Disclaimer: This article is not legal or financial advice. Every operator has unique circumstances, and what may be a green flag at one company could be a red flag at another. The purpose of this guide is to provide perspective and tools for pilots to make informed decisions—and perhaps encourage some operators to improve their practices.
Why it’s Important to Be Selective:
Choosing the right employer is critical, even if the role is a stepping stone. In the event of a recession or a hiring slowdown, it’s wise to work for a company that values its employees, respects their rights, and provides reliable income.
Unreasonable Training Contract:
Part 135 operators can impose unreasonable pilot training contracts in several ways. These contracts are often designed to protect the operator’s investment in training but may overreach or create undue burdens on pilots. More on this later.
Long-Term Reputation
The operator a pilot works for can shape how they are perceived within the industry. Aviation is a small community, and a pilot’s association with a reputable employer can enhance their professional standing. Operators with strong reputations make a pilot more attractive to future employers.
PRIA and Defamation Risks:
A bad operator can tarnish your record. There are cases where pilots received defamatory PRIA letters, leading to rescinded job offers. The introduction of the PRD database is a step forward, but pilots must remain vigilant about protecting their records.
Remember: A single bad employer can have lasting consequences on your career. Choose carefully.
How to Research Potential Employers
Thorough research is essential before accepting a job. Use these tools and methods to evaluate potential employers:
- Employee and Customer feedback
Look for the positive and the negative, but take some of them with a grain of salt. It’s not unheard of for an employer to pay for positive reviews or spoof reviews from illegitimate employees.
- ~Better Business Bureau (BBB)
- ~Company social media: Facebook/ Instagram/ LinkedIn/ TikTok
- ~Google Maps and Yelp: Review customer experiences while being mindful of potential bias or fake reviews.
- ~GlassDoor.com
- ~Fishbowlapp.com
- Blacklist.aero
This website is commonly used by brokers to flag companies that fail to pay or honor contracts. However, it’s not foolproof. Operators can obscure their actions by using DBAs or shell companies. This means they are operating under a different name, hiding their actions without getting the owning company blacklisted.
- Industry Groups
- ~Join Facebook groups like Professional Jet Pilots or Corporate Aviation Job Listings to gather anecdotal feedback.
- ~Search LinkedIn to identify current employees and assess tenure. A high percentage of recent hires may indicate high turnover.
- Job Listings
Frequent postings for the same position may suggest poor retention. Retention bonuses can indicate a company struggles to keep employees.
Green Flags to look for
- Safety Accreditations
Certifications like Argus or Wyvern indicate a commitment to safety. However, not all accreditations are equal—seek operators with thorough safety audits. This is done by looking through the industry registry databases of either safety accreditation.
- In-House Maintenance
Operators with their own maintenance facilities and mechanics often address issues promptly. Parts and labor would be done cheaper, meaning its more likely to get issues fixed, with a lower loss margin. However, ensure safety is prioritized over cost savings. If the company culture does not promote safety, then there could be some pressure to fly an unairworthy airplane back to base to get it fixed for cheaper.
- Licensed Dispatchers
Licensed dispatchers are not a regulatory requirement for Part 135 operations, but they do add layer of safety and shared responsibility.
NOTE: We will be talking about Operational Control in a future article, so be sure to subscribe to our newsletter to stay in the loop.
Understanding Air Carrier Certificates and OpSpecs
Asking the company to hand you their manuals and OpSpecs might be a tall order, but here are some things you can try to look for:
- Look up the most recent Air Carrier excel sheet on the FAA’s website
Companies may operate under a DBA (doing business as), which will not be listed on the excel sheet, but is listed on OpSpec A001. Whatever research you’re doing, make sure you’re also looking up the DBA(s). - The excel sheet also has all the airplanes with N-numbers that the company is authorized to fly for hire
If the N-numbers haven’t been blocked, then you can use ADS-B sites just as FlightAware to track flights. Are the planes frequently flying, where are they going to/from, is there prolonged periods of none movement? - PDP Program with single pilot airplanes
I can write an entire article on this topic alone, and maybe one day I will. But to keep it short, if you’re apply for an SIC position in a single-pilot airplane, you need to make sure that time is “loggable”. Ask to see the exact authorization in full – there have been many cases of SICs unable to continue their career progression because of this exact issue. If the company is using the PDP as the authorization, it’ll be under OpSpec A062.
- Safety Management System (SMS)
It’s no secret that the FAA already has plans to require charter companies to have a full SMS program. Some operators already see it coming, and implemented a program. What’s important though is not the presence of SMS, but the method in which it is implemented. What is management’s attitude to a pilot who does a go-around? Will they chastise the “failure” to save a bad approach, or will they encourage safety-oriented thinking?
- Approved Minimum Equipment Lists (MEL)
Without an MEL, aircraft must be maintained to 100% functionality. The lack of an MEL means either the airplane is always perfectly maintained as soon as anything breaks, or that the operator is willing to fly an unairworthy airplane. There is no in-between answer. Approved MELs will be listed on OpSpec D095.
Evaluating Financial Stability
Financial stability is challenging to assess for privately owned companies. However, you can use these indicators:
- Covid Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) Loans
During the Covid-19 pandemic, the US government gave out loans to small businesses to keep them afloat. In some cases, these loans were hundreds of thousands of dollars that were written out to cover the employees’ payroll. To some, the loans were a lifesaver.
Unfortunately, the program was abused by certain individuals. Every few weeks, we learn about someone who tried to defraud the government and steal tax-payer money. This was done through a plethora of ways that goes beyond the scope of this writing.
