Corporate vs. Airlines

     For me, there are a multitude of differences between corporate aviation and airlines. One of the more significant differences is the schedules. Airline pilots usually know their schedule on a month to month basis. They can plan events a little further out and usually have more of a say in which days they have off as they gain seniority. On the corporate side it does vary, but more often than not, corporate pilots are on call and have to show up at the airport at a certain time. In more extreme cases, they are on call 24 hours a day and have to show up to the airport on very short notice. Again, this varies from company to company, but for the most part, corporate pilots are on call much like being on reserve for the airlines. 

     As far as pay is concerned, the airlines have a much wider pay scale. What that means is that first year first officers make significantly less than a senior captain. In most cases, the most senior pilots at major airlines will make more than corporate captains. There is a trade off, however. Corporate pilots can start off much higher than airline first officers. Another major consideration is the fact that airline pilot pay is strictly seniority based. If you were the most senior captain at your previous airline and decided to switch, you would start off at first year FO pay. On the corporate side, there is room for negotiating your salary and being paid commensurate with your experience. In other words, it can be a lot easier of a decision to change jobs if something better comes along. 

     For the argument of whether or not corporate aviation departments actually save money or not is up for debate. This argument is based upon the high costs of an aviation department and whether or not they are an actual necessity or simply for show. I tend to believe that they do help save companies money, but only if the company is extremely profitable and does a significant amount of business across a large area that is too big for driving. Even fractional ownership with companies such as NetJets can be a definite boost in terms of making business connections. With companies that use their own flight department, it offers the flexibility of getting out, meeting with people, discussing business, and closing deals in a much timelier manner than waiting at the airport, and picking flights that may have layovers. 

     An excellent corporate aviation company I came across is Clay Lacy Aviation. They have pilot bases in California, Washington, Colorado and Florida. They have a very diverse fleet of aircraft including: Boeing, Embraer, Gulfstream, Dassault, Cessna, and Learjet. They have multiple openings for both Captains and First officers and have the following requirements. PIC- 4000 hrs total, 3000 hrs pic, 1500 multi-engine time. SIC- 1500 hrs total, 500 multi-engine. This will definitely be a company I will apply for when I have the necessary hours. 

https://www.claylacy.com/flight-crew-careers

http://pilotcareercenter.com/Air-Carrier-PCC-Profile/1366/Clay+Lacy+Aviation