Exploring Other Paths

Netjets started out as a company called Executive Jet Aviation, retired WW2 military generals and pilots started the company shortly after WW2 in 1964. The company grew stedily with proper leadership figures in key positions of their company. “In 1984, when Richard Santulli purchased EJA and created the NetJets program – and with it, the concept of fractional ownership – we truly cemented our place in the record books.” (Netjet, 2017) This company basically provides affordable private air charter service, a much cheaper option that owning an aircraft and more reliable than airlines. In 1998, Warren Buffet was so captivated by the company as a customer he bought the company adding it to the Berkshire-hathaway family (the richest most profiting company in the world at the time). “From then on, with Berkshire’s backing, NetJets has had unmatched resources to invest in whatever it takes to always be the best and safest player in the industry.”(Netjet, 2017) I agree with their statement, it’s understandable that they would have the highest quality of safety and professionalism with the help of Berkshire’s resources and money obviously. I could not find any job listings in the company currently, typically they hire within and pilots average about 10,000 hours.

I found Barr Air Patrol which is a company that has specialized in aerial pipeline patrol since 1940. There are currently looking to hire a patrol captain to basically fly at minimum flight altitude to take pictures of damage to pipelines and communicate damages to customers. Flight time is about 25 hours a week and must live within an hour of KCXO, Conroe Texas. The company requires 1,500 hours and 1,000 PIC time. Salary is about $50,000 and benefits and paid vacations included.

Flying corporate vs flying for the airlines is an interesting decision for most pilots. In one hand every airline is expected to be or already is short on pilots, so therefore they have increased their starting pay to be competitive with other aviation jobs such as corporate jobs. Corporate aviation jobs usually have a much higher starting pay and higher salaries in the first 10 years. That was the main reason pilots went to a corporate company because of the higher starting pay and ability to make a decent living in a shorter period of time. Now it seems airlines have passed the corporate world significantly in terms of pay for pilots. Also working for a corporate company the pilot is often times on-call and needs to report within hours of being called. Working for the airlines, pilots usually have a set schedule and can pick and choose their routes after having some seniority in the company.

I wouldn’t say this assignment alone has changed my career plans, but the information I have obtained this semester through guest speakers and other research assignments have made an influence. For the last few years I have been telling myself I wanted to fly for a corporate company eventually because I wanted to fly important executives and/or celebrities. However it appears the airline industry is the placed to be as a pilot. The pay and benefits are unmatched by any other sector in the aviation industry.

References

Netjets (2017) Retrieved from https://www.netjets.com/Home/