This is a free excerpt from Part II of the Commercial Pilot Course series: Low Time Flying Jobs, your comprehensive guide to bridging the gap between 250 hours and ATP minimums. The whole course is available in hardback or eBook form, or as a video course.
This is the entirety of Section 5 of the course, which will focus on tactics, techniques, and general information that you can apply to help you find a low time flying job. You are welcome to watch the above 44-minute video course version, or, you can read the same content below. Some people learn better by reading, while others enjoy it through audio/visual more. The course was originally published in 2023, so certain important updates have been made specifically in this excerpt publishing to make sure you are provided with the most helpful, actionable information. Other small, insignificant outdated details have been left unchanged.
Before we begin, a quick note on the full course and why I created it:
Becoming a competitive candidate for low time flying jobs and successfully navigating the next 1,000 hours of your career requires knowledge and a set of soft and hard skills that commercial pilot training programs omit from their "teach-to-the-test" curriculum. This course will provide you with the tools and information you need to find a job, get hired, and thrive as a professional pilot.
Over the span of nearly 7 hours together, we cover everything, including how to overcome the obstacles you face as a low time pilot, where to find the many job opportunities available to you, specific networking techniques, and how to prepare for your job once hired. You will learn the typical eligibility requirements, compensation, schedules, specific flying techniques and FARs pertinent to each type of flying job. Contrary to popular belief, flight instructing is not the only viable time builder for low time pilots, and because this course is designed to provide usable, practical information, you will be given the names of nearly 70 non-flight instructing employers to whom you can apply.
But we don’t stop there. To give you every possible advantage through this phase of your career, you will learn the most critical techniques, knowledge, and skills acquired over the course of 13 years and thousands of hours of flying - condensed into just a few hours. We will also cover the seldom-discussed but most significant challenges of professional flying, including how to manage imposter syndrome, dealing with external pressure, making mistakes, and pilot mental health.
This is the course that I wish had existed when I was a 250 hour pilot. I designed it for low time commercial pilots who, like me, were dissatisfied by the lack of guidance for low time pilots trying to build time towards ATP minimums. To that end, no stone is left unturned. I invite you to check out the course previews, and if you feel the course fits your needs, give it a shot. Deliberately priced at the low cost of a paperback book, if you do get through the course and feel that it wasn’t worth it, all it takes is a single click to get your money back. If this sounds like something you would be interested in, click here to enroll in the full course. You have nothing to lose.
And now, enjoy the following excerpt!
This is the entirety of Section 5 of the course, which will focus on tactics, techniques, and general information that you can apply to help you find a low time flying job. You are welcome to watch the above 44-minute video course version, or, you can read the same content below. Some people learn better by reading, while others enjoy it through audio/visual more. The course was originally published in 2023, so certain important updates have been made specifically in this excerpt publishing to make sure you are provided with the most helpful, actionable information. Other small, insignificant outdated details have been left unchanged.
Before we begin, a quick note on the full course and why I created it:
Becoming a competitive candidate for low time flying jobs and successfully navigating the next 1,000 hours of your career requires knowledge and a set of soft and hard skills that commercial pilot training programs omit from their "teach-to-the-test" curriculum. This course will provide you with the tools and information you need to find a job, get hired, and thrive as a professional pilot.
Over the span of nearly 7 hours together, we cover everything, including how to overcome the obstacles you face as a low time pilot, where to find the many job opportunities available to you, specific networking techniques, and how to prepare for your job once hired. You will learn the typical eligibility requirements, compensation, schedules, specific flying techniques and FARs pertinent to each type of flying job. Contrary to popular belief, flight instructing is not the only viable time builder for low time pilots, and because this course is designed to provide usable, practical information, you will be given the names of nearly 70 non-flight instructing employers to whom you can apply.
But we don’t stop there. To give you every possible advantage through this phase of your career, you will learn the most critical techniques, knowledge, and skills acquired over the course of 13 years and thousands of hours of flying - condensed into just a few hours. We will also cover the seldom-discussed but most significant challenges of professional flying, including how to manage imposter syndrome, dealing with external pressure, making mistakes, and pilot mental health.
This is the course that I wish had existed when I was a 250 hour pilot. I designed it for low time commercial pilots who, like me, were dissatisfied by the lack of guidance for low time pilots trying to build time towards ATP minimums. To that end, no stone is left unturned. I invite you to check out the course previews, and if you feel the course fits your needs, give it a shot. Deliberately priced at the low cost of a paperback book, if you do get through the course and feel that it wasn’t worth it, all it takes is a single click to get your money back. If this sounds like something you would be interested in, click here to enroll in the full course. You have nothing to lose.
And now, enjoy the following excerpt!
Low Time Flying Jobs Course
Section 5: Finding A Job
Resume & Cover LetteR
A well-crafted resume and cover letter can set you apart when it comes to applying for low time flying jobs. In this section, we will briefly discuss the basics of resumes and cover letters.
Unless you are meeting with your potential employer in person (which is ALWAYS recommended, if possible), your resume will be their first impression of you. Make no mistake - first impressions can and are very important in all areas of life, so your resume should be crafted with an amount of effort and care that is commensurate with your desire to be hired for the position in question.
First, you should create a “master resume” document that covers all of your education, experience, interests, volunteer positions, and references. This master resume document can be multiple pages in length. You will never send this master resume out to anyone as is; it should be a document from which you pull information to create resumes that are specific to one job or specific position.
Unless you are meeting with your potential employer in person (which is ALWAYS recommended, if possible), your resume will be their first impression of you. Make no mistake - first impressions can and are very important in all areas of life, so your resume should be crafted with an amount of effort and care that is commensurate with your desire to be hired for the position in question.
First, you should create a “master resume” document that covers all of your education, experience, interests, volunteer positions, and references. This master resume document can be multiple pages in length. You will never send this master resume out to anyone as is; it should be a document from which you pull information to create resumes that are specific to one job or specific position.
Click on this resume for a close-up
The resume that you send in to a potential employer should be a PDF file that is one single page in length. The primary purpose of the resume is to quickly allow the reader to determine if there is a match between your qualifications and the needs of the employer. The resume should convey your skills, talents, abilities, and experience. The reader should need to spend no more than a few seconds reading your resume before they are able to get a general idea as to whether or not it is worth pursuing you as a candidate.
The resume should be visually pleasing, concise in presenting your experience, and correct in grammar and punctuation. Each resume should be tailored to a specific job position at a specific organization. Listing the objective of the resume is optional.
When describing experience, specific action verbs should be chosen and the past-tense should be consistent. If it makes sense, use the same action verbs found in the employer’s job description to describe your own experience. Ask yourself who, what, when, where, why, and how when writing about your experience. Be sure to include a specific outcome of the experience if you can.
The resume should be visually pleasing, concise in presenting your experience, and correct in grammar and punctuation. Each resume should be tailored to a specific job position at a specific organization. Listing the objective of the resume is optional.
When describing experience, specific action verbs should be chosen and the past-tense should be consistent. If it makes sense, use the same action verbs found in the employer’s job description to describe your own experience. Ask yourself who, what, when, where, why, and how when writing about your experience. Be sure to include a specific outcome of the experience if you can.
When it comes to resumes that are aimed towards pilot positions, hours and aircraft type experience are additional components which need to be included. In your master resume document, it would be good to keep an updated tally of the various types of hours logged, i.e. PIC, multiengine, tailwheel, turbine, etc. In your resume, include the types of hours that would be most relevant to the job for which you are applying. Be sure to include total hours in relevant aircraft types as well.
The purpose of a cover letter is to identify your reason for writing to the employer and to show how your previous activities, skills and experience lead to the job and organization you are applying for.
The cover letter should be targeted to the specific job with a specific employer. Like the resume, it should be visually pleasing, concise, and should be a single-page PDF. Unlike the resume, the cover letter should be written in letter format, to be read and not glanced at. Key points are to be structured within paragraphs. You should assume that the cover letter will only be read after the reader determines that your resume is strong enough that you might be qualified for the job. So, reinforce key points in your resume but don’t simply repeat them.
