A little bit higher and a little bit faster now...

TFaudree_ERAU · July 15th, 2007, 00:07

Howdy folks,

Good news and bad news.

Bad news first:
I'm going to have to pay back $1000 to Flight Express for breaking my 6 month training contract. BUT, even after the $1000 out of my pocket, at my new job, I'll come out $16,000 on top.

Now the good news:
I just got back from a job interview in Norfolk, VA and I'm pleased to announce that I was offered and have accepted a Lear 55 co-pilot position. The aircraft is based at the Norfolk Intl. Airport and is owned and operated under Part 91 by Tactical Air (what a pimp name if I say so myself), the flight department formed by a group of military contractors in the Norfolk/Hampton Roads area. Trips will be flown mostly to FL, Bahamas and the Caribbean. Simuflite training begins when I complete my final 2 weeks with FLX.

I'm so freakin ecstatic. This is an absolute dream come true for me. With only 950 TT and 50 multi, I would have never in my wildest dream imagined this opportunity to present itself. It took a lot of pull from the captain and a helluva letter of recommendation from the chief pilot of the FBO at which I used to instruct and fly charter (both friends of each other), but the decision was made very quickly by the top execs on the day of the interview.

On top of the salary, there is a full suite of benifits and two of the presidents just went in on a brand new Cirrus SR22 (not sure which generation; I'd assume a G2 or higher, since one of their other toys is a brand new Ferrari). One of my selling points was the CFI certificate, so they'll be sending me to the factory training course so I can give them instruction. Word is that I'll also give the captain some training and then we'll be able to use it for personal travel if there is an extended period of not flying the Lear.

And more good news...there are already talks of a CL601 ER in the next year or so. The partner companies are ready to go overseas and they need the equipment to do so.

Its so weird, because just last week I was contemplating my next move. I had set myself back in my career by leaving my first job at the FBO near my home, where I was accumulating multi time in a T310Q at a pretty good pace, for a flop of a company flying a ragged old 206. I am currently at FLX, but there is no telling when and where I'd have to move to get an upgrade to a Baron. And no offense to you 121ers (I got mad respect for guys dealing with all the headaches day in and day out), but I REALLY didn't want to have to go to the regionals to get the multi time and crew experience that I was needing.

It looks like I might be staying here for a while...

I'll keep you posted and try to keep the photo forum flooded with cockpit and in-flight shots, all in an attempt to keep you guys jealous.

Doug Taylor · July 15th, 2007, 00:33

Excellent, congrats!

Wolfy · July 15th, 2007, 01:14

This is amazing, something really worthy of congratulations. I could only imagine being there in two years.

BuickCFI · July 15th, 2007, 01:33

my dream job! congrats

mtsu_av8er · July 15th, 2007, 07:24

SWEETNESS!!!!! Woo-hoo!

That's freaking awesome! Good job, man!

Okie_Pilot · July 15th, 2007, 12:55

That's awesome! Congratulations.

Aero_Engineer · July 15th, 2007, 13:57

Congrats that's just great.

pedro · July 15th, 2007, 13:59

Congratulations man... Seems like there has been a lot of good news around here lately.

flyTotheSky · July 15th, 2007, 14:34

That IS a dream job...congrats!!

How many hours do they put on the Lear per year? Will you be living on a pager or have some sort of set schedule? Either way, sounds like a great opportunity.

Good job.

C310_pilot · July 15th, 2007, 15:28

Is the captain/chief pilot a Mr. A. Davis by any chance?

surreal1221 · July 15th, 2007, 17:50

Nice!

Rock on Travis and Congrats buddy!

XLR99 · July 15th, 2007, 21:37

Congrats!! Sounds like an excellent opportunity. More proof that networking and leaving previous jobs in good standing will pay off later!

TFaudree_ERAU · July 15th, 2007, 21:46

Quote:

Originally Posted by flyTotheSky

How many hours do they put on the Lear per year? Will you be living on a pager or have some sort of set schedule? Either way, sounds like a great opportunity.

Not really sure how many hours, but they said that prior to the Lear, they were chartering about once a week. As for schedule, the captain stipulated that we were to be given the courtesy of at least 8 hours for the call out, preferably 24, but he understood that there would be instances of needing to go immediately. The thing about it is that I'm planning to live no more than 20 minutes from the airport, and he is settled down in a town 2 hours away.

I'll be given a leash, aka a Blackberry, when I move up there.

Crockrocket94 · July 15th, 2007, 22:03

You best give pictures

Awesome job man!

Rocketman99 · July 15th, 2007, 22:09

Sweet deal man! Congrats!!

Aaron_Kearney · July 15th, 2007, 23:09

That's awesome bro ... congratulations

PGA07 · July 16th, 2007, 09:52

Very SWEEEEET! Good luck with the new gig and it is always nice to see someone achieve what they work hard for!

Murdoughnut · July 16th, 2007, 13:06

Sucks you'll be leaving the bay, but sounds like an awesome opportunity. Let me know if you need help moving - congrats!

Wolfy · July 16th, 2007, 15:01

Ok, so you have the same name as me with the exact job I want. Too weird.

