what is/was your dream flying job ?

[chief wiggum]

Many moons ago, Qantas was the dream. I never envisioned myself flying regional aircraft like the e120 etc.
The goal was to fly the 747, and earn a squillion dollars a year, be the worldwide playboy etc etc.....
but a LITTLE bit of reality turned me off this, and I now find that a regional lifestyle seems to suit me quite well.... except for the money!!!!

IF I could have a dream job, then I suppose it would STILL be to fly a big shiny jet, and earn some decent coin... but where ?
From what I have seen: QF is not what it seems. JQ are now offering AWA's which are not all they are cracked up to be. DJ pilots seem unhappy with their lot. Alliance are a hard nut to crack, and still not paid all that much. CX... dunno about living in HKG, and Emirates want 1000jet time. Air pacific want you to have a B737 endorsement and 500hrs else Fiji citizenship, and ANZ want you to be a KIWI.

So... what are the conditions like in corporate ? is that a dream worth pursuing ? or should I stay with a regional and forget about all else ?
FWIW, my employer is a fairly big company flying decent turboprops with a good chance of command soon.

[heywatchthis]

My dream was corporate, now my dream is to get out of corporate:E:E

[flyboylipad]

chief wiqgum,

Just go back to basic man! why are we doin this in the first place? Its Because for the love of it! FLYING!!

At the end of the day being a Pilot is also a job and like any other jobs it has its flaws.. I know what is happening in Aviation world now, the industry simply cant please everyone.

Go for your original Dream!!!

[fl610]

The grass is brown on both sides of the fence. :sad:

[Howard Hughes]

And you still gotta mow it!!;)

My dream was always corporate, never made it, probably never will, the reality is, the lifestyle probably wouldn't suit me anyway!

But I am pretty happy to be where I am! I seem to have fallen on my feet, like all posters I could probably do with a little more cash, but then who can't? The work is challenging and the job second to none, wouldn't even dream of doing anything else for the time being.

Probably the important thing to remember is that no matter where you are, or what your dream is, make sure you take time out to 'smell the roses', for the best part life is pretty good!:ok:

High Flight By John Gillespie Magee

Oh! I have slipped the surly bonds of Earth
And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings;
Sunward I've climbed and joined the tumbling mirth of sun-split clouds, – and done a hundred things
You have not dreamed of wheeled and soared and swung
High in the sunlit silence. Hov'ring there,
I've chased the shouting wind along, and flung
My eager craft through footless falls of air...
Up, up the long, delirious, burning blue
I've topped the wind-swept heights with easy grace
Where never lark, nor eer eagle flew –
And, while with silent lifting mind I've trod
The high, untrespassed sanctity of space,
Put out my hand and touched the face of God.

[Capt Claret]

Flying a Mohawk out of BNE.

I only got to work for QPA for two weeks before they went belly up. But SPRA, which grew out of the ashes of QPA was definitely the best aviation company I've worked for. I suspect the culture and feel of QPA would have been very similar.

The saddest thing about SPRA going to the wall, was the knowledge that one would never find that working atmosphere again. :{

[tinpis]

Somewhere nice and warm tax free $quillion$ flying about 80 hours a year

[compressor stall]

When I had a bare restricted licence, I sat next to Dr Phil Law at a dinner. He was responsible for setting up Australia's Antarctic Program back in the 50's.
His incredible stories of flying in Austers, Beavers and DC3s in Antarctica had me captivated and I left dinner saying to myself - "that's where I want to fly".
:ok:

[Defenestrator]

Wiggum, you've found fault with most of the options available to you. Give it away tiger. Sounds to me like you you wouldn't be happy in Disneyland. I'll give you a minute and you'll be able to find fault with corporate as well. Dunno where you go from here but good luck finding it.

D:rolleyes:

[aussie027]

fl610---- The grass is brown on both sides of the fence. :sad:

Howard Hughes----- And you still gotta mow it!!;)
VERY DAMN TRUE GUYS!!!!!!!
THANKS A LOT, LMAO!!!!:ok::ok::ok:

[No Body]

Two questions for anyone currently/previously employed in corporate aviation:

What are corporate opportunities like in Australia?

How do you find your way into this part of the industry?


Thanks :)

[Bankstownboy]

In answer to the thread's question, I'd be content with something like doing twin charters out of a place like Bankstown, where I could be home each night, and not have to suffer in some out of the way place on low pay, for my career choice...