The cover letter should include specific examples to drive home the point you are trying to make. When describing these examples, establish the situation, the action you took, and the results of your efforts. If it makes sense, use the same action verbs and descriptors found in the employer’s job description to describe your own experience.
Below are a few free downloadable files, which include resume and cover letter samples and word document templates, and a list of effective resume action verbs:
The cover letter should be targeted to the specific job with a specific employer. Like the resume, it should be visually pleasing, concise, and should be a single-page PDF. Unlike the resume, the cover letter should be written in letter format, to be read and not glanced at. Key points are to be structured within paragraphs. You should assume that the cover letter will only be read after the reader determines that your resume is strong enough that you might be qualified for the job. So, reinforce key points in your resume but don’t simply repeat them.
The cover letter should include specific examples to drive home the point you are trying to make. When describing these examples, establish the situation, the action you took, and the results of your efforts. If it makes sense, use the same action verbs and descriptors found in the employer’s job description to describe your own experience.
Below are a few free downloadable files, which include resume and cover letter samples and word document templates, and a list of effective resume action verbs:
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NetworkinG
It is not what you know, but who you know that makes the difference.
This adage sums up the most important factor in landing a job anywhere - networking. To demonstrate how this is true, look no further than your own hopes and dreams. What is your “dream job” as a pilot?
Imagine a position in which you are paid $200,000+ per year to fly a Gulfstream 2-3 times per month and can spend the rest of that time spending time with your friends and family or working on your other hobbies. Or perhaps a job where you are paid to fly to exotic locations all over the world, where you get to spend time exploring the destination on the boss’ dime. Maybe your dream is to manage and fly a small jet a handful of days a month for an easy-going owner in your hometown. Or maybe you want to get hired by a major airline and make truckloads of money.
Whatever your dream, you are almost certainly in a better position to have a shot at it if you know the person(s) responsible for hiring, or at least know someone who is within their circle. As frustrating as it might be, meritocracy is not all that prevalent in the aviation world. It doesn’t matter how great of a pilot you are - dream jobs like the ones mentioned rarely go to the best, most experienced pilots on the market. Instead, these jobs are going to the people that are within the employers network; people they know, or referrals sent to them by people they know and trust. In many cases, these dream jobs are never even advertised beyond word of mouth within a tight network of people close to the decision maker.
And it’s not just dream jobs - it's any flying job. For low time pilots, knowing the owner of an aerial tour company or drop zone might mean a guaranteed job upon passing the commercial pilot checkride. Giving primary flight instruction to a wealthy individual with a Cirrus could lead to a job as their pilot when they buy a TBM or Citation Jet down the road, or an acquaintance who works the desk at the FBO might be able to pass your name along to an employer on the field.
There is no denying it: after clearing the hurdles of minimum experience required by regulation and insurance, who you know is the number one deciding factor in getting you into that seat, and it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out why.
It's Human Nature 101. We tend to favor other humans with whom we have some kind of connection and familiarity. We like to share with those people. What’s more, the opinions, recommendations, and advice given from those with whom we are connected carry quite a bit of weight.
These connections are not necessarily predicated on a long friendship or work history either. Networks can be developed with as little as simply introducing oneself to a passerby in the FBO. When this occurs once or twice, familiarity develops and this can be all it takes to start up a conversation - perhaps one that discusses opportunities on the airfield such as a recent instructor position opening at the flight school, or the sharing of a rumor that a local corporate flight department is looking for a new copilot.
Networking in hopes of finding a pilot job can take place well beyond the fences of the airport. One never knows where they will bump into someone in the right place at the right time.
My own journey in aviation is tied to a fateful day in French class during my junior year of high school. I overheard a classmate talking about his job at the airport, at which point my ears perked up. I heard him mention that he would be leaving the job soon, so after class I approached him and asked him about what I had heard. He told me a bit about the job, and when I said I would be interested in taking over when he left, he said he would put me in touch with his boss.
I ended up getting the job, which was a position working for an FBO loading UPS boxes into cargo aircraft and cleaning aircraft. After passing my commercial pilot checkride years later, that same FBO hired me to fly in the right seat of a Cessna Citation, and later on I ended up in a CJ, Hawker jet, and Bombardier Challenger with the same company.
My first aircraft management and pilot job was also a result of networking off the airport as well. During a local festival held in town a couple years ago, I struck up a conversation with a representative of a festival sponsor at their booth. Somehow the topic of my career as a private jet pilot came up, and the representative disclosed that their company owned a jet. I was given the contact information for their pilot and I reached out. They were not in need of help at the time, and my experience was a little on the low side for their insurance, but their pilot told me to check in every now and then.
So that is what I did. Every six months or so, I sent an email or text to see if they needed help. They never did. Over time, I was able to get in touch with a number of other flight departments in the area, and every six months I would reach out to them as well.
One day, I got a bite. The pilot for the company that I had originally reached out to responded saying that though his flight department wasn’t looking for help, he knew of a jet owner on the field who needed a new pilot and aircraft manager. I was put in touch with that owner, and based on the recommendation by our mutual acquaintance, the owner agreed to meet me over a beer.
The meeting was very informal. Our personalities clicked, and what I lacked in aircraft management experience I made up for in ambition to learn. I was hired, and a month or so later I began flying and managing his jet.
I want to emphasize just how critical the networking part of this process was. I had never flown with or worked with the pilot who recommended me for the job. I had never even met this pilot in person. The only relationship we had was based on a short phone call a few years back and the quick check-in I would do twice per year. Yet, this relationship was all that was needed.
The job I got was never advertised on a job board. It was kept within a tight circle of local pilots. You’d expect that the person hired to manage a jet and fly it single-pilot for a first-time owner would have many thousands of flight hours and years of management experience.
I had 1,800 hours and no management experience.
On paper, I wasn’t a competitive candidate at all and my resume probably would have been at the bottom of the stack if this job had been posted publicly.
The insurance company only agreed to work with me because most of my time had been logged in jets. I had time in type, and I had a few hundred hours of single-pilot jet flying under my belt as well. I had been turned down by insurance companies in the past many times due to lack of experience, so that is what I was expecting this time around as well. I was shocked when I found out that insurance had approved me.
The only reason the job went to me - an admittedly under qualified candidate - and not to someone much more experienced and qualified for the job was the simple fact that I was acquainted with someone in the owner’s network. That acquaintance allowed me to be in the right place at the right time. Without that advantage, I never would have stood a chance.
The importance of networking doesn’t diminish throughout your career, so you should never stop expanding and strengthening your network. Aviation is very dynamic, and you never know when you may need to rely on your network for your next opportunity. The more relationships you have in your network, the stronger and more effective your network becomes because each relationship you have is tied to someone who has their own bundle of relationships. This phenomenon is known as the network effect.
In fact, a full-time contract pilots’ livelihood is dictated by their network. In many cases, just four or five strong contacts in their network can be enough to keep trips coming consistently for years, and such networks can bring in yearly self-employed income of well over $200,000 depending on the type of aircraft.
In this day and age, there are a number of networking tools available online, so in many respects it is no longer necessary to wait for the serendipitous meeting in the FBO hallway or chance meeting with the right person at a community event. While online connections are generally not as deep as those formed in-person, online you can be proactive and seek out connections with people with incredible efficiency. Opportunities from all corners of the world can be presented in a single online location, accessible from your couch, and all it takes is one connection with the right person at the right time.
This adage sums up the most important factor in landing a job anywhere - networking. To demonstrate how this is true, look no further than your own hopes and dreams. What is your “dream job” as a pilot?
Imagine a position in which you are paid $200,000+ per year to fly a Gulfstream 2-3 times per month and can spend the rest of that time spending time with your friends and family or working on your other hobbies. Or perhaps a job where you are paid to fly to exotic locations all over the world, where you get to spend time exploring the destination on the boss’ dime. Maybe your dream is to manage and fly a small jet a handful of days a month for an easy-going owner in your hometown. Or maybe you want to get hired by a major airline and make truckloads of money.
