Ever wonder about being a pilot? Many people do.
Here is a peek of my life, as a former flight instructor and corporate jet pilot.

FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR JOB DESCIPTION
To take a pilot candidate and teach them to a safe standard (includes starting and taxing an aircraft, mastering climbing, descending, turns, take offs, landings, navigation, rules of the air, radio license and forced approach landings, that is landing without power. After the student pilot demonstrates that they are safe, the instructor  allows them to take their first solo flight. (That's one lap around the airport) an exhilarating experience that a pilot never forgets!

After that stage, the student pilot learns skills that are required for real life and a flight test.

An instructor's job is to get the student pilot to flight test standards. Another part of the job is to help the student pilot to think on their feet, to deal with any situation that may arise.

It is a challenging and rewarding career. Often the career is short lived since instructors are building flight hours to move onto bigger and faster planes, then to the airlines.

By the way, airlines typically require 3000 hours of experience-depending on market conditions.

LIFE AS A CORPORATE JET PILOT!
After achieving my AirLine Transport Pilot License and 1500 hours of flight experience, I landed my first jet job flying a private jet out of Hamilton, Ontario.  What a rush! I eventually flew for 5 other companies after that.

Typical day includes arriving at the airport one and a half hours before the flight. This can make for a very early day, i.e. 3 or 4 am not uncommon. Prior to our flight, responsibilities include flight planning to destination (anywhere in North America and Caribbean) arranging customs and immigration to meet us at aircraft at predetermined time. Have catering, newspapers and coffee ready to go. Check departing, en route and destination weather. Calculate and order fuel load. Have aircraft pulled out of the hanger and ready for passengers. Complete a walk around the aircraft, checking everything is okay. We do a cockpit check for the same reason. File a flight plan (this is our proposed planned route and cruise altitude) through Flight Services. Call up Ground control to receive our clearance for routing. Load this data into our flight management system. Meet and greet passengers, load their luggage and have them board the aircraft. Give passengers a safety and destination weather briefing. Then we get the taxi/takeoff clearance and we are off to the wild blue yonder! After successfully arriving at destination and clearing our passengers with customs and immigration (usually right there in our aircraft!) we have a limo waiting for them to whisk them off. After securing aircraft (placing various covers on engines and vital instruments) and ordering our fuel order, the pilots either wait at the airport or go to the hotel from anywhere from half a day till 1, 2 or more days.

When passengers are ready to go home, we repeat the whole process over again.

Life as a corporate pilot is very exciting and rewarding. No two flights are the same and there is the constant challenge of customer service and weather. One must be aware that there is a lot of time potentially away from home. In this non traditional career, you will be the envy of most!

If you ever would like to chat further about this exciting career, I am just an email away.
Kelly@KellyAffeldt.com