However, I'm only a newbie and that may never happen. But hey we can dream...

[Over and gout]

My dream job atm is flying full time single pilot night freight in a twin. Everyone I talk to want a heap of multi though......:ugh:

[OZBorn]

Flying military reserve for a few days a week and then airline for your other days. Best of both worlds. There are a couple of guys that do this but it is difficult to get into.

[tosherk]

"Flying military reserve for a few days a week and then airline for your other days. Best of both worlds. There are a couple of guys that do this but it is difficult to get into"
Does anyone have ideas on how the chosen few manage this difficult feat? Particularly how they qualify for military reserve? Thanks.

[Runaway Gun]

I suspect that a large part of the requirement is being a highly experienced military pilot that the military can't really do without. And being a top bloke probably wouldn't hurt either.

[maxgrad]

Doing what I am doing right now. I will move on if/when that changes.
Someone mentioned back to basics....The flying...ei jimmy!

[Pinky the pilot]

As with Over and gout; Night freight in a piston twin. I've got over 1000hr ME but mostly daytime!:(

[Lineboy4life]

flying a cub round the hills of southern NZ,
No moron pax, No f:mad:wit bosses, No heavy loads in marginal equipment in dodgy weather
$50KPA + time off to go skiiing, drinkin, sleepin etc....


......and then he awakens :(

[troppo]

13 years ago
Grumman Widgeon
Paradise
Tavurvur and Vulcan blow their load and job turns to **** :{

[flyby_kiwi]

This has been posted before on pprune........ still a timely reminder worth reading:

Grass is always Greener:

One fine hot Summer’s afternoon saw a Cessna 150 flying circuits at a quiet country airfield. The Instructor was getting quite bothered with the student’s inability to hold circuit height in the thermals and was getting impatient at sometimes having to take over the controls. Just then he saw a twin engine Cessna 5,000ft above him and thought "Another 1,000 hrs of this and I qualify for that twin charter job! Aaahh.. to be a real pilot.. going somewhere!"

The Cessna 402 was already late and the boss told him this charter was for one of the Company’s premier clients. He’d already set MCT and the cylinders didn’t like it in the heat of this Summer’s day. He was at 6,000ft and the winds were now a 20kt headwind. Today was the 6th day straight and he was pretty damn tired. Maybe if he got 10,000ft out of them the wind might die off... geez those cylinder temps! He looked out momentarily and saw a B737 leaving a contrail at 33,000ft in the serene blue sky. "Oh man" he thought, "My interview is next month. I hope I just don’t blow it! Outa G/A, nice jet job, above the weather... no snotty passengers to wait for.. aahhh."

The Boeing 737 bucked and weaved in the heavy CAT at FL330 and ATC advised that lower levels were not available due traffic. The Captain, who was only recently advised that his destination was below RVR minimums had slowed to LRC to try and hold off a possible inflight diversion, and arrange an ETA that would helpfully ensure the fog had lifted to CATII minima. The Company negotiations broke down yesterday and looked as if everyone was going to take a damn pay cut. The F/O’s will be particularly hard hit as their pay wasn’t anything to speak of anyway. Finally deciding on a speed compromise between LRC and turbulence penetration, the Captain looked up and saw Concorde at Mach 2+. Tapping his F/O’s shoulder as the 737 took another bashing, he said "Now THAT’S what we should be on... huge pay packet... super fast... not too many routes... not too many sectors... above the CAT... yep! What a life...!"

FL590 was not what he wanted anyway and considered FL570. Already the TAT was creeping up again and either they would have to descend or slow down. That damn rear fuel transfer pump was becoming unreliable and the F/E had said moments ago that the radiation meter was not reading numbers that he’d like to see. Concorde descended to FL570 but the radiation was still quite high even though the Notam indicated hunky dory below FL610. Fuel flow was up and the transfer pump was intermittent. Evening turned into night as they passed over the Atlantic. Looking up, the F/O could see a tiny white dot moving against the backdrop of a myriad of stars. "Hey Captain" he called as he pointed. "Must be the Shuttle. "The Captain looked for a moment and agreed. Quietly he thought how a Shuttle mission, whilst complicated, must be the be all and end all in aviation. Above the crap, no radiation problems, no damn fuel transfer problems... aaah. Must be a great way to earn a quid."

