How to become the Ultimat Flight Department Manager?

Let’s break it down into five easy basic steps:

1. College Education
2. Aviation Education
3. Aviation Experience
4. Management Experience
5. Professional Image



College Education:

· Graduate from a college ranked in the top 1/3 of all colleges. If you want to be the best, you will have to pay for a top ranked college.

· Speech classes – Presentation in front of groups.

· Writing Skills - Very important skill for the department manager.

· Graduate with a major in business and at least a minor in accounting.

· Master’s Degree in business or finance.



Aviation Education:

· Completed the following airplane ratings:

1. Private Pilot – Airplane Single Engine Land

2. Instrument – Airplane

3. Commercial – Single & Multi Engine Land

4. Airline Transport Pilot – Multi Engine Land

· Completed the following Helicopter ratings:

1. Commercial Helicopter

2. Instrument Helicopter

3. Turbine Helicopter checkout

· Mechanic Training:

1. Airframe and Powerplant License

2. Inspector Authorization would also be recommended.



Aviation Experience:

* Multi Engine Airplane:

1. Domestic and International FAR 135 Charter Company - Company has various jet aircraft and each pilot in the company flies 500 hours annually. You will also quickly receive international flight experience in the aircraft you fly or multiple aircraft that you fly for the company.
2. Consider sitting in a right seat program at a simulator training facility while working another job.
3. Some commuter FAR 135 and FAR 121 experience would be okay.

* Helicopter

1. Flight Instruct in a Helicopter – 750 hours would be good
2. Helicopter Turbine – 300 hours would be good.



Management Experience:

· Once you have achieved 3,000 to 5,000 total flight hours you should be concentrating on your management experience.

· A Chief Pilot position within a company with multiple aircraft.

· Attend aviation related management programs.

· Attend the NBAA national convention held each year



Professional Image:

* Always present a professional image in the way you dress and talk to people
* Do your job effectively.
* Stay away from company politics.
* Avoid the employees that have nothing better to do than gossip.
* Beware of your enemies within a company.



This is the basics of what a good Aviation Flight Department Manager requires. The helicopter experience and the maintenance experience will give you a competitive advantage over other candidates for a job. Start young and get as much experience before you attend college as you can. Do not be afraid to spend some money earlier in your career on type ratings to accelerate advancement in aircraft and even income. Also remember with any management position comes the political aspects of the job. Being the best does not necessarily mean you will be hired as a Flight Department Manager.

Robbie Johnson
Chief Pilot
www.AviationTraining.US

CFIIME (Gold Seal) G-IV, G-1159, G-159, SD-3, BA-3100