Whatever your dream, you are almost certainly in a better position to have a shot at it if you know the person(s) responsible for hiring, or at least know someone who is within their circle. As frustrating as it might be, meritocracy is not all that prevalent in the aviation world. It doesn’t matter how great of a pilot you are - dream jobs like the ones mentioned rarely go to the best, most experienced pilots on the market. Instead, these jobs are going to the people that are within the employers network; people they know, or referrals sent to them by people they know and trust. In many cases, these dream jobs are never even advertised beyond word of mouth within a tight network of people close to the decision maker.
And it’s not just dream jobs - it's any flying job. For low time pilots, knowing the owner of an aerial tour company or drop zone might mean a guaranteed job upon passing the commercial pilot checkride. Giving primary flight instruction to a wealthy individual with a Cirrus could lead to a job as their pilot when they buy a TBM or Citation Jet down the road, or an acquaintance who works the desk at the FBO might be able to pass your name along to an employer on the field.
There is no denying it: after clearing the hurdles of minimum experience required by regulation and insurance, who you know is the number one deciding factor in getting you into that seat, and it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out why.
It's Human Nature 101. We tend to favor other humans with whom we have some kind of connection and familiarity. We like to share with those people. What’s more, the opinions, recommendations, and advice given from those with whom we are connected carry quite a bit of weight.
These connections are not necessarily predicated on a long friendship or work history either. Networks can be developed with as little as simply introducing oneself to a passerby in the FBO. When this occurs once or twice, familiarity develops and this can be all it takes to start up a conversation - perhaps one that discusses opportunities on the airfield such as a recent instructor position opening at the flight school, or the sharing of a rumor that a local corporate flight department is looking for a new copilot.
Networking in hopes of finding a pilot job can take place well beyond the fences of the airport. One never knows where they will bump into someone in the right place at the right time.
My own journey in aviation is tied to a fateful day in French class during my junior year of high school. I overheard a classmate talking about his job at the airport, at which point my ears perked up. I heard him mention that he would be leaving the job soon, so after class I approached him and asked him about what I had heard. He told me a bit about the job, and when I said I would be interested in taking over when he left, he said he would put me in touch with his boss.
I ended up getting the job, which was a position working for an FBO loading UPS boxes into cargo aircraft and cleaning aircraft. After passing my commercial pilot checkride years later, that same FBO hired me to fly in the right seat of a Cessna Citation, and later on I ended up in a CJ, Hawker jet, and Bombardier Challenger with the same company.
My first aircraft management and pilot job was also a result of networking off the airport as well. During a local festival held in town a couple years ago, I struck up a conversation with a representative of a festival sponsor at their booth. Somehow the topic of my career as a private jet pilot came up, and the representative disclosed that their company owned a jet. I was given the contact information for their pilot and I reached out. They were not in need of help at the time, and my experience was a little on the low side for their insurance, but their pilot told me to check in every now and then.
So that is what I did. Every six months or so, I sent an email or text to see if they needed help. They never did. Over time, I was able to get in touch with a number of other flight departments in the area, and every six months I would reach out to them as well.
One day, I got a bite. The pilot for the company that I had originally reached out to responded saying that though his flight department wasn’t looking for help, he knew of a jet owner on the field who needed a new pilot and aircraft manager. I was put in touch with that owner, and based on the recommendation by our mutual acquaintance, the owner agreed to meet me over a beer.
The meeting was very informal. Our personalities clicked, and what I lacked in aircraft management experience I made up for in ambition to learn. I was hired, and a month or so later I began flying and managing his jet.
I want to emphasize just how critical the networking part of this process was. I had never flown with or worked with the pilot who recommended me for the job. I had never even met this pilot in person. The only relationship we had was based on a short phone call a few years back and the quick check-in I would do twice per year. Yet, this relationship was all that was needed.
The job I got was never advertised on a job board. It was kept within a tight circle of local pilots. You’d expect that the person hired to manage a jet and fly it single-pilot for a first-time owner would have many thousands of flight hours and years of management experience.
I had 1,800 hours and no management experience.
On paper, I wasn’t a competitive candidate at all and my resume probably would have been at the bottom of the stack if this job had been posted publicly.
The insurance company only agreed to work with me because most of my time had been logged in jets. I had time in type, and I had a few hundred hours of single-pilot jet flying under my belt as well. I had been turned down by insurance companies in the past many times due to lack of experience, so that is what I was expecting this time around as well. I was shocked when I found out that insurance had approved me.
The only reason the job went to me - an admittedly under qualified candidate - and not to someone much more experienced and qualified for the job was the simple fact that I was acquainted with someone in the owner’s network. That acquaintance allowed me to be in the right place at the right time. Without that advantage, I never would have stood a chance.
The importance of networking doesn’t diminish throughout your career, so you should never stop expanding and strengthening your network. Aviation is very dynamic, and you never know when you may need to rely on your network for your next opportunity. The more relationships you have in your network, the stronger and more effective your network becomes because each relationship you have is tied to someone who has their own bundle of relationships. This phenomenon is known as the network effect.
In fact, a full-time contract pilots’ livelihood is dictated by their network. In many cases, just four or five strong contacts in their network can be enough to keep trips coming consistently for years, and such networks can bring in yearly self-employed income of well over $200,000 depending on the type of aircraft.
In this day and age, there are a number of networking tools available online, so in many respects it is no longer necessary to wait for the serendipitous meeting in the FBO hallway or chance meeting with the right person at a community event. While online connections are generally not as deep as those formed in-person, online you can be proactive and seek out connections with people with incredible efficiency. Opportunities from all corners of the world can be presented in a single online location, accessible from your couch, and all it takes is one connection with the right person at the right time.
Facebook GroupS
Facebook’s Groups can offer great free opportunities to learn, network, and find permanent or temporary employment. In fact, I would argue that these Facebook Groups might be some of the very best resources to begin your job search. By joining these groups, you will have access to thousands of members’ job-related postings, as well as the ability to comment on those postings, direct message members, and even create your own posts which may include questions or requests for work in a certain area.
Here are just a few of the prominent low time job-related Facebook Groups you might find useful. I have included their member population as of this excerpt publishing in October 2025:
The following groups will probably be more useful to you as you pass the 1,500 hour mark and/or begin flying jets, as these groups cater to higher time pilots.
Many of these groups will be more or less useful to you depending on your experience level and aviation career aspirations. For example, pilots with 500 or more hours might find the Aerial Survey Pilots group to be a useful group, as that experience level matches the experience requirements of many of those jobs. That same 500 hour pilot joining the Private Jet Pilots group is probably not going to find anything there for them.
Unfortunately, online interactions - which are carried out from the safety of a keyboard and lack essential human communication cues like tone of voice, inflection, and body language - can bring out the worst in people.
Here is some general advice that should help keep aviation-related Facebook Group interactions a positive experience:
Here are just a few of the prominent low time job-related Facebook Groups you might find useful. I have included their member population as of this excerpt publishing in October 2025:
- Aerial Survey Pilots, 11K members
- Aviation Career Mentoring & Time Building, 11.6K members
- Aviation Career Mentorship, 45.4K members
- Ferry Pilot, 19.8K members
- Low Time Pilot Jobs FREE, 15K members
- Pilot Jobs Network, 35.5K members
- Pilot Job Listings (250+TT) , 40.7K members
- Pilot Job Search, 79.9K members
The following groups will probably be more useful to you as you pass the 1,500 hour mark and/or begin flying jets, as these groups cater to higher time pilots.
- CAJL Contract Pilots Network, 13.4K members
- Citation Jets Pilot Group, 6K members
- Citation Pilots Group, 4.1K members
- PJP (Private Jet Pilots), 19.6K members
- PJP Contract Pilots, 6.7K members
- PJP Jobs, 8.8K members
- Professional Jet Pilots, 18.5K members
Many of these groups will be more or less useful to you depending on your experience level and aviation career aspirations. For example, pilots with 500 or more hours might find the Aerial Survey Pilots group to be a useful group, as that experience level matches the experience requirements of many of those jobs. That same 500 hour pilot joining the Private Jet Pilots group is probably not going to find anything there for them.
Unfortunately, online interactions - which are carried out from the safety of a keyboard and lack essential human communication cues like tone of voice, inflection, and body language - can bring out the worst in people.
