Jets and Sales

I have been in the corporate jet biz for nearly 10 years in sales and 135 charter. It isn't a glamorous job at all. You'll spend from 100 to 200 nights away from home (The first year is fun but after that it sucks). The pay is fair to poor for the hours you work, you most likely will never get rich doing it. Usually you will need some years experience working in corporate flight departments before you can get hired on in a slaes job. Most (but not all) hired are ATP's with type ratings in one or more corporate aircraft and/or are A&P's and at least 5 to 10 years in the industry. Aviation is a small world, and breaking in from the outside is very tough. The manufacturers do not have large sales departments, they don't need them. New aircraft are targeted a very small market and they have it well covered. As for resale aircraft, small brokers will offer some opportunity but with out the afformentioned credentials they usually won't hire. The sales guys are the demo pilots and delevery pilots. The resale aircraft market is highly volitile and is in a slump as fractional programs gain market share on an already narrow group of qualified buyers.

Flying is great and selling jets can be interesting but there are much better ways to earn a living IMHO.

 

007....

Compared to an entry level pilot then at about $50K USD income, what can you say would be an average dollar figure after 10 years experience selling ? I guess it's a game of contacts....just like high end cars ?

Commissions must be....well...reasonably healthy....wouldn't you say ? I'm genuinely curious, as it seems all it would take is one African dictator to make a good year become a great year !! I don't want to know what you make per say, but what it's expected one would make.

 

I have it on pretty good info that if you are a salesman for Gulfstream, you can make well over $1MM in a good year.

I believe it goes downhill from there.

 

i would cut off body parts to sell our Gulfstreams................... the sales personnel i have met are always really nice to the mechanics. i have yet to see any of them drive anything that was not new , cool and $$$$.

 

Owning your own light jet/turboprop sales operation you could be anywhere from $0 to $250,000 in a year, just depends on volume and expenses. Selling heavy iron is usually done by bigger firms with worldwide offices, Wentworth, TAG and JB&A to name a few. Working for a bigger firm $75,000 to $150,000 is about right. A friend in Tucson working a branch location for a large group has done at least twice as well as this, but keep in mind he has been in the business since the late 60's. His rolodex of names is nearly priceless. Took a lot of time to get this far.

 

007...

Thanks......I was just curious......I guess selling multi-million dollar jets is financially no more rewarding than selling high end cars. I would have thought it was the other way around.....but if you owned your own company I could see it if expenses could be kept in check.

 

A tip for the future from an old timer. STAY OUT of the airplane BUSINESS. Makes a great hobby if you have money to burn. Turn 25 million into 5 million real quick.

 

You should know better than to judge people's financial health from what car they are driving. Ever heard of leases? Second-hand? Family money? Messed up priorities? Etc., etc. Not saying they don't make big bucks, but what they drive is not a good indicator.

 

I'll be the first to assure you that it is possible to make a *small* fortune in general aviation.

But you must first spend a *large* fortune.

Enjoy the flight ...

 

Having been in the aviation industry for 27 years I have always worked with the notion that the bigger the Jet the bigger the pay check,and I have not been made a liar of yet.
Dave Mc

 

Mmm hmm....

And the bigger the (huge) investment in time, and training, and experience, and certifications, and connectiions, and knowledge, that you had best have to do just that...

No linesman is walking off the ramp and selling G-5s.

 

In every field, including aviation, you have to start somewhere.

 

>have to start somewhere.

True. Hey, if that's what you want to do, great, go for it.