Looking to Be a Corporate Pilot? The Playbook Starts Here

What should freshly qualified pilots consider if they’re looking to go corporate?

Tuesday, March 01, 2022 at 11:25 AM ET

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For more pilots than not, becoming a corporate pilot has seemed more obscure than getting a job with the airlines. [File Photo: Adobe Stock]

Key Takeaways:

The search for a corporate pilot job is likened to stock picking, requiring proactive due diligence and networking to discover suitable opportunities beyond well-known flight departments.
Unlike the structured recruitment of airlines, corporate pilot roles demand a non-standard job search, with job security intrinsically linked to the financial health of the supporting business.
Pilots aiming for enduring corporate careers should "invest" by understanding the broader business, sector, and industry dynamics, not just the aircraft flown, requiring discipline and patience.

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I recently spoke to a friend, a corporate pilot, who reflected on his career with me, and we landed on the analogy that the search for the right corporate flight job is akin to picking stocks in the financial markets.

Everyone knows the winners, the unicorn departments that they’d like to fly for. But just like expensive stocks they are out of reach—for the most part. Instead, pilots must perform due diligence to find the diamonds in the rough, in the not-so-obvious companies. This searching turns some people away, but those who do it right can string together a remarkable flying career.