Here is some general advice that should help keep aviation-related Facebook Group interactions a positive experience:
- Make sure your posts are appropriate for the Group to which they are submitted. For example, don’t ask about low time career mentorship within a contract pilot job listings Group. Instead, submit such a question to a Group that is dedicated to serving career mentorship questions.
- There is an element of tribalism that can develop amongst members of a Group, particularly Groups that encourage the sharing of job opportunities. If your interactions are perceived as you trying to undercut other members or offering to work for free, don’t be surprised if members respond poorly. This includes posts in which a low time pilot asks for job opportunities normally reserved for higher time pilots. An example of a post that might not be received well if posted to a professional jet pilot Group might look like this: “300-hour pilot looking to fly right seat in a jet.”
- Never, ever offer to fly for free.
- If you have a question or request that you would like to pose to members of the group, it is good etiquette to first put in a little effort to find the information you are seeking before creating a post. Use the Group search bar, look it up on Google, or dive into FAA or manufacturer publications, if applicable, to find the information you seek before asking the members of the group for help. If you can’t find it on your own, and you are unsatisfied after searching for previous Group posts on the subject, then find the appropriate Group and ask, letting members know what steps you have already taken to find the information.
- Be careful what you post. Aviation is a very, very small world, and online, people become especially easy to trigger. Think before you act. Stuff that you say online can easily come back to bite you. Ignore mean comments, and respond with kindness and appreciation if there is something in their response that shows even a thin attempt at helping you. You never know when a future employer is reading comments you have made, either recently or years ago.
While many people roll their eyes at the platform, my interactions on LinkedIn led to thousands of dollars worth of contract flying, quite a few hours in the right seat of a Citation, and an interview to fly as a full-time copilot in an Astra. Don’t underestimate its utility. All it takes is a single successful connection on LinkedIn and you may find yourself with a new job or contract flying gig, either directly through the person you are connecting with, or through a referral from that person to someone else in their network who is in need.
I tried a few different approaches to using LinkedIn.
First, I pulled up FlightAware.com and looked up my local airport. I used FlightAware to locate all of the corporate jets that made regular appearances there, and by navigating to the aircraft’s registration page on the FlightAware website, I was able to see who owned the airplane. I used Google to see if there were any ties between the entity that owned the airplane and any businesses or organizations. For example, if an LLC had been created for the airplane, I would Google that LLC’s name, find its address, and type that address into Google. More often than not, Google searching that address would bring up a company or organization that shared the same address. If that was the case, I was able to do some research on the organization and try to connect with someone involved with that organization’s aircraft through their website or LinkedIn.
You have to adopt very mild stalker-like tactics here, and I won’t apologize for encouraging that. It's 2025 and we have the internet - take advantage of it by being resourceful.
Another approach I used was simply to type the word “pilot” in the LinkedIn search bar, and change the location parameters of the search to only include results from whatever town I was living in. This search would pull up local results of anyone whose job title was “pilot.” I would then connect with them.
When one attempts to “connect” on LinkedIn, one is prompted with the option to include a message. Take advantage of this opportunity to briefly communicate your intention. There is a finite number of characters allowed in the message, so it is important to craft your message carefully.
Here is an example of one of my connection messages.
Hi John,
I am a contract pilot/CFI here in Portland and I wanted to connect in case you ever need help. I am typed and current in the CE-500 and CE-525S, and I have SIC types in the Hawker 800 and Challenger 600 as well. Happy to help any way I can!
Sincerely,
Michael Carlini
123-456-7891
That message describes what I do and where I am located, my ratings, and what I am looking for. If someone has no use for connecting with you, don’t be offended - this type of cold calling is going to go nowhere almost every time. But, should your message reach the right person at the right time - perhaps a chief pilot who just lost his copilot to the airlines and needs a replacement ASAP - you might just land yourself a job.
This next message was the actual message I sent to a local pilot years ago, which resulted in success. The pilot was seeking a full-time SIC for their Astra and Citation. I interviewed, and the company wanted to hire me, but sadly, their insurance company wouldn’t insure me on the Astra due to lack of experience. They were, however, able to hire me as a contract copilot in their Citation:
Hi Mr. Black,
I am a commercial pilot/CFI here in ___, and I wanted to connect with other pilots in the area with the hopes of filling any open right seats. Currently I am a contract SIC on a Hawker 800 out of ____, with SIC time in CE-500's as well.
Sincerely,
Michael Carlini
123-456-7891
His response, just moments later
Michael,
Would much appreciate it if you sent me a copy of your resume. We are currently looking for a pilot to fly as SIC in our Astra and in a CE-500. SIC check outs would be done in house for both aircraft via FAR 61.55. CE-500 type rating would be considered for the appropriate candidate in the future.
Thank you
Paul Black
Chief Pilot at Donner Industries
If you are afraid of rejection, this form of cold calling is great because the worst that can happen is someone never gets back to you and you don’t know if that is because they denied your connection, weren’t interested in talking with you, or just don’t use LinkedIn often and never saw the invitation. You can copy and paste your well-crafted introduction message each time, but I do encourage you to greet them with their name to add a more personal touch.
Be persistent. I said it before, and I will say it again: all it takes is one single successful connection.
The other way to use LinkedIn to find a job is by searching for one on their job board. Type “pilot” in the job search bar and limit your location to where you are hoping to work. In my experience, most flying job listings posted to LinkedIn are not low time flying jobs, but you may get lucky.
I tried a few different approaches to using LinkedIn.
First, I pulled up FlightAware.com and looked up my local airport. I used FlightAware to locate all of the corporate jets that made regular appearances there, and by navigating to the aircraft’s registration page on the FlightAware website, I was able to see who owned the airplane. I used Google to see if there were any ties between the entity that owned the airplane and any businesses or organizations. For example, if an LLC had been created for the airplane, I would Google that LLC’s name, find its address, and type that address into Google. More often than not, Google searching that address would bring up a company or organization that shared the same address. If that was the case, I was able to do some research on the organization and try to connect with someone involved with that organization’s aircraft through their website or LinkedIn.
You have to adopt very mild stalker-like tactics here, and I won’t apologize for encouraging that. It's 2025 and we have the internet - take advantage of it by being resourceful.
Another approach I used was simply to type the word “pilot” in the LinkedIn search bar, and change the location parameters of the search to only include results from whatever town I was living in. This search would pull up local results of anyone whose job title was “pilot.” I would then connect with them.
When one attempts to “connect” on LinkedIn, one is prompted with the option to include a message. Take advantage of this opportunity to briefly communicate your intention. There is a finite number of characters allowed in the message, so it is important to craft your message carefully.
Here is an example of one of my connection messages.
Hi John,
I am a contract pilot/CFI here in Portland and I wanted to connect in case you ever need help. I am typed and current in the CE-500 and CE-525S, and I have SIC types in the Hawker 800 and Challenger 600 as well. Happy to help any way I can!
Sincerely,
Michael Carlini
123-456-7891
That message describes what I do and where I am located, my ratings, and what I am looking for. If someone has no use for connecting with you, don’t be offended - this type of cold calling is going to go nowhere almost every time. But, should your message reach the right person at the right time - perhaps a chief pilot who just lost his copilot to the airlines and needs a replacement ASAP - you might just land yourself a job.
This next message was the actual message I sent to a local pilot years ago, which resulted in success. The pilot was seeking a full-time SIC for their Astra and Citation. I interviewed, and the company wanted to hire me, but sadly, their insurance company wouldn’t insure me on the Astra due to lack of experience. They were, however, able to hire me as a contract copilot in their Citation:
Hi Mr. Black,
I am a commercial pilot/CFI here in ___, and I wanted to connect with other pilots in the area with the hopes of filling any open right seats. Currently I am a contract SIC on a Hawker 800 out of ____, with SIC time in CE-500's as well.
Sincerely,
Michael Carlini
123-456-7891
His response, just moments later
Michael,
Would much appreciate it if you sent me a copy of your resume. We are currently looking for a pilot to fly as SIC in our Astra and in a CE-500. SIC check outs would be done in house for both aircraft via FAR 61.55. CE-500 type rating would be considered for the appropriate candidate in the future.
