Originally Posted by
what next
Hello!
This is not my experience. In my previous life I was an aerospace engineer (as in the german "Ingenieur" not the english "mechanic") both in the scientific and industrial environment, and the nagging was maybe 10% of what it is in aviation. Many former colleagues are still happily working in the same position they were in when I left them to fulfill my heavenly dream (at 1/2 of my previous income...) and most of them will stay in their same job until they retire.
The best way into corporate is to find a wealthy individual or company with some modest traveling requirements (not too much, otherwise you will never be home) and talk them into buying a business jet with you as their captain and your best buddy as co-captain or co-pilot. It has been done that way many times and usually works quite well (until the new aircraft owner finds out that he can fly at 1/3 of the cost by using NetJets or similar outfits - therefore you need to find someone so dirt-rich that money doesn't matter at all). The second best alternative is to have a buddy who did that for you already and invites you to be his co-captain
I have to disagree on your perception, @what next, of the way into corporate, that you describe. I've not in a decade of business aviation come across a single pilot that made his way in to corporate as you describe it - and I work for one of the largest operators in the world. Most pilots making it into business aviation have either build their career from within this part of the industry or made the switch from airlines into the industry by being humble or accepting a relocation that would see them move onto a "larger" business jet straight away - or they have simply already been (with an airline) in a part of the world (such as Asia/China regina or Middle East) where there was a demand and their overall experience (culturally and professionally) was working in their favor.