Cruise · July 17th, 2007, 12:26

Congrats! Must be a great feeling if it is fulfilling a dream! Good for you.

wheelsup · July 17th, 2007, 12:38

I live in Virginia Beach. I've been looking into Norfolk Southern but they're pretty picky. Congrats on the job, if they get that Challenger hook a brother up, yo

.

Are you from the area originally? I wasn't but am starting to like it here more, if only it were cheaper to live. Most of the stuff by ORF is military, I'd suggest Chesapeake or Virginia Beach, my $0.02.

TFaudree_ERAU · July 17th, 2007, 13:06

Quote:

Originally Posted by wheelsup

Are you from the area originally? I wasn't but am starting to like it here more, if only it were cheaper to live. Most of the stuff by ORF is military, I'd suggest Chesapeake or Virginia Beach, my $0.02.

Yes sir, VA born and raised. I grew up on the Middle Peninsula in a town called Urbanna. My dad works at the Newport News Shipyard, putting his blood, sweat and tears into building the piping systems for the nuclear aircraft carriers and submarines.

If you like seafood and adult BEERverages, we'll have to get together on November 2nd and 3rd and head up to Urbanna for the annual Oyster Festival. This year is the 50th anniversary and its going to be big. Just imagine a town of 2 square miles with 600 residents jam packed with 60,000 people eating every kind of seafood imaginable. C310_Pilot has already expressed an interest, so it'd be awesome to have a little JC M&G there.

wheelsup · July 17th, 2007, 13:26

I think C310 was the guy across from me when I was renewing my CFI certs in Richmond...talk about a small world.

July 15th, 2007, 00:07	#1
TFaudree_ERAU Old Skool Join Date: May 2006 Location: Virginia is for Lovers, yacht chasing on the weekends Posts: 1,889	A little bit higher and a little bit faster now... Howdy folks, Good news and bad news. Bad news first: I'm going to have to pay back $1000 to Flight Express for breaking my 6 month training contract. BUT, even after the $1000 out of my pocket, at my new job, I'll come out $16,000 on top. Now the good news: I just got back from a job interview in Norfolk, VA and I'm pleased to announce that I was offered and have accepted a Lear 55 co-pilot position. The aircraft is based at the Norfolk Intl. Airport and is owned and operated under Part 91 by Tactical Air (what a pimp name if I say so myself), the flight department formed by a group of military contractors in the Norfolk/Hampton Roads area. Trips will be flown mostly to FL, Bahamas and the Caribbean. Simuflite training begins when I complete my final 2 weeks with FLX. I'm so freakin ecstatic. This is an absolute dream come true for me. With only 950 TT and 50 multi, I would have never in my wildest dream imagined this opportunity to present itself. It took a lot of pull from the captain and a helluva letter of recommendation from the chief pilot of the FBO at which I used to instruct and fly charter (both friends of each other), but the decision was made very quickly by the top execs on the day of the interview. On top of the salary, there is a full suite of benifits and two of the presidents just went in on a brand new Cirrus SR22 (not sure which generation; I'd assume a G2 or higher, since one of their other toys is a brand new Ferrari). One of my selling points was the CFI certificate, so they'll be sending me to the factory training course so I can give them instruction. Word is that I'll also give the captain some training and then we'll be able to use it for personal travel if there is an extended period of not flying the Lear. And more good news...there are already talks of a CL601 ER in the next year or so. The partner companies are ready to go overseas and they need the equipment to do so. Its so weird, because just last week I was contemplating my next move. I had set myself back in my career by leaving my first job at the FBO near my home, where I was accumulating multi time in a T310Q at a pretty good pace, for a flop of a company flying a ragged old 206. I am currently at FLX, but there is no telling when and where I'd have to move to get an upgrade to a Baron. And no offense to you 121ers (I got mad respect for guys dealing with all the headaches day in and day out), but I REALLY didn't want to have to go to the regionals to get the multi time and crew experience that I was needing. It looks like I might be staying here for a while... I'll keep you posted and try to keep the photo forum flooded with cockpit and in-flight shots, all in an attempt to keep you guys jealous. Last edited by TFaudree_ERAU; July 15th, 2007 at 02:15.

July 15th, 2007, 00:33	#2
Doug Taylor Agent Smith Join Date: Dec 1969 Location: KSDL Posts: 42,205 Blog Entries: 1	Re: A little bit higher and a little bit faster now... Excellent, congrats! __________________ Doug Taylor iPhone Flickr Map

July 15th, 2007, 01:14	#3
Wolfy Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Sonoma, CA Posts: 336	Re: A little bit higher and a little bit faster now... This is amazing, something really worthy of congratulations. I could only imagine being there in two years.

July 15th, 2007, 01:33	#4
BuickCFI Old Skool Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: South of the Border Posts: 2,136	Re: A little bit higher and a little bit faster now... my dream job! congrats __________________ CFI, CFII, MEI -Why is it when two planes almost hit each other it is called a near miss? Shouldn't it be called a near hit?

July 15th, 2007, 07:24	#5
mtsu_av8er Old Skool Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Utopia Posts: 12,593	Re: A little bit higher and a little bit faster now... SWEETNESS!!!!! Woo-hoo! That's freaking awesome! Good job, man! __________________ Ike is one nasty storm, and it's all the fault of management. That's why we need ALPA.