Thank you
Paul Black
Chief Pilot at Donner Industries
If you are afraid of rejection, this form of cold calling is great because the worst that can happen is someone never gets back to you and you don’t know if that is because they denied your connection, weren’t interested in talking with you, or just don’t use LinkedIn often and never saw the invitation. You can copy and paste your well-crafted introduction message each time, but I do encourage you to greet them with their name to add a more personal touch.
Be persistent. I said it before, and I will say it again: all it takes is one single successful connection.
The other way to use LinkedIn to find a job is by searching for one on their job board. Type “pilot” in the job search bar and limit your location to where you are hoping to work. In my experience, most flying job listings posted to LinkedIn are not low time flying jobs, but you may get lucky.
Pilot Job WebsiteS
Websites such as ClimbTo350.com and JSFirm.com host job listings specifically for aviation-related jobs, and a significant portion of these job listings are pilot positions. JSFirm, like Craigslist, charges the employer in exchange for hosting their job listing, and job-seekers can respond to such postings for free. ClimbTo350 goes the opposite route and allows employers to post for free while requiring job-seekers to pay a small fee to reveal the employer and contact information. You will probably find a majority of these job listings are part 91 or part 135 turbine aircraft jobs, and similarly to LinkedIn, you may have to be patient and check regularly to catch a low time job showing up.
AirlinePilotCentral.com, and their partner, AirlinePilotForums.com, are both great learning resources for job seekers. These websites often contain the most up-to-date database of user-submitted hiring news, pay rates, fleet information, and hub information for virtually every airline out there, including part 135 operators that hire low time pilots. The forum is also a great way to seek information and communicate with other users, including current and past employees and other job applicants.
AirlinePilotCentral.com, and their partner, AirlinePilotForums.com, are both great learning resources for job seekers. These websites often contain the most up-to-date database of user-submitted hiring news, pay rates, fleet information, and hub information for virtually every airline out there, including part 135 operators that hire low time pilots. The forum is also a great way to seek information and communicate with other users, including current and past employees and other job applicants.
Pilot Job FairS
How cool would it be to show up at a convention center in Vegas with hundreds of booths set up by employers - charter operators, small part 91 corporate departments, survey operators, drop zone operators, etc - who are looking to hire pilots for a wide variety of pilot jobs!
Unfortunately, this type of job fair doesn't really exist.
Pilot job fairs do exist, but for the most part the only vendors are regional airlines, and quite often the “job fair” is really just an informational and recruiting event for that single regional airline. This is great if you are approaching ATP minimums and are interested in flying for the airlines, but not as useful if you are a low time pilot or have aspirations to do other kinds of flying. Airlines have the resources to put on these kinds of events, but smaller operations simply do not.
Unfortunately, this type of job fair doesn't really exist.
Pilot job fairs do exist, but for the most part the only vendors are regional airlines, and quite often the “job fair” is really just an informational and recruiting event for that single regional airline. This is great if you are approaching ATP minimums and are interested in flying for the airlines, but not as useful if you are a low time pilot or have aspirations to do other kinds of flying. Airlines have the resources to put on these kinds of events, but smaller operations simply do not.
A Note On Training Contracts
Disclaimer: the author is not a lawyer, and the information in this section is not legal advice. Readers should contact their attorney to obtain advice with respect to any particular legal matter.
One way for employers to help minimize financial and operational risk is to impose training contracts on new-hire pilots. The idea is that the employer will provide training to the pilot, often at great expense to the employer, but the employer will only do so if the pilot signs a contract legally binding them to reimburse the employer for the cost (usually prorated) if the pilot quits before a set period of time has elapsed.
These training contracts are designed to incentivize pilots from leaving the company. Instead of creating a working environment in which a pilot would willingly choose to stay with a company, a training contract is essentially an employer’s way of chaining a pilot to the company with a debt that must be paid either through service to the company or actual cash. In this way, the employer is shifting the liability of their investment on to the pilot.
While a pilot is certainly free to make the choice as to accept or decline a job offer that is predicated upon the signing of a training contract, there is a major ideological issue with the concept of a training contract in this context.
If a business is able to collect all the profits from a given venture, they must also assume the costs and risks inherent in pursuing such a venture. Such costs and risks include training expenses and employee turnover. Luckily for the business, employee turnover can be minimized by the proper incentives, such as providing competitive employee compensation and establishing a healthy working environment and company culture. In short, a business can minimize turnover by making theirs a good or great place to work.
If the aforementioned incentives are examples of a business “rewarding” employees for their continued service to the business’ pursuit of profit, a training contract is an example of a business threatening to “punish” an employee if they leave. It is the “stick” method instead of the “carrot.”
This does not imply that a business is “evil” or wishes to financially harm an employee out of malice. It may be that the difference between a business remaining open and a business closing is the loss of one or two essential employees, and that the only way for a business to operate securely is to have an assurance that their investment in employee training can be recouped.
Further, there are some bad apples out there who complete training solely to acquire a type rating, bonus, or certification, and then quit the next day (this is precisely why training contracts exist in this industry in the first place, and doing this can be a great way to sabotage your reputation amongst employers and peers alike - don’t do it).
But the fact of the matter is that an employee should not be shouldered with the burdens of a business’ training expenses and turnover. These burdens fall squarely on the shoulders of those who stand to profit from the venture - the owners. If the business cannot be operated in such a way that training contracts are not necessary, that is a reflection on either the leadership of the business, or the viability of the business model.
Nevertheless, low time pilot jobs that require significant training investments very often do require that the pilot sign a one to two-year training contract. These training contracts are drawn up by the employer’s lawyers, so they will heavily favor the employer.
If you can, avoid a job that requires you to sign a training contract in the first place. The more pilots who refuse to sign these contracts, the more employers will be forced to find other ways of incentivising their employees to stay, and the better life will be for all professional pilots.
If you are seriously interested in a job that requires you to sign a training contract, ask current and past employees about their experience with the company. Do your research and look for red flags. If, after this research, you are still interested, have an aviation attorney review the contract before you sign it so that you understand exactly what you are agreeing to in the contract. If there are concerns, see if the employer may be willing to negotiate contract terms with you. They may or may not agree to negotiate, but if they don’t agree, their response could give you a small taste of how you might expect to be treated as their employee
One way for employers to help minimize financial and operational risk is to impose training contracts on new-hire pilots. The idea is that the employer will provide training to the pilot, often at great expense to the employer, but the employer will only do so if the pilot signs a contract legally binding them to reimburse the employer for the cost (usually prorated) if the pilot quits before a set period of time has elapsed.
These training contracts are designed to incentivize pilots from leaving the company. Instead of creating a working environment in which a pilot would willingly choose to stay with a company, a training contract is essentially an employer’s way of chaining a pilot to the company with a debt that must be paid either through service to the company or actual cash. In this way, the employer is shifting the liability of their investment on to the pilot.
While a pilot is certainly free to make the choice as to accept or decline a job offer that is predicated upon the signing of a training contract, there is a major ideological issue with the concept of a training contract in this context.
If a business is able to collect all the profits from a given venture, they must also assume the costs and risks inherent in pursuing such a venture. Such costs and risks include training expenses and employee turnover. Luckily for the business, employee turnover can be minimized by the proper incentives, such as providing competitive employee compensation and establishing a healthy working environment and company culture. In short, a business can minimize turnover by making theirs a good or great place to work.
If the aforementioned incentives are examples of a business “rewarding” employees for their continued service to the business’ pursuit of profit, a training contract is an example of a business threatening to “punish” an employee if they leave. It is the “stick” method instead of the “carrot.”
This does not imply that a business is “evil” or wishes to financially harm an employee out of malice. It may be that the difference between a business remaining open and a business closing is the loss of one or two essential employees, and that the only way for a business to operate securely is to have an assurance that their investment in employee training can be recouped.
Further, there are some bad apples out there who complete training solely to acquire a type rating, bonus, or certification, and then quit the next day (this is precisely why training contracts exist in this industry in the first place, and doing this can be a great way to sabotage your reputation amongst employers and peers alike - don’t do it).
