Experiencing the Corporate World First Hand...From none other than the Cockpit of a TBM 900

TBM 900

     Aviation students love flying. We love new experiences during our flight training, going to new places on our cross-countries, and just getting the chance to fly. However, you talk to any aviation student, and they’ll admit that there are times when it gets redundant. The beauty of being in collegiate aviation is you have the flexibility to do stuff on the side. When my professor offered me the opportunity last week, I jumped at it!  I got my first taste of corporate flying in a Socata TBM 900.

     Corporate flying is a lot different than flight training. At the flight school, we have smaller, lighter aircraft that normally don't have more than 4 seats. They're relatively slow and the main purpose is recreational flying. However, when corporations or affluent individuals purchase their own plane, they're going to want something a little bigger, comfortable, and definitely a lot faster. Going from flying a Piper Seminole to the TBM 900 was like going from your first car to driving a 2014 Cadillac. The plane was high performance, high altitude, and twice as fast!!​
 

Piper Seminole

     Corporate flying can be more relaxed, but there are also things you need to be keener on. For example, when you are a pilot for an individual, you want to make sure that you and the aircraft are ready to go by the time they get there. You don't want them to be waiting around for you finish pre-flight, getting fuel, etc... People don't like to wait. So be on time, or you could lose your job. Picking the fastest route and altitude that will save you the most fuel is another consideration. Flying can get expensive, so as a corporate pilot, you want to try and save your client as much money as possible. The upside to corporate flying in college is you finally get the chance to go apply what you learned; getting to go out and do some "real flying.”
      My professor flies for a private citizen on the side. He has had the opportunity to take up some of his students and let them sit right seat. I was definitely excited when he offered me the chance. It was Sunday after Thanksgiving. My professor and I arrived at the airport about an hour before departure. We got the airplane out of the hanger, pre-flight done and ready for departure. It was definitely more relaxed than getting ready for flight training, and it felt like an actual crew. My professor had me hop in and get the weather and our departure clearance while he did the inspection of the aircraft. Soon after, the folks show up and we got ready to go. Hearing that turbine engine start-up was amazing. I expected to watch and learn from my professor during the flight, but he put me right to work. I had the communication radios (or “comms”) and conducted different tasks as needed. We taxied and took off to 26,000 feet cruising altitude.

      It was definitely an amazing experience as we flew down to Ft. Myers; getting to be in the cockpit at high altitudes, talking on the radios, and adjusting the autopilot as necessary. We definitely worked as a team instead of the usual flight training environment; the student doing most of the flying and the instructor making sure he/she is doing things correctly. About the time we got over Tampa, the sun was setting out over the right wing. Watching another plane fly by in the distance as I saw the sun setting from 26,000 was breathtaking. Pretty soon, we were coming into Page Field and landing the plane. We got a crew car and drove the lady back to her house (to which she offered us grapefruit from her tree). As we flew back, we got up to 31,000 feet to test out the pressurization system, which was working just fine.

      In just around an hour, we were back in Jacksonville. It was a rewarding experience getting to fly with my professor on a corporate flight and I was exposed to a whole new aspect of the aviation industry. I talked with Fixed Base Operators (FBOs), flight crews, and enjoyed the trip while still working. Of course we can't forget that I got my first experience in a high-performance/turbine aircraft. While we often get focused on the busyness of college, doing flight training and combining the extra-curricular activities, getting new flight experiences outside of training definitely leaves you with highlights in your collegiate aviation days. If the opportunity arises, go for it! You never know what you'll learn.