhere for a few days, are you able to grab a flight home and then fly back to the plane? Or are you required to stay where the plane is?
 
Matthew Black said:
For those who fly biz jets corporately or any other business, private, ect. When you fly somewhere for a few days, are you able to grab a flight home and then fly back to the plane? Or are you required to stay where the plane is?
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Depends on what the boss wants, but more often than not you are glued to the jet 24/7/365.
 
depends on the customer/client.

When there is certainty regarding the length of stay and it makes sense $$$$, flying home (commercially) can be less expensive than staying.
 
There is no single answer to this. Ask your potential employer and understand the answer you get is entirely likely to be different in practice (either for the better or worse).
 
Mostly we stayed with the airplane. Once in a while we airlines home.

I was airlining home on the morning of 9/11 because the owner was going to be sitting for “at least a week”. We made it halfway, and I’m pretty sure I got the last rental car at MCI. On 9/12 he called to say he wanted to fly home ASAP.
 
Matthew Black said:
For those who fly biz jets corporately or any other business, private, ect. When you fly somewhere for a few days, are you able to grab a flight home and then fly back to the plane? Or are you required to stay where the plane is?
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A said, it depends. If we know the plane is going to be sitting for several days, we'll airline back. If the owner thinks he may need more flexibility, we stay.

On the positive side, if we stay, we pick our own accommodations. The owner gives us a company credit card and says stay where we want, eat where we want. Also, if it's an interesting location, we can take our spouses with us.
 
Most rich people are impatient, so they aren’t going to want to sit around and wait on the pilots to scurry back to the plane via today’s inconsistent airlines. The bad ones call you at 2am saying forget staying in the Bahamas any longer they now want to go roll bones in Vegas.
 
Doc Holliday said:
A said, it depends. If we know the plane is going to be sitting for several days, we'll airline back. If the owner thinks he may need more flexibility, we stay.

On the positive side, if we stay, we pick our own accommodations. The owner gives us a company credit card and says stay where we want, eat where we want. Also, if it's an interesting location, we can take our spouses with us.
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Same.
 
Doc Holliday said:
On the positive side, if we stay, we pick our own accommodations. The owner gives us a company credit card and says stay where we want, eat where we want. Also, if it's an interesting location, we can take our spouses with us.
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This pretty closely describes the owner I fly for.
 
If I'm not prying, how do you transport your spouses? Would they ride in the corporate aircraft with you? Airline and meet you there?
Those three examples sounds like considerate employers, which I suspect is probably rare?
 
G-Man said:
If I'm not prying, how do you transport your spouses? Would they ride in the corporate aircraft with you? Airline and meet you there?
Those three examples sounds like considerate employers, which I suspect is probably rare?
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When my wife goes along, it's pretty much decided by if it's a schedule she wants to mesh with and if there's a seat for her in the plane.
 
Been many years since corporate days, but….
Had the boss tell me he didn’t need me that day, and don’t worry about flying.
Around midnight got a call to take him to Atlanta because his daughter was just wheeled into surgery after an accident. I was able to do it, but let’s say I just threw back a wad of beers??
He said don’t worry about flying, but how many times can you get away with it??

I have several friends that still flying corporate. I ask about their schedule. Often they say “we know at least a week ahead”.
Then I ask “well can they call you at a moments notice?”
Usual response—> yes, but they generally do not.
To me, that is not a schedule. If you can’t go for beers without wondering “what if”…. Not for me.
Very happy to be out of the “we don’t need you until we need you” lifestyle.
 
Kritchlow said:
Been many years since corporate days, but….
Had the boss tell me he didn’t need me that day, and don’t worry about flying.
Around midnight got a call to take him to Atlanta because his daughter was just wheeled into surgery after an accident. I was able to do it, but let’s say I just threw back a wad of beers??
He said don’t worry about flying, but how many times can you get away with it??

I have several friends that still flying corporate. I ask about their schedule. Often they say “we know at least a week ahead”.
Then I ask “well can they call you at a moments notice?”
Usual response—> yes, but they generally do not.
To me, that is not a schedule. If you can’t go for beers without wondering “what if”…. Not for me.
Very happy to be out of the “we don’t need you until we need you” lifestyle.
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We know our schedules in advance. We've never had a pop up "get to the plane, let's go now".
 
I didn't work corporate much. It really sucked when I was entering the flying profession. Things have changed, DRAMATICALLY! Still pretty inconstant I think. So completely depends on the company and who is running the flight department. I have several friends who fly corporate for very good corporate flight departments. Those are good flying jobs with pretty predictable schedules. Good pay and benefits etc. If I was starting today, I'm not sure I would choose airlines. Probably would, but not sure. Pay and benefits are better, currently, at the airlines. Probably your career is more predictable, but not for sure. With corporate you have the opportunity to move on to other jobs if things don't work out for any reason. Airlines you are completely tied to the company you got on with. Senority controls EVERY aspect of your life. Corporate is probably more enjoyable. More varied opportunities. Less micromanaged. With airlines you live under a microscope.
 
You want to stay with the airplane!
If you go home, you aren’t being paid. Unless we are talking salaried piloting.

Those who stay with the plane, are you getting full daily rate or something less?
 
Let'sgoflying! said:
You want to stay with the airplane!
If you go home, you aren’t being paid. Unless we are talking salaried piloting.

Those who stay with the plane, are you getting full daily rate or something less?
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I’m salaried, so makes no difference.
 
Yeah, corporate flying runs a wide gamut. I jumped to 121 because I got impatient for the great 91 gig, but had I found one I would have stuck around. The lack of a firm schedule is what eventually pushed me out, but otherwise I really loved the flying. Some of it is simply timing - the industry is very different today than it was in 2010 when I left for the airlines.

We generally stayed with the plane, btw.
 
135 is alot of fun. We work a fixed schedule on call 8 days / off 4 days. Off means off.

Usually we fly 2-3 legs a day and have a nice amount of free time to explore. Airports vary from class bravo to podunk USA. Clients are friendly and often tip $100-200. We are provided a schedule on when and where to fly, then we handle the rest. Plane prep, flight planning, fuel loading, weather briefs, bag loading, etc.

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We stay with the plane, unless its like 5 days or more that it will sit. But, we can get called at any time.
 
texasclouds said:
135 is alot of fun. We work a fixed schedule on call 8 days / off 4 days. Off means off.

Usually we fly 2-3 legs a day and have a nice amount of free time to explore. Airports vary from class bravo to podunk USA. Clients are friendly and often tip $100-200. We are provided a schedule on when and where to fly, then we handle the rest. Plane prep, flight planning, fuel loading, weather briefs, bag loading, etc.

View attachment 117321
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Hope the give you guaranteed rest during your 8 days on. No manning the phone 24 hours a day.
 
Kritchlow said:
Hope the give you guaranteed rest during your 8 days on. No manning the phone 24 hours a day.
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Max 14 hour duty day, min rest 10 hrs. Can call once during rest but don’t have to answer. FAR rules. Also, max 10 hrs in the air per day as crew.

We usually duty on 8-10am, and off 5-9pm. Some days earlier/later.
 
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