But the fact of the matter is that an employee should not be shouldered with the burdens of a business’ training expenses and turnover. These burdens fall squarely on the shoulders of those who stand to profit from the venture - the owners. If the business cannot be operated in such a way that training contracts are not necessary, that is a reflection on either the leadership of the business, or the viability of the business model.
Nevertheless, low time pilot jobs that require significant training investments very often do require that the pilot sign a one to two-year training contract. These training contracts are drawn up by the employer’s lawyers, so they will heavily favor the employer.
If you can, avoid a job that requires you to sign a training contract in the first place. The more pilots who refuse to sign these contracts, the more employers will be forced to find other ways of incentivising their employees to stay, and the better life will be for all professional pilots.
If you are seriously interested in a job that requires you to sign a training contract, ask current and past employees about their experience with the company. Do your research and look for red flags. If, after this research, you are still interested, have an aviation attorney review the contract before you sign it so that you understand exactly what you are agreeing to in the contract. If there are concerns, see if the employer may be willing to negotiate contract terms with you. They may or may not agree to negotiate, but if they don’t agree, their response could give you a small taste of how you might expect to be treated as their employee
CompensatioN
Flying jobs are very much subject to the laws of supply and demand.
To sum it up, if there are lots of pilots and only a few flying job openings, employers can get away with offering lower levels of compensation. In essence, it is a competition between pilots over who is willing to work for the least amount of money. The pilot who is willing to accept the least amount of compensation gets the job.
At its ugliest, when labor and job markets create these conditions, employers offer programs in which pilots PAY the employer for the privilege of flying as a copilot in order to build time and experience. That’s right - the pilot PAYS the company to LET them work. These are the same market conditions in which airline pilots are paid $18,000 per year while sharing double occupancy rooms during training, using airport floors as commuting crash pads, and relying on food stamps to eat.
In contrast, when there are lots of flying jobs and only a few pilots to fill those openings, employers are forced to raise compensation in order to attract pilots to their company, and it is a competition between employers over who can offer the best compensation to get the pilot.
During these market conditions, employers scramble to offer bonuses and incentives that will attract and retain pilots. Staffing shortages force employers to offer very large bonuses to incentivise off-duty pilots to pick up unstaffed trips. The most highly-paid positions - usually those at major airlines - draw pilots from every corner of the industry, creating a vacuum effect that trickles down as far as low time and entry level flying jobs. Employers hiring for all types of pilot jobs are forced to increase compensation in order to attract and retain pilots.
While such economic conditions create very real challenges for businesses, which can end up impacting all of us as consumers, from a pilot perspective, this is when pilots have the most leverage with regard to compensation.
To sum it up, if there are lots of pilots and only a few flying job openings, employers can get away with offering lower levels of compensation. In essence, it is a competition between pilots over who is willing to work for the least amount of money. The pilot who is willing to accept the least amount of compensation gets the job.
At its ugliest, when labor and job markets create these conditions, employers offer programs in which pilots PAY the employer for the privilege of flying as a copilot in order to build time and experience. That’s right - the pilot PAYS the company to LET them work. These are the same market conditions in which airline pilots are paid $18,000 per year while sharing double occupancy rooms during training, using airport floors as commuting crash pads, and relying on food stamps to eat.
In contrast, when there are lots of flying jobs and only a few pilots to fill those openings, employers are forced to raise compensation in order to attract pilots to their company, and it is a competition between employers over who can offer the best compensation to get the pilot.
During these market conditions, employers scramble to offer bonuses and incentives that will attract and retain pilots. Staffing shortages force employers to offer very large bonuses to incentivise off-duty pilots to pick up unstaffed trips. The most highly-paid positions - usually those at major airlines - draw pilots from every corner of the industry, creating a vacuum effect that trickles down as far as low time and entry level flying jobs. Employers hiring for all types of pilot jobs are forced to increase compensation in order to attract and retain pilots.
While such economic conditions create very real challenges for businesses, which can end up impacting all of us as consumers, from a pilot perspective, this is when pilots have the most leverage with regard to compensation.
The “Pilot Shortage"
In the early 2020's, there was constant talk of a “pilot shortage.”
Well, there isn’t one now, there wasn't one then, and there is likely never to be one.
This section was originally written in 2022, and its being edited now in 2025. Originally, data was pulled from FAA and US Bureau of Labor Statistics websites, and presented to illustrate that there was no shortage by comparing the number of active commercial and ATP-certificated pilots (2020: 268,000 pilots) to the number of airline and commercial pilot jobs (2020: 114,000 jobs).
Pilot hiring is very cyclical, and even though it has slowed at the point of this excerpt publishing in 2025, it is sure to pick up again in the future. When it does pick up again, talk of another pilot shortage is likely to spring up again, so do yourself a favor and check out the data yourself:
1 - Visit the Airline and Commercial Pilots summary page of the US Bureau of Labor Statistics and find where it says the number of jobs during the most recent year.
2 - Visit the FAA’s site aviation data statistics page and download the Annual Statistics file for that year.
3 - Open the Excel file, navigate to Table 1 (T1), and calculate the sum of commercial and ATP-certificated pilots.
4 - Compare the number of jobs with the number of pilots and almost certainly you will see that there are far more pilots than there are jobs.
So what gives?
The "pilot shortage" is actually a shortage of pilots willing to work for what employers are willing to pay. That is all it is.
To help illustrate this, using the numbers from 2020, if all pilot employers - from drop zones to survey companies to charter to airlines - were to suddenly offer a one million dollar per year salary for each of their pilot positions, this so-called “pilot shortage” would cease to exist. This is because every last one of those 268,500 active pilots would fill the 114,000 pilot job positions.
In fact, there’d be a job shortage: over half the active pilots would be unable to find work! And while the one million dollar per year salary in this thought experiment is unrealistic, there are many pilot employers, currently suffering from staffing issues, who easily have the financial margins to increase pilot compensation, yet they do not.
Flight schools love to throw around the idea of a “pilot shortage” because it means that due to this “shortage of pilots,” pilots will be all but guaranteed work in the future, and the expensive and demanding process of flight training will be worthwhile. This marketing ploy draws in students, which is good for business.
But no - there is no shortage of pilots. There is just a shortage of pilots willing to work for the incentives - including salary, benefits, and quality of life - currently offered by employers. That is it. When employers offer the appropriate incentives, those jobs will be filled.
This is all a lead in to an important rule that is near and dear to any professional pilot’s heart; one which directly impacts each of us as a part and all of us as a whole, and one, which, if not abided, can land you blacklisted amongst fellow professional pilots. This rule is simple: Never work for free
Well, there isn’t one now, there wasn't one then, and there is likely never to be one.
This section was originally written in 2022, and its being edited now in 2025. Originally, data was pulled from FAA and US Bureau of Labor Statistics websites, and presented to illustrate that there was no shortage by comparing the number of active commercial and ATP-certificated pilots (2020: 268,000 pilots) to the number of airline and commercial pilot jobs (2020: 114,000 jobs).
Pilot hiring is very cyclical, and even though it has slowed at the point of this excerpt publishing in 2025, it is sure to pick up again in the future. When it does pick up again, talk of another pilot shortage is likely to spring up again, so do yourself a favor and check out the data yourself:
1 - Visit the Airline and Commercial Pilots summary page of the US Bureau of Labor Statistics and find where it says the number of jobs during the most recent year.
2 - Visit the FAA’s site aviation data statistics page and download the Annual Statistics file for that year.
3 - Open the Excel file, navigate to Table 1 (T1), and calculate the sum of commercial and ATP-certificated pilots.
4 - Compare the number of jobs with the number of pilots and almost certainly you will see that there are far more pilots than there are jobs.
So what gives?
The "pilot shortage" is actually a shortage of pilots willing to work for what employers are willing to pay. That is all it is.
To help illustrate this, using the numbers from 2020, if all pilot employers - from drop zones to survey companies to charter to airlines - were to suddenly offer a one million dollar per year salary for each of their pilot positions, this so-called “pilot shortage” would cease to exist. This is because every last one of those 268,500 active pilots would fill the 114,000 pilot job positions.
