Corporate Pilot Career Center

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For many fledgeling pilots, getting a job as a corporate pilot is the final goal, and it can be a very rewarding career as long as you understand what corporate aviation is all about. Corporate pilots usually work for companies that own and operate their own aircraft to fly company passengers to and from business meetings, trade shows, to pick up or drop off clients, and for personal travel for employees and their families. In the last decade, fractional and time-share operations have expanded and many companies have opted to utilize these operators instead of purchasing their own aircraft and hiring their own corporate flight departments. If you work for a fractional or time-share operation, your job description will be very similar to a corporate flight department pilot, with the exception of making even more flights per week, and completing more repositioning flights. Learn more about corporate pilot jobs.

Corporate Pilot "On Call"

In a corporate pilot career, you can expect to be "on call" for several days at a time, meaning that you could be called to take a flight somewhere at any given moment, day or night. When you get the call, you might be going to an unfamiliar airport, and you'll be required to plan all aspects of the flight including weather, route, airports, terrain, and even in-flight meals and beverages for your passengers. Once at your destination, you may be required to remain on call for many hours as your passengers may or may not have a set schedule. As a corporate pilot, you must be ready to go when your passengers are ready to go.

Corporate Pilot Careers

Corporate pilots fly all kinds of aircraft from helicopters to unpressurized piston singles, to the largest, fastest business jets. Corporate flight crews are usually made up of a captain and a first officer, as the vast majority of corporate aircraft require two pilots at the controls, either because of the type certificate of the aircraft, or as an insurance requirement, or both. Some corporate flight departments will hire first officers with only a commercial pilot license, but to be promoted to captain, plan on earning your airline transport pilot certificate. Find out more about corporate pilot training.