Discovery was into its 27th orbit and perigee was 200ft out from nominated rendezvous altitude with the commsat. The robot arm was virtually U/S and a walk may become necessary. The 200ft predicted error would necessitate a corrective burn and Discovery needed that fuel if a walk was to be required. Houston continually asked what the Commander wanted to do but the advice they proffered wasn’t much help. The Commander had already been 12 hours on station sorting out the problem and just wanted 10 bloody minutes to himself to take a leak. Just then a mission specialist, who had tilted the telescope down to the surface for a minute or two, called the Commander to the scope. "Have a look at this Sir, isn’t this the kinda flying you said you wanted to do after you finish up with NASA?" The Commander peered through the telescope and cried "Ooooohhhhh yeah! Now THAT’S flying! Man, that’s what its all about! Geez I’d give my left nut just to be doing THAT down there!" What the Discovery Commander was looking at? A Cessna 150 flying circuits at a quiet country airfield on a nice bright sunny afternoon.

[muttly's pigeon]

I would be the first to agree that it doesnt always appear to be all you thought it would crack up to be.
But to be honest..... after several years on the scene expectations start to change, and heaven forbid we get older :eek: as such so do our commitments outside of work.
As a 16/ 17 year old I would have done anything to get fly a jet but with age I realised that I was going to die eventually and it would be sooner than I had appreciated.... as such I wouldnt see myself in deep dark africa for years flying a big jet for lots of $$$ knowing that in the next decade or two half my family would be gone and myself not all that far away from it either.
Im sure I would love to fly a big jet for big $$$ but at any cost??? Well when im on my death bed in the decades from now the money will be of little help but it will be the memories that remain.

[plucka]

I always dreamed of a 'stick & rudder' job. The best paying one I could find was an Ag. job so thats what I did. Now I dream of the drought breaking so I can get back to it.

[qtn]

Floats. Maybe one day....

[HotDog]

I have a float rating, great fun! However, my dream job was 18,000 hours + as a F/E operating Convair 880, B707, L1011 and B747/100/200/300. I sorely miss it!:{

[Valdiviano]

FLOATS IT IS. after 18 years of non flying and before that, instructing, charter,coastal surveillance all over AUS, AN: L188, F27, F28 and now after 2 hours thru my FLOT endorsement, FLOATS IT IS!!!!!!!!!

[Beavers rule]

A Twin night freight out of BK???? Obviously you have never had the good fortune to ply a floatie around some of the most beautiful spots on the planet.

[beeva]

Living the dream now, flyin floats:ok:

[Alex 009]

BA B777 pilot, or RFDS on the King Airs

[Jamair]

I want Stallies job..... or his last job.......or the one before that.......:D

Or Chucks current gig........:ok: .....only I'm too old and too tired....:{

Mornos is on a good wicket.....SE but top of the tree;)

Ah **** it, I just wanna FLY!

[werbil]

Flying floats - doing it now:ok:. Very challanging at times, but incredibly satisfying.:) Always learning, great stick and rudder flying, "real" decisions to make. Get to play on and in the water.:cool:

When the wx or water is average the company gets great value. When wx or water great getting paid feels like a bonus - gotta live though.

Barefoot pilot.:D

[34R]

I was born decades too late me thinks.

Have my dream job now, but would love to be doing it in a 727!
Even now when I see one unwinding, I've gotta stop what I'm doing and take a look....:D

[nike]

One of those canadian fire fighting flying boats looks the biz.

[trolleydriver]

Flying floats in Canada, (seriously working on it and getting closer) :)

Then after that, change to the dark side and fly choppers :cool:

[redsnail]

Must say my job's not bad.

Zoom around Europe/north Africa/Russia etc in a bizjet.
We do more flying than a standard corporate outfit but a bit less than the lo co's. Admittedly we have a lot more to do than them. :D

Stallie's job(s) are crackers though! :ok:

For those looking at corporate in Oz,
Have a look at TAG (http://www.tagaviation.com/asiaPacific/australia.htm)

[tinpis]

Dream job advertised in Sat NT News

Want pilot/Labourer with 210 endorsement

No PMS thanks look it up yerself.

[Towering Q]

Tinny, for those without endt and lots of money do you think they would consider a training wage or some kind of bond?