In fact, there’d be a job shortage: over half the active pilots would be unable to find work! And while the one million dollar per year salary in this thought experiment is unrealistic, there are many pilot employers, currently suffering from staffing issues, who easily have the financial margins to increase pilot compensation, yet they do not.
Flight schools love to throw around the idea of a “pilot shortage” because it means that due to this “shortage of pilots,” pilots will be all but guaranteed work in the future, and the expensive and demanding process of flight training will be worthwhile. This marketing ploy draws in students, which is good for business.
But no - there is no shortage of pilots. There is just a shortage of pilots willing to work for the incentives - including salary, benefits, and quality of life - currently offered by employers. That is it. When employers offer the appropriate incentives, those jobs will be filled.
This is all a lead in to an important rule that is near and dear to any professional pilot’s heart; one which directly impacts each of us as a part and all of us as a whole, and one, which, if not abided, can land you blacklisted amongst fellow professional pilots. This rule is simple: Never work for free
Never Work For FreE
If you peruse internet flying forums like Reddit or some of the Facebook Groups, every so often you will come across a posting or a comment in which someone has stated that they are offering free flying services in exchange for hours. Usually these offers are made by extremely low time commercial pilots or CFIs, oftentimes looking to bridge the difficult 250-500 hour gap.
The desire to offer to fly for free at this point in one’s career is completely understandable: after pouring tens of thousands of dollars into training and spending months or years grinding through ground school and flight training, no one can be blamed for wanting to do whatever it takes to build more hours so they can become eligible to get hired as a professional pilot.
In their defense, it’s not like anyone truly intends to fly for free indefinitely. One does so just long enough to bridge a gap so that they will have the experience required to make themselves eligible for that jump pilot or survey job. There are also no regulations stating that it is unlawful to choose not to charge for one’s time as a commercial pilot. Whose business is it of anyone else’s if someone chooses to offer their services for free? One might say that it is an individual’s choice.
And they’d be correct - it is an individual's choice…
But flying for free is an absolutely horrible thing to do, and no one should do it under any circumstances.
In fact, this opinion is so widely shared amongst professionals that if your peers find out you are flying for free for anyone, you may find yourself blacklisted. It is almost considered the same as crossing a picket line during a strike because of what it implies and the impact it can have on everyone else in the local and even national industry.
Even if you have the best of intentions, completely logical motives, and are otherwise innocent because you simply don’t know better, what flying for free implies is that you do not value the time and money that you have invested into your training, nor your time or skills as a professional, nor the profession itself. Further, it implies that you do not value the time and money invested by your fellow professional pilots in their training, nor their skills, nor their time.
By offering to fly for free, you are undercutting your own earning potential, as well as that of other professionals, making it more difficult for them to take care of their families and pursue their goals. You are showing employers that they don’t need to pay pilots (or pay them as much) in order to get them to work.
This is incredibly damaging to the profession. On a local level, just one pilot offering to work for free in exchange for hours can steal the livelihood of someone who needs the money to provide for a family. What bargaining power does one have when their neighbor is willing to do that same job at no cost to the employer?
Depending on who is doing the hiring, offering to work for free may actually guarantee you do not get hired. While a penny-pinching, non-pilot employer might appreciate the gesture, hiring managers who have a history of flying professionally understand how damaging it can be to offer flying services free of charge, and odds are that if such an offer is made to them, they will choose to hire someone else who values their own time and skillset.
In an effort to address obvious nuances, there are a handful of instances where working for free or reduced rates is acceptable. For example, no one is going to fault a CFI for offering to teach their kid or spouse or friend to fly for free. Along those lines, you will probably not be blacklisted for deciding to reduce your hourly rate while, for example, instructing a high school student who is working two jobs after school to achieve their dream. That is not being selfish - that is being generous. I was that high school student, and my instructor giving me a small discount on her hourly rate ended up making a monumental difference. I willingly offered the same help to young students while I was instructing as a way of paying it forward.
Similarly, giving your time and skills away for charity flight programs like Angel Flight or Pilots N Paws can help make the world a better place. They are great programs, and if you have the desire, the time, and the means to participate, you should.
But the aforementioned situations are not examples of undercutting the next guy to get ahead. They are not the same as advertising to customers and for-profit organizations that you will give your time and skills away freely in exchange for the privilege of flying their airplane and building hours.
Ultimately, no one can stop you from offering to fly for free, but going that route is an incredibly efficient way to lose friends in this industry and it all but guarantees that you will have a more difficult time finding work in the future.
The desire to offer to fly for free at this point in one’s career is completely understandable: after pouring tens of thousands of dollars into training and spending months or years grinding through ground school and flight training, no one can be blamed for wanting to do whatever it takes to build more hours so they can become eligible to get hired as a professional pilot.
In their defense, it’s not like anyone truly intends to fly for free indefinitely. One does so just long enough to bridge a gap so that they will have the experience required to make themselves eligible for that jump pilot or survey job. There are also no regulations stating that it is unlawful to choose not to charge for one’s time as a commercial pilot. Whose business is it of anyone else’s if someone chooses to offer their services for free? One might say that it is an individual’s choice.
And they’d be correct - it is an individual's choice…
But flying for free is an absolutely horrible thing to do, and no one should do it under any circumstances.
In fact, this opinion is so widely shared amongst professionals that if your peers find out you are flying for free for anyone, you may find yourself blacklisted. It is almost considered the same as crossing a picket line during a strike because of what it implies and the impact it can have on everyone else in the local and even national industry.
Even if you have the best of intentions, completely logical motives, and are otherwise innocent because you simply don’t know better, what flying for free implies is that you do not value the time and money that you have invested into your training, nor your time or skills as a professional, nor the profession itself. Further, it implies that you do not value the time and money invested by your fellow professional pilots in their training, nor their skills, nor their time.
By offering to fly for free, you are undercutting your own earning potential, as well as that of other professionals, making it more difficult for them to take care of their families and pursue their goals. You are showing employers that they don’t need to pay pilots (or pay them as much) in order to get them to work.
This is incredibly damaging to the profession. On a local level, just one pilot offering to work for free in exchange for hours can steal the livelihood of someone who needs the money to provide for a family. What bargaining power does one have when their neighbor is willing to do that same job at no cost to the employer?
Depending on who is doing the hiring, offering to work for free may actually guarantee you do not get hired. While a penny-pinching, non-pilot employer might appreciate the gesture, hiring managers who have a history of flying professionally understand how damaging it can be to offer flying services free of charge, and odds are that if such an offer is made to them, they will choose to hire someone else who values their own time and skillset.
In an effort to address obvious nuances, there are a handful of instances where working for free or reduced rates is acceptable. For example, no one is going to fault a CFI for offering to teach their kid or spouse or friend to fly for free. Along those lines, you will probably not be blacklisted for deciding to reduce your hourly rate while, for example, instructing a high school student who is working two jobs after school to achieve their dream. That is not being selfish - that is being generous. I was that high school student, and my instructor giving me a small discount on her hourly rate ended up making a monumental difference. I willingly offered the same help to young students while I was instructing as a way of paying it forward.
Similarly, giving your time and skills away for charity flight programs like Angel Flight or Pilots N Paws can help make the world a better place. They are great programs, and if you have the desire, the time, and the means to participate, you should.
But the aforementioned situations are not examples of undercutting the next guy to get ahead. They are not the same as advertising to customers and for-profit organizations that you will give your time and skills away freely in exchange for the privilege of flying their airplane and building hours.
Ultimately, no one can stop you from offering to fly for free, but going that route is an incredibly efficient way to lose friends in this industry and it all but guarantees that you will have a more difficult time finding work in the future.
Compensation In Turbine AircrafT
Another group of pilots who might be more willing to fly for free or reduced wages are those who are seeking turbine time. Often in the 500 to 1,500 hour range, low time pilots with the opportunity to sit right-seat in a Cessna Citation or King Air can be easily swayed to do it for free - especially if the company or flight department is small.
The temptation to do this is also understandable: flying a jet or turboprop means you’ve made it. You imagine the doors that might open if you keep the boss happy and show you are willing to help out now by flying for free…
NO! Think of the doors that will actually close if you fly for free. That boss now knows that you are desperate for the experience and will gladly save hundreds of dollars per day while “paying you” in experience.
