Career advices needed (Learjet 60)
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Career advices needed (Learjet 60)
Hello all!
If any of you have been in same position, opinions are appreciated...
I´m 29 years old and I´m currrently flying B737NG as captain in a medium size charter company with pretty good pay. The company is good and rosters quite stedy and I get to live in my home town. Only down grade is that I can only work as a contractor so I don´t make any pension from the job.
I have now been offered a Learjet 60 -captain position in a business jet company. I know there is a lot more nights away from home than my current job but still I´m interested that is the grass really greener at the other side?! The pay is almost same, company has good benefits and above all I would get a job with a pension plan.
It would be nice to hear that have you had same situation where you had to choose between airline- and corporate flying...Also if you have been doing both it would be nice to hear that which one do you appreciate more and why...
Also if somebody has opinions about Learjet 60 -aircraft it would be nice to hear about it...example how my size of guy would fit in the cockpit, I´m 188cm/95kg...Do I need to fly with my head bended to the right
"Should I stay or should go..."
If any of you have been in same position, opinions are appreciated...
I´m 29 years old and I´m currrently flying B737NG as captain in a medium size charter company with pretty good pay. The company is good and rosters quite stedy and I get to live in my home town. Only down grade is that I can only work as a contractor so I don´t make any pension from the job.
I have now been offered a Learjet 60 -captain position in a business jet company. I know there is a lot more nights away from home than my current job but still I´m interested that is the grass really greener at the other side?! The pay is almost same, company has good benefits and above all I would get a job with a pension plan.
It would be nice to hear that have you had same situation where you had to choose between airline- and corporate flying...Also if you have been doing both it would be nice to hear that which one do you appreciate more and why...
Also if somebody has opinions about Learjet 60 -aircraft it would be nice to hear about it...example how my size of guy would fit in the cockpit, I´m 188cm/95kg...Do I need to fly with my head bended to the right
"Should I stay or should go..."
Join Date: Mar 2004
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Piloting pilot, I have recently made the change your are thinking of, for me it has been the right thing. I'm now flying a Lear 45 and love every minute of it.As for being able to fit I've not sat in a 60 but I'm 1.83m and 105kgs and fit well in the 45 however getting in requires a bit yoga! While I wa sdoing the type rating I met several others who have made the switch as well!
Join Date: Jul 2002
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Hi Pp!
You will have no problem fitting into the 60, needs a loong step over the seat/pedestal, but once you've strapped the little rocket onto your back you'll be fine. I'm 190cm and had no trouble for the 3 enjoyable years I spent on 60's. Things I noted: limited baggage-space; brakes meagre for a piece of kit that can whistle over the fence at over ref 130; starter-gennies will check out once in a while. And if the expletives of our maintenance were anything to go by, getting at anything that needs work is a lot of fun, eg., try accessing ships' batteries with APU installed! Lovely, lovely airplane to fly, real 'pilot's plane'!
The only really scheduled flying I did was hauling freight for a while and then arseing around for the UN years back, so please note that I cannot comment in any way on scheduled air-transport. Having stated this little disclaimer - you may find business-jet flying enourmously rewarding, certainly most of the lost souls, myself included, in this little corner of Pprune do! You may want to consider whether or not the operator you are considering joining has larger kit in the inventory. The 60 is the most fun I've had in flying, short of maybe an open cockpit, but in the bizjet world the rostering and pay you will want once the novelty of the beautiful machine wears off, is usually only available on longer-range equipment.
Do keep us posted, would like to hear your comments if/when you first experience a light 60 on an ISA day!!
Bug
You will have no problem fitting into the 60, needs a loong step over the seat/pedestal, but once you've strapped the little rocket onto your back you'll be fine. I'm 190cm and had no trouble for the 3 enjoyable years I spent on 60's. Things I noted: limited baggage-space; brakes meagre for a piece of kit that can whistle over the fence at over ref 130; starter-gennies will check out once in a while. And if the expletives of our maintenance were anything to go by, getting at anything that needs work is a lot of fun, eg., try accessing ships' batteries with APU installed! Lovely, lovely airplane to fly, real 'pilot's plane'!
The only really scheduled flying I did was hauling freight for a while and then arseing around for the UN years back, so please note that I cannot comment in any way on scheduled air-transport. Having stated this little disclaimer - you may find business-jet flying enourmously rewarding, certainly most of the lost souls, myself included, in this little corner of Pprune do! You may want to consider whether or not the operator you are considering joining has larger kit in the inventory. The 60 is the most fun I've had in flying, short of maybe an open cockpit, but in the bizjet world the rostering and pay you will want once the novelty of the beautiful machine wears off, is usually only available on longer-range equipment.
Do keep us posted, would like to hear your comments if/when you first experience a light 60 on an ISA day!!
