Determine your travel needs.Doing this will help you decide the type of jet aircraft you will be using and, consequently, the type of pilot(s) that you require. Evaluate your travel needs to determine whether you will be doing mostly domestic travel or mostly international or a combination of both. You must decide whether you need a crew that will be on call and ready for last minute trips or one that can be on a schedule for trips planned in advance.
Advertise.The best way to get a group of skilled pilots, who want to work for you, is to put out a few feelers in the nooks and crannies of the aviation industry. Pilots who are searching for jet jobs frequent several major aviation websites. Don't waste your time posting job ads for pilots on general job websites such as www.jobfinder.com or www.monstertrak.com. Try pilot specific job websites such as www.climbto350.com or www.fltops.com. Here you will find a multitude of skilled jet-ready professional pilots.
Know what to look for.When you are sifting through your in-box full of pilot resumes that you will receive after posting your job ads on pilot websites, make sure that you understand a little bit of pilot speak. Pilots measure their experience and eligibility on two factors. The first is the amount and quality of flight time they have, the other is the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) certificates and ratings that they hold. At a minimum, a qualified jet pilot will have a commercial multi-engine land pilot certificate and an instrument rating with at least 1200 total flight hours and preferably an ATP (airline transport pilot) certificate. It is even better if they have a pilot in command (PIC) type rating added onto their certificate. They must also hold a current first or second class medical completed by an aviation medical examiner (AME).
Check for red flags.Any pilot with a tarnished record should signal a big red flag in your mind. Ask all applicants whether they have any accidents or incidents on their record, then verify this information by checking their records. Pilot records are now made available through the pilot record improvement act, or PRIA. A database of certified pilots can be found on www.landings.com and clicking on the "database" and then "pilots" tabs. Any FAA registered pilot with a current medical can be found on this website.
Verify and or provide training.Even though you will be hiring a certificated professional pilot, you will need to ensure that he is qualified for the specific type of aircraft that you own/rent/manage. Jet aircraft, as opposed to most turbine and piston aircraft, requires type ratings that are specific to that aircraft. For example, a pilot that is qualified on a hawker jet will not be able to fly a Lear jet unless she has a Lear jet type rating. These ratings cost, at a minimum, $5000 and are availble through training facilities such as flightsafety or simuflite. If your pilot does not already have this type rating, you will probably have to provide it by sending them to a certified training facility.
