Expert: D. Norkus - 1/22/2004

Question
Dottie,
Hello, my name is Shawn Bailey.  I would like to ask your advice on a career in aviation.  I'm 25 years old, live in Indiana, and have a BS in Business from Indiana University.  I'm the type who has always thought about being a pilot, but just hasn't done it yet.  I'm interested in seriously (full time training)getting started in aviation.  

I have been trying to do my homework and researching as much as possible, although I am still in the early stages.  I'm really glad I came across this site and found you, as I find "real pilot" advice invaluable and hard to come by when my aviation realtionships are limited.  Ideally I would like to start training by fall (time to get out of the Indiana cold).  So I have a few questions for you.

Goals:
I realize that the "big" money is probably captain of the 747/777 etc.  My problem is the time line to get there and the schedule of airline pilots.  I don't really want to be away from home 4-5 days at a time when I have a family etc.  So I am looking for a position that would allow me to fly and be home more regularly.  I was thinking corporate, or some kind of charter, or even regional that could have me end the day at home (if they exist).   Eventually, I would probably entertain the idea of owning my own charter business.

What options do I have that would allow me to fly jets or props and still be home at night (at least most of the time)?


Training:
I have been looking at Gulfstream Academy(.com) out of Ft. lauderdale for traing.  They have a program that gives you "airline" training and puts you straight in the plane flying the line as a FO on a Beech 1900D.  I guess I call it an accelerated program and gaurantees you 250 turbo prop hours as a paid (though poorly)officer for the affiliated Gulfstream airlines.  It just seems to skip the flight instructing days most pilots use to build hours.  They also have a direct hire program with Continental into their CRJ's.  Or you could stay as a permanent hire with Gulfstream with rapid advancement to Captain.  I've heard PIC time is most valuable so I was thinking that staying a short while would be worth it.
Gulfstream no longer offers training for private, instrument, multi, commercial rating so I would look into getting those prior at another local school, hopefully at that airport.  I figure total it would cost $45,000 - $50,000 in training.

What are your thoughts on that regimine?  Do you have any schools you would recommend, preferably with an accelerated program?

Any advice is greatly appreciated.  Thanks for your time.

Sincerely,
Shawn Bailey

Answer
Shawn

It sounds as if you have been doing your homework. At least you have some knowledge already.

Goals:
"My problem is the time line to get there and the schedule of airline pilots. I don't really want to be away from home 4-5 days at a time when I have a family etc."

You will have to put up with it for at least a little while. As a junior pilot, you will get the worst schedules (or be on reserve all the time). Depending on where you are based and if you chose to live in base, you time away may not be 5 days a week, but only 1 or 2. It really depends on the airline and what your seniority can hold in what domicile. I am on reserve 5 days a week. If I get trips, then they could be turnarounds or overnights. If I get a turn, or if I don't get used but sit all day on reserve, I go home at night. I spend 8-12 hours at home each night depending on the commute. (I fly 35 minutes each way to commute to work.) You won't have much of a life for a while, so know that going into this.

"So I am looking for a position that would allow me to fly and be home more regularly. I was thinking corporate, or some kind of charter, or even regional that could have me end the day at home (if they exist)."

Corporate jobs are even more competative than regional airline positions. Their flight time requirements are on par with the major airlines. Many furloughed major carrier pilots have jumped ship to go to outfits like Flight Options, ExecJet & NetJets as their recalls make take years. You would certainly have to find a very special opportunity to get a good corporate gig with less than 2,000 hours and much multi & turbine experience. Some charter gigs would fit your criteria, however having never flown any Part 135 operations, I can't say too much about them. I can say that unless they are flying some nicer turbine multi-engine aircraft that requires a co-pilot (lower experience position), you will need substantial flight experience to get hired. By regulation, Part 135 operations with only a single crew member, requires that pilot to have at least 1,500 flight hours to fly night or IFR. That is basically at or above what most regional airlines require. In the wake of 9/11, "competative" flight times have gone higher and higher. There are just too many overqualified pilots looking for work.

Training:

Gulfstream Academy? Three words: "Pay For Training" (aka "PFT") This is a hotly debated topic in the industry and those that do it are frowned upon by many. Their reputation is not the best among all the academy style programs. Some in this business consider it buying a job. Beware! Do some research about PFT and those "fast track" programs often advertised as the quickest route to the cockpit. Go to the message boards at www.flightinfo.com, www.studentpilot.com & www.jetcareers.com for numerous posts on Gulfstream, academy programs & PFT. Right now there are few opportunities for "rapid advancement to Captain". The majors are not hiring (save Southwest), thousands are on furlough and there is no movement in the industry with growth being very slow. Hence, there is no place for regional pilots to move up to. Rapid advancement? Unless they are growing by leaps & bounds I find that statement all relative. Even those that are Captains at regionals now with well over 1,000 hours PIC time cannot get hired elsewhere since there is very little hiring! Again, beware of their claims. They are a business and need lots of income from students such as yourself, so they might say anything to get you to sign on. CoEx is also turning away people with out 1500TT & 300ME, so I'd be curious to know just how many graduates they actually take from Gulfstream. Personally, I can't recommend any 'academy' style program as I did not attend one nor did anyone I know. Check the message boards above and you will find lots of opinions though. You can also search the forums on FlightInfo.com different kinds of flying and careers as they are folders for airline, freight & charter. This should help you out with your specific questions of those kinds of pilot lifestyles.

Please check out my site Training & Careers site as it anwsers your question beyond what I can cover here.

www.geocities.com/av8trxx99/FAQ.html

The links at the bottom are a necessary reading to get the "big picture" too! I suggest many hours of reading through those message forums. Use their search functions for specifics such as "PFT" or "academy" to get all relevant posts. www.aviationinterviews.com is also a great site to see what present interviewees had on their resumes when they got hired and details their interview experiences. Most all regional, major & some corporate & freight operators are listed.

Good Luck

Dottie