Bug
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Chinny, old bean!! Jeez, there goes the neighbourhood, people!
I wish, the new missus is just as adept as spending it as the former...
Must give you a ring and bore you with tales of my new abode. No traffic, no 59 degrees celcius, and the beaches are topless! Hope to see you here sometime to share beverage!! Hope you're as well as always?
Bug
I wish, the new missus is just as adept as spending it as the former...
Must give you a ring and bore you with tales of my new abode. No traffic, no 59 degrees celcius, and the beaches are topless! Hope to see you here sometime to share beverage!! Hope you're as well as always?
Bug
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A real pilots airplane, screaming in over the fence at 139kts Vref, thrust reversers so damn big and effective they mess with the rudder airflow. Myself and alot of my friends have moved on to larger aircraft but miss the 60 for the sheer flying delight.
And no... the grass isnt greener on the other side.
For all it´s fun and racing car image, isn´t the LR60 rather runway limited at least in Europe with so many short runways? Wouldn´t you rather want a lower Vref? Closer to 110-115kt? For an average load how much RWY do you need for T/O and LDG? By the way, I reckon the LR24 was the real thing
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Well yeah, if you fly it commercially it needs a bucket load of runway, and if you factor in a wet or contaminated runway, you get penalized bigtime. At times you have to get the REALLY sharp pencil out to make the numbers work as also the brakes are really crap hence biasing the numbers negatively.
..but then again, a formula-1 race car would suck driving in downtown London also
..but then again, a formula-1 race car would suck driving in downtown London also
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Hallo Piloting pilot, I have been where you are trying to go. I also fly an NG and still fly a 60. Flying the 60 is great, you'll fit in just fine. Even though you might not be able to stand up in the cabin, you'll still find it "roomy" enough. But you will be the chief-cook/bottle washer. Airlines are the sweet live, although boring as sh..., it is the easiest way to make a living without having to work for it.
Executive is fun! Except when your boss is an a.... and you are spending your days in places where in the best hotel in town is also the one where you don't want to take your shoes of. The advantage is; you are directly responsible for everything. That is also the disadvantage. I have flown executive for 10 years and loved most of it. It can be very rewarding if you get along with the guests/owners, it can be hell if you don't.
Flying the 60 is fun but the greatest ride is the pocket rocket, the 24! The kick you'll get out of those CJ610's is just the ride of your life, especially in an aircraft that has basicly the same instrumentation as your average 172.
Good luck with your decision, I would stay with the airlines
Executive is fun! Except when your boss is an a.... and you are spending your days in places where in the best hotel in town is also the one where you don't want to take your shoes of. The advantage is; you are directly responsible for everything. That is also the disadvantage. I have flown executive for 10 years and loved most of it. It can be very rewarding if you get along with the guests/owners, it can be hell if you don't.
Flying the 60 is fun but the greatest ride is the pocket rocket, the 24! The kick you'll get out of those CJ610's is just the ride of your life, especially in an aircraft that has basicly the same instrumentation as your average 172.
Good luck with your decision, I would stay with the airlines
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From a career perspective, stay with the airlines... or even better, get in with FedEx if you can.
Once you get used to the Lear 60, it's just another day in the office. You're driving a limo instead of a tour bus.
Big differences flying corporate are that you have to do a lot of other stuff usually, which is done for you at the airlines... BUT the corporate jobs are very diverse, so take a real good look at the operation, the owners, and the trips... if you get in with a good operation which is stable and pays well, it may suit you better.
Once you get used to the Lear 60, it's just another day in the office. You're driving a limo instead of a tour bus.
Big differences flying corporate are that you have to do a lot of other stuff usually, which is done for you at the airlines... BUT the corporate jobs are very diverse, so take a real good look at the operation, the owners, and the trips... if you get in with a good operation which is stable and pays well, it may suit you better.
Last edited by Harsay; 7th Dec 2006 at 14:44. Reason: spelling
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Hello all
Thanks for the nice replys... Decision is now made:
I will stick with my current job.
Our company is getting B767´s in next spring so I should be flying with those in next few years...somehow I´m eager to get as much as possible aluminium around me... Of course that wasn´t the only reason to stay...
Anyway thanks for the reply´s to all...Maybe one day in future I can post here that I made a change from big and slow planes to small and fast, somehow I´m still intrested to see that "other side of the fence"...
PP
Thanks for the nice replys... Decision is now made:
I will stick with my current job.
Our company is getting B767´s in next spring so I should be flying with those in next few years...somehow I´m eager to get as much as possible aluminium around me... Of course that wasn´t the only reason to stay...
Anyway thanks for the reply´s to all...Maybe one day in future I can post here that I made a change from big and slow planes to small and fast, somehow I´m still intrested to see that "other side of the fence"...
PP