[tinpis]

I would imagine that unless you are able to work in crushing unbearable heat dont bother.:(

[Luke SkyToddler]

I had a hard choice to make last year, having spent years flogging round in the turboprops with not so much as a sniff of a glamourous job, I got offered 3 really good jobs in the space of a fortnight and they couldn't have been more different. Bizjet F/O with Netjets Europe, ATR72 captain with Air Mauritius, or A320 F/O with Easyjet.

The Mauritius thing was pretty much all my lifestyle dreams come true, I'd be quite happy to spend all my life island hopping round some tropical paradise in a big modern turboprop but it paid sfa. European low cost jet operator, lifestyle aint great but it's the best aircraft and potentially the best money if you can get that left seat in a hurry. Netjets, something else again, still jets still in Europe but a lot more interesting lifestyle and much more glamourous sounding than flying hundreds of bogans to spain spain spain spain and more spain.

At the end of the day though I decided my real dreams don't revolve around a "dream job", it's just about getting into a financial position a.s.a.p. where I don't need to work at all. So I had to go with the money job for now, which is the hard work the playstation jet and quick command.

[Heffer]

Ba 777 Lhr.

[pilotdude09]

My dream job would be flying 737's for a carrier like South West or DJ. Actually i really like the 737-300/400's theres just something about them that i love compared to the NG's although the NG's are great a/c.

[haughtney1]

Kingair 350........Island hopping around the pacific:E

[Dixons Cider]

C208 on floats in Fiordland on a clear crisp winters day, mortgage paid off, and a bit of coin in the bank for a rainy day...

...oh and Eva Mendez waitin for me at home with me dinner and a cool beer ready to go

[Atlas Shrugged]

Jamair,

Ah **** it, I just wanna FLY!

:ok::ok::ok::ok::ok:

[pakeha-boy]

LINEBOY4LIFE.... mate!!! I,m a little older than you for sure......did what you are talking about in the 70,s..in a Taylorcraft /85hp....YOUR ATTITUDE AND MIND ARE IN THE RIGHT PLACE.....and I hope you get there mate....I hope you get there for sure!!!...PB

[tinpis]

PB yer old enough to remembry the "Geese drives" in PA-18s down Pig Island way ?

Yer get caught doin' that nowdays yer end up makin' pois in Rimutaka cuz. :ooh:

[pakeha-boy]

Tin mate...yeah mate...remember that tuti well....you got away with what you could.....some days were better than others...

Rimutaka.....now you have to be good @ scaling the roof....the poi,s are filled with lead or rocks..:(.....

...at least in a fixed wing,cockys didnt try to shoot you.....they waved:)....the 300 was a moving target....got my first taste of "govt time" not "flight time" for some devious actitvites......BUGGER!!!

[Vimd23]

Hi , finished up in 1997 CPL , worked for 3 years as ground staff with SR , got a job with a corporate flying a jet in 2000 , worked for 3 .5 years there logged only 200+ hrs , now with a 737 Ng operator , enjoying it thoroughly , dont plan to do long haul on the widebody . Pattern now 4 days on 2 days standby , 1 weekly off which does not change , 3 years to command, doing Sin , KL and BKK once every 2 months from home is like a a welcome change. I am enjoying every moment of it. Dont look a GIFT HORSE in the mouth. The BEST PART.... I am home everynight with the exception of international sectors mentioned above.

cheers
vimd23

[Red777]

CX777 Skipper...come home to Aus to a stunning looking woman and unit/house with an awesome view and fly my P51 5ft off the deck along an untouched strip of beach....
oh hang on thats my best mates fathers life...then again he is my mentor
Although i am a mustering pilot in the middle of Nowhere... it's a great way to improve your stick and rudder skills and enjoy the simple things in life and hands on flying..and the beauty of the bush.
Just remember why we pay the dollars to learn to fly...just because we love to fly...as an old pilot said..

.."if i had my time again, i would get off my @ss and get a real job"....

If we didnt like flying there is million other jobs out there....

If you got the passion then money is not the be all and end all...your doing what you love...be happy because some still flip burgers at 35+, wishing they did there dream job.
We are the lucky ones...we get to do what we love...there is so many different types of flying...if you don't like one type, try another...big cash or not you can't take money to the grave, but you can take the passion.

my few words...

[Pinky the pilot]

What Jamair and Atlas Shrugged said!
:ok::ok::ok::ok::ok::ok:

[morno]

Sorry I missed ya comment there before Jamair.

Have to agree, I love my job, :ok:.

Still plenty of years left though, who know's what I'll dream up further down the track to entertain me, :}.

morno