In all fairness, sometimes the pilot is not the one offering to work for free. Instead, this request comes from the employer. This is a great way to peer into the future of how you will be treated by a given employer as a low time pilot because if he or she wants you to work for free in exchange for “experience” now, this is a clear indication that this employer either does not understand the profession (and possibly the actual the costs of operating an airplane), or they do not respect you or your time, and they are hoping to take advantage of you.
Sometimes such employer requests are not made with ill-intentions. A new aircraft owner might simply not be aware of industry standards. Aircraft owners frequently don’t spend their lives in aviation, and their involvement in aviation goes only as far as it must in order for them to enjoy the benefits of owning an aircraft.
If this is the case, it is likely someone came along before you - either a low time pilot who was also willing to work for free, or a very sleazy aircraft manager - and taught the owner that low time pilots could be convinced to work for free in exchange for valuable turbine time. This does unfortunately happen, and it is one of the major reasons why no one should ever work for free: it sets a precedent.
But any respectable pilot employer who has been in the game for a while should know enough about industry standard pilot compensation that they offer to pay qualified pilots a fair wage. Otherwise, they are taking advantage, and such a person or organization is not the type you want to work for. Where else might they be cutting corners to save a buck?
If the person offering to pay you with experience instead of money is a pilot him or herself, shame on them - they are knowingly attempting to take advantage of you. Such pilots are either completely out of touch and think that they are being generous by offering you an opportunity at all, or they are greedy. Either way, they’re no good. Look out for these types and keep your distance.
Closely related to proposing a low time pilot fly for free is paying them insultingly low amounts. In fact, depending on who is making the offer, this may be more manipulative than asking a pilot to fly for free. Low-ball compensation is very common with small operators and can be seemingly justified in a number of ways:
This list leads us to the next point…
The temptation to do this is also understandable: flying a jet or turboprop means you’ve made it. You imagine the doors that might open if you keep the boss happy and show you are willing to help out now by flying for free…
NO! Think of the doors that will actually close if you fly for free. That boss now knows that you are desperate for the experience and will gladly save hundreds of dollars per day while “paying you” in experience.
In all fairness, sometimes the pilot is not the one offering to work for free. Instead, this request comes from the employer. This is a great way to peer into the future of how you will be treated by a given employer as a low time pilot because if he or she wants you to work for free in exchange for “experience” now, this is a clear indication that this employer either does not understand the profession (and possibly the actual the costs of operating an airplane), or they do not respect you or your time, and they are hoping to take advantage of you.
Sometimes such employer requests are not made with ill-intentions. A new aircraft owner might simply not be aware of industry standards. Aircraft owners frequently don’t spend their lives in aviation, and their involvement in aviation goes only as far as it must in order for them to enjoy the benefits of owning an aircraft.
If this is the case, it is likely someone came along before you - either a low time pilot who was also willing to work for free, or a very sleazy aircraft manager - and taught the owner that low time pilots could be convinced to work for free in exchange for valuable turbine time. This does unfortunately happen, and it is one of the major reasons why no one should ever work for free: it sets a precedent.
But any respectable pilot employer who has been in the game for a while should know enough about industry standard pilot compensation that they offer to pay qualified pilots a fair wage. Otherwise, they are taking advantage, and such a person or organization is not the type you want to work for. Where else might they be cutting corners to save a buck?
If the person offering to pay you with experience instead of money is a pilot him or herself, shame on them - they are knowingly attempting to take advantage of you. Such pilots are either completely out of touch and think that they are being generous by offering you an opportunity at all, or they are greedy. Either way, they’re no good. Look out for these types and keep your distance.
Closely related to proposing a low time pilot fly for free is paying them insultingly low amounts. In fact, depending on who is making the offer, this may be more manipulative than asking a pilot to fly for free. Low-ball compensation is very common with small operators and can be seemingly justified in a number of ways:
- “You only have 500 hours, with little to no jet time, and pay is commensurate with experience”
- “The captain is single-pilot qualified. You aren’t a required crew member”
- “You should be lucky you are getting anything at all - there is a line at my door of low time guys like you willing to work for free!”
- “Think of all the doors this jet experience will open up for you!”
- “I know it isn’t much, but if things work out, it could lead to a raise”
- “You get great travel benefits and only have to work half the month”
- “We’d love to pay more, but there simply is not enough margin”
- “We’d have to increase our management fee and upset the customer”
- “We’re providing training and covering the host of other pilot expenses”
This list leads us to the next point…
Turbine Aircraft Ownership - IT IS Expensive, And IT IS Not Our ProbleM
The financial burdens of ownership and operation of an aircraft are on the owner. End of story. Period.
If the costs associated with owning and operating an aircraft are prohibitive to the owner, they need an airplane with less expensive ownership costs and/or less expensive operating costs. It is not on pilots (or aircraft managers) to take any kind of personal financial hit or unreasonable hit to their quality of life in order to make aircraft ownership more accessible for the boss.
While it is encouraged that pilots and aircraft managers offer advice, fly in a cost-efficient manner, and provide other proposals to help minimize costs (so long as they are safe and legal), a pilot’s fair compensation should never come into the discussion as a means to help reduce the financial burden for the owner.
If you are working as an employee and a type rating or recurrent training is required to fly the aircraft, or if pilot currency requirements need to be satisfied in order for you to operate the aircraft legally and safely, that is a necessary operational expense, and thus, the expense falls on the shoulders of the owner (if you are a contract pilot, on the other hand, it is reasonable that you pay for your own type ratings and recurrent training).
Your training, experience, expertise, and the privileges of your certifications should never come free to others in this line of work. If someone is going to benefit in any way from your being there, you should be compensated. The situation is irrelevant:
If the costs associated with owning and operating an aircraft are prohibitive to the owner, they need an airplane with less expensive ownership costs and/or less expensive operating costs. It is not on pilots (or aircraft managers) to take any kind of personal financial hit or unreasonable hit to their quality of life in order to make aircraft ownership more accessible for the boss.
While it is encouraged that pilots and aircraft managers offer advice, fly in a cost-efficient manner, and provide other proposals to help minimize costs (so long as they are safe and legal), a pilot’s fair compensation should never come into the discussion as a means to help reduce the financial burden for the owner.
If you are working as an employee and a type rating or recurrent training is required to fly the aircraft, or if pilot currency requirements need to be satisfied in order for you to operate the aircraft legally and safely, that is a necessary operational expense, and thus, the expense falls on the shoulders of the owner (if you are a contract pilot, on the other hand, it is reasonable that you pay for your own type ratings and recurrent training).
Your training, experience, expertise, and the privileges of your certifications should never come free to others in this line of work. If someone is going to benefit in any way from your being there, you should be compensated. The situation is irrelevant:
- If you are acting as a required crew member to satisfy an aircraft type certificate requirement, you should be compensated at market rates.
- If you are acting as a required crew member to satisfy a federal aviation regulation, you should be compensated at market rates.
- If you are acting as a crew member to satisfy insurance requirements, you should be compensated at market rates.
- If you are a non-essential crew member who has been asked to be there to add a layer of safety to an otherwise single-pilot operation, you should be compensated at market rates.
Compensation While Training
When it comes to training, compensation for one’s time tends to be a little more flexible and the terms may be negotiated between parties. All turbine operators certainly should be covering or reimbursing pilot expenses related to training, including any courses, books, supplies, tools, travel, and lodging. Generally, larger operators will also pay their trainees at least some kind of wage or stipend for their time. Small flight departments or individual aircraft owners should also cover meals and rental cars, but it is not unheard of for them to elect not to pay a pilot for their time while they are attending training.
In short, some owners will pay; others will not. There is no real industry standard for this. What is important is that terms are set before training so that everyone is clear on expectations.
In short, some owners will pay; others will not. There is no real industry standard for this. What is important is that terms are set before training so that everyone is clear on expectations.
Hopefully you found this course excerpt to be helpful for you! If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to shoot over a message.
If the course was helpful, there is a whole lot more available to you in the full course, which you can check out here.
If the course was helpful, there is a whole lot more available to you in the full course, which you can check out here.