Furthermore, identifying a PPP loan indicates that the company sought financial support during the pandemic, which is not uncommon and reflects prudent financial management under challenging circumstances. However, it’s essential to consider this information within the broader context of the company’s overall financial stability and long-term viability. Engaging in discussions with the employer about their current financial status and future outlook can provide a more comprehensive understanding, aiding in informed decision-making regarding potential employment.
https://www.pandemicoversight.gov/
- Other Financial Markers
- Furlough history
- Aircraft ownership:
Companies with owned aircraft or long-term contracts tend to be more stable. - Government contracts.
Operators with government contracts often have reliable revenue streams, even during downturns. Examples include:- Wildlife preservation
- Fire and rescue
- Essential Air Service
Questions to Ask in the Interview
Interviews are a two-way street. Be prepared with questions to evaluate the employer: Below are some questions to consider. Remember though, each situation is different, one answer might be accepted in some cases, but could be a major issue in others.
- Who is the DO and CP and when were they assigned that position? Are they flying-pilots as well or strictly management?
- What does the organization chart look like?
- Does the company rely on street-hire captains, or is internal promotion common?
- Any company owned aircraft, or all leased?
- Aircraft Owners – any long-term accounts? Any owner with multiple aircraft on certificate?
- Schedule/ Rotation – Deadheading on first and last day, or compromising your days off?
- What happens if you had to work into a scheduled day off?
- Job Perks: Hotel points, company credit card, crew meals, bonuses and holiday pay, dry cleaning, rental cars, etc.
- Any long-term disability?
- What’s the process of releasing a flight? Who reviews the routing/ fuel/ weather/ etc.? Is there a dedicated dispatcher?
- Maintenance Practices. Where are the aircraft maintained? Who pays for their maintenance? What’s the process like when an airplane is written up?
- What does the training program look like? Does full salary start on Day 1?
- What are the career prospects for upgrades or transitioning to larger fleets? How often does any of that actually happen?
Training Contract Pitfalls
Theres been plenty of arguments citing that Training Contracts are not upheld in court due to their “indentured servitude” nature. That said, even fighting these in court will take up time, money, and most importantly, cause stress. Ideally, you are not signing any form of contract, but if you must, then consider some key points:
- Pro-Rated Terms. This means that the amount decreases with time. Without this clause, a pilot who leaves after 11 months of a 12-month contract could still owe the full training cost.
- Renewal Clauses. Some contracts automatically renew with each recurrent training cycle, effectively resetting the obligation period and extending the pilot’s financial liability indefinitely.
- High Lump-Sum Repayment: Contracts may require pilots to repay the full cost of training (e.g., $20,000–$50,000) if they leave the company before a specific period, even if the pilot leaves for reasons beyond their control.
- Long Contract Durations: Contracts may lock pilots into employment for extended periods (e.g., 2–3 years), which is often disproportionate to the training provided, especially for recurrent training or for smaller aircraft types.
- Undefined Costs: The contract may fail to provide a clear breakdown of training expenses, making it difficult for pilots to understand what they are agreeing to repay.
- Hidden Clauses: Terms may include additional costs or conditions not disclosed upfront, such as repayment for uniforms, administrative fees, or simulator time.
- “Promissory Notes” or Loans: Some operators use a “promissory note” instead of a traditional training contract, framing the cost as a loan. This can make it harder for pilots to contest the terms and can lead to aggressive debt collection practices if they leave before the obligation is met.
- Documentation Practices: Be wary of companies that encourage falsifying records, as this reflects poorly on their integrity. One example on this is Insurance. I’ve seen all sorts of ways that operators have lied to their underwriters to get otherwise “uninsurable” pilots on their policy. Be wary of every document you are asked to sign, and make personal copies of everything.
- Insufficient Training Provided In some cases, operators require pilots to repay exorbitant training costs while failing to provide adequate training. For example:
- Pilots may only receive minimal ground school without meaningful simulator or line training.
- SICs in single-pilot aircraft may be charged for training but unable to log the flight time due to a lack of proper authorization. One infamous example involves a company that sued pilots for leaving within a year of employment, demanding $20,000 for training costs. These pilots were flying as unauthorized SICs on single-pilot aircraft, couldn’t log the time, and received minimal training. The FAA eventually fined the operator for regulatory violations.
- Unreasonable Conditions for Termination Contracts may include clauses that hold pilots liable for repayment even if they are terminated due to factors outside their control, such as medical issues, company downsizing, or a hostile work environment.
- Do not chase the carrot! Regardless of how nice the company seems to be, never rely on a verbal agreement. If the company is telling you that you’ll be upgraded in 6 months to the left seat, or putting you in a bigger airframe, or increasing compensation by 10% every year, then it needs to be written down on a signed contract. A lot of states in the US follow an “At Will” labor law. In quick summary, it means that Part 135 pilots do not enjoy the same union protections that a lot of US airline pilots have. What that means to you, is you need to develop your own contract with your new employer, and not rely on the niceness of its management. If you’re joining the company on the basis of a specific promise, then it needs to be in writing.
By understanding these tactics and knowing what to look out for, pilots can better navigate training contracts and protect their interests. Similarly, operators seeking to attract top talent should strive for fairness and transparency in their training agreements, fostering trust and loyalty among their pilots.
Conclusion
The aviation industry is volatile, and even the most stable operators can face challenges. However, by conducting thorough research, asking the right questions, and understanding red and green flags, you can make informed decisions that protect your career and ensure long-term success.
Fly smart. Prioritize your safety and career.
We’re Here to Help—Reach Out to Us!We’re here to assist. Whether it’s about career advice, employer research, or anything aviation-related, we’d love to hear from you. Send us an email at contact@skysafetysolutions.com and we’ll provide thoughtful, expert guidance to help you navigate your next steps.