July 15th, 2007, 12:55	#6
Okie_Pilot Junior Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Posts: 82	Re: A little bit higher and a little bit faster now... That's awesome! Congratulations.

July 15th, 2007, 13:57	#7
Aero_Engineer Old Skool Join Date: May 2005 Location: California, USA Posts: 2,052	Re: A little bit higher and a little bit faster now... Congrats that's just great.

July 15th, 2007, 13:59	#8
pedro Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Phoenix, Az Posts: 832	Re: A little bit higher and a little bit faster now... Congratulations man... Seems like there has been a lot of good news around here lately. __________________ The wild geese have no intention on casting their reflection. The water has no mind to receive it.

July 15th, 2007, 14:34	#9
flyTotheSky Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: LUK Posts: 404	Re: A little bit higher and a little bit faster now... That IS a dream job...congrats!! How many hours do they put on the Lear per year? Will you be living on a pager or have some sort of set schedule? Either way, sounds like a great opportunity. Good job. __________________ CFI - CFII - CIME - Slowtation/Pilatypus FO

July 15th, 2007, 15:28	#10
C310_pilot Junior Member Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Richmond VA Posts: 71	Re: A little bit higher and a little bit faster now... Is the captain/chief pilot a Mr. A. Davis by any chance?

July 15th, 2007, 17:50	#11
surreal1221 Old Skool Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Alpha Tango Lima Posts: 10,448	Re: A little bit higher and a little bit faster now... Nice! Rock on Travis and Congrats buddy! __________________ AGI.MEI.CFI.CFII.FO.CRJ2 \| Josh \| The TRoP \| Rmble On \| ALPA \| IVAW \| ACLU \|

July 15th, 2007, 21:37	#12
XLR99 Junior Member Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Medina, OH Posts: 112	Re: A little bit higher and a little bit faster now... Congrats!! Sounds like an excellent opportunity. More proof that networking and leaving previous jobs in good standing will pay off later! __________________ Just when you think you're of average intelligence, someone comes along and elevates you to genius.

July 15th, 2007, 22:03	#14
Crockrocket94 Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: In a place warmer than State College.. for now. Posts: 973	Re: A little bit higher and a little bit faster now... You best give pictures Awesome job man! __________________ Craig CFI-CFII-MEI www.logshare.com/log.jsp?email=craigcrocker1@yahoo.com

July 15th, 2007, 22:09	#15
Rocketman99 Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: On your left shoulder holding a pitchfork Posts: 1,055	Re: A little bit higher and a little bit faster now... Sweet deal man! Congrats!! __________________ NKAWTG...N! Colgan pays enough to keep you sullen and not mutinous. - Mel

July 15th, 2007, 23:09	#16
Aaron_Kearney Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Louisville KY USA Posts: 603	Re: A little bit higher and a little bit faster now... That's awesome bro ... congratulations

July 16th, 2007, 09:52	#17
PGA07 Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Western Chi-Town Burb's Posts: 629	Re: A little bit higher and a little bit faster now... Very SWEEEEET! Good luck with the new gig and it is always nice to see someone achieve what they work hard for! __________________ Tis the time for cooler temps., colorfull leaves and Archery Season! "Shoot for the moon, even if you miss, you'll land among the stars!"

July 16th, 2007, 13:06	#18
Murdoughnut Old Skool Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: St. Petersburg, FL Posts: 2,988	Re: A little bit higher and a little bit faster now... Sucks you'll be leaving the bay, but sounds like an awesome opportunity. Let me know if you need help moving - congrats!

July 16th, 2007, 15:01	#19
Wolfy Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Sonoma, CA Posts: 336	Re: A little bit higher and a little bit faster now... Ok, so you have the same name as me with the exact job I want. Too weird.

July 17th, 2007, 12:26	#20
Cruise Old Skool Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: 22" PNS.... I can't keep track anymore! Posts: 2,466	Re: A little bit higher and a little bit faster now... Congrats! Must be a great feeling if it is fulfilling a dream! Good for you.

July 17th, 2007, 12:38	#21
wheelsup Old Skool Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: _ Posts: 5,650	Re: A little bit higher and a little bit faster now... I live in Virginia Beach. I've been looking into Norfolk Southern but they're pretty picky. Congrats on the job, if they get that Challenger hook a brother up, yo . Are you from the area originally? I wasn't but am starting to like it here more, if only it were cheaper to live. Most of the stuff by ORF is military, I'd suggest Chesapeake or Virginia Beach, my $0.02. __________________ "It takes just as much time to be nice to someone as it does to be a jerk."

July 17th, 2007, 13:26	#23
wheelsup Old Skool Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: _ Posts: 5,650	Re: A little bit higher and a little bit faster now... I think C310 was the guy across from me when I was renewing my CFI certs in Richmond...talk about a small world. __________________ "It takes just as much time to be nice to someone as it does to be a jerk."

Thread Tools
Show Printable Version Email this Page
Display Modes
Linear Mode Switch to Hybrid Mode Switch to Threaded Mode