What Next

[WhatNext]

Hello,

I'm hoping I can get some input from some Biz Jet/Air Taxi pilots about my next career move.

I've spent the last few years instructing, and working my way up the instructing ladder to my current job, where I teach for the MEP, CPL and IR courses. I absolutely love instructing. I love the hands-on aspect of it (no autopilot in the aircraft I fly), I love the interaction I have with my students, and I love the feeling I get when my students have a "Eureka" moment. I've endured living on an absolute pittance in exchange for doing a job I love, but now I even earn a salary I can live on since I teach for the more advanced courses.

The problem is, I'm only in my early 30s, and I can see myself get stuck in a bit of a rut in the near future. I already teach every course my current employer runs. The only way forward with my current employer is to consider examining. But since my employer already has a number of examiners, that's unlikely to happen for quite some time - and I feel I'd loose a lot of the benefits of my job if I went too far down the examiner route. So I'm thinking of other ways of progressing my career over the next 2-5 years.

One option I've been considering is moving into air taxi or biz jets. The plan would be to find an employer who would pay for my type rating on something small, and then to continue with a type of flying where I still get a bit of hands-on flying, and where I still get to interact with someone other than the captain on a day-to-day basis (although the interaction you guys have with pax is, I'm sure, very different to the interaction I have with students).

Then, over the next few years, I would hope to move on to the left hand seat, and eventually put my instructing experience to use by becoming a TRI.

I have a few specific questions and concerns:

- Of course there is no such thing as a "dream job", and the grass is always greener, etc, but does your job fit my expectation of hands-on flying and interacting with interesting people?

- With my experience (about 2000 hours, about 400 of these are multi-engine, but no turbine), am I the kind of person biz jet operators might be interested in?

- What is a "typical" (if there is such a thing) route to becoming a TRI on biz jets?

- What kind of money can I expect? I currently earn around £30k (mostly salary, plus a small but significant bonus) - would I have to take a cut to get into biz jets?

- Are schedules and hours typically flexible enough to enable me to keep my hand in with the instructing, part time?

Thanks for any thoughts!

-WN-

[Flintstone]

The thing about the bizjet world is that there are no standard answers to your questions. There are probably as many versions as there are operators.

The one thing that is true though is that most jobs are advertised by word of mouth. Not so much what you know but who you know. This can be a two edged sword. On the one hand it can be a bugger to make the contacts. On the other once you know a few people, and if you are liked, a company is more likely to take you on and see you up through the ranks.

Not sure which part of the country you are in but you might want to start 'just dropping in' and see who you can talk to.

Oh, and based upon your post I'd say it's just the sort offlying you might like.

[Crosswind Limits]

Hi WhatNext

Answering your points, not quite in order:

I would say with your level of experience you stand a good chance BUT as Flintstone says you'll need to make contacts and get to know people. If you can do that bit then I am fairly certain you will get something.

As to hands-on flying, probably more so with the light twins, Kingairs. With the company I work for flying light jets, the A/P is engaged as early as possible on the departure and never disengaged before being locked on to the approach (unless it's doing something stupid!:ooh:)

Lots of interaction with pax, customer oriented attitude will take you a long way.

Don't know much about how to become a TRI as I'm only an FO!

Suspect you'll have to take a slight pay cut to start with anyway.

The key in GA/biz jets is flexibility. One week it will be quiet and you wonder when the phone is next going to ring and then before you know it you can be away on a trip as long as 7 days but generally speaking it's no more than 4-5.
Therefore if you organise yourself, I think you can make time to instruct part-time BUT make sure you can be contacted by your operations if they suddenly need you at short notice!

Good luck.

[WhatNext]

Thanks for the info.

The "word of mouth" thing seems to be fairly important, to say the least. I think my task for this weekend is to make a list of local outfits and start to get myself known. There's no rush - I'm quite happy where I am for now - but having some contacts is obviously going to become important in the future!

- WN -