“This is your captain speaking….”

Frequent flyers get a look into the world of the commercial aviation pilot with each boarding. We see them checking instruments in the cockpit. We hear their offer to turn off the “fasten seatbelt sign”. And we exchange thank-you nods as we depart the plane. But far fewer of us are exposed to the world of theprivate aviation pilot.

Nancy Branka interviewed NetJets Captain Leonard Kittel, who was on a layover in Chile, to get a peek into this unusual industry lifestyle.
June 2005

What brought you to NetJets as a pilot?
I was an aircraft salesman for years. A friend of mine started flying for NetJets. I was enjoying aircraft sales but spending a lot of time on the phone, so I thought I’d try it.

What kind of experience was required?
NetJet’s requirements are higher than any commercial airlines’. We’re required to have 2,500 hours total flying time, 500 multi-engine hours and an Airline Transport Pilot’s license before even getting an interview. In some commercial airlines, you can start as a flight engineer.

What kind of aircraft do you fly?
With NetJets, we fly just one aircraft. I’ve flown the Falcon 2000 for a little more than five years, and I have no desire to change. It’s very comfortable and the only one with a flight attendant. It can fly 3,000 miles, so we have trips to Hawaii, Europe and Chile, for example.

What is your typical schedule like?
We have the option to work the seven-day-on, seven-day- off shift, which is what I do. The other option is a 17-day schedule that varies every month, with a total of 17 days worked in the month. For me, it’s better to have the long time off, and you can plan three months in advance. The 17-day schedule was good when the kids were little, and I could be home during the day for field trips and activities. This one’s better for long-term planning. What’s tough is that you have to pack for seven days, and you don’t know if you’ll end up in the mountains and snow or on the beach. They give you a brief the night before. But you might do one or two legs, then it changes.

How does your job differ from that of a commercial pilot?
I like the fact that the schedule is always changing—a lot of commercial pilots fly the same routes over and over. The other difference is that we’re responsible for the entire airplane, and commercial pilots aren’t. For example, we also operate the Boeing Business Jet, a 737, and I was at a party where one of our pilots of the 737 was talking with a Southwest 737 pilot. He was amazed and said, “I don’t know any of that stuff.”

Where are you based?
I live in Columbus, Ohio. When I started, all our pilots were based there, or at least you had to report there on the first day. My wife and I were living in Nashville, so I flew up there and back for each shift. After six months we decided to move to Columbus because that was one day lost before and after each shift. Now there are 27 or 28 bases around the country.

What kind of ongoing training is required?
We do training around 21 days a year. Every six months, I have to go through “aircraft recurrent.” They put you through the paces. It’s very high standards. [We also have] the “company recurrent”—that’s a five-day class on rules, regulations and policy. We are regulated by the FAA—commercial airlines are under one section, charter airlines are under another, and private jets are under another. Now there’s a separate chapter for fractional airlines. But NetJets goes way beyond what’s required. They train and train and train.

What’s the most stressful part of your job?
Bad weather, in mountains. There are so many factors that can affect safety: frost on ground, frost on wings. You have to be sure your weight is OK. By the time you finish all the calculations, you sometimes have to go the owner and say, “We can’t go.” It’s all about safety.

What’s the most fun part of your job?
We’re not paired with a specific crew. We used to be paired with the same person, but now we’re not paired with a specific crew. So the camaraderie is really nice. You get into places like Hawaii or here [Chile], and you get time to see the city. I like studying the cities.

Do you interact with passengers much?
We have passenger names and have to check IDs, of course. But you also get to know people. For example, the gentleman we flew here [to Chile], I’ve flown him a number of times before. If you go to the back of the plane, a lot of the owners like to stop you and chat. Or sometimes they come up in the cockpit and sit in the jump seat. That’s one part of the job I enjoy very much—interacting with passengers. And not just the celebrities. A lot of the owners have very successful businesses, and I really enjoy hearing the stories about their work.

Does your work “inform” your personal travel?
Well, my last three family vacations have been to places I really liked that I visited [through work]—that’s how we picked them. Also, I did a little mountain climbing recently. That’s because I flew to Jackson Hole, and I was intrigued. My wife gave me the mountain climbing trip for my birthday.

What do you think readers would be surprised to know about private jet pilots’ work?
I hear a lot—from my family included—they think I’m on a vacation when I’m working. It can be a pretty stressful job. It’s not as glamorous as it sounds.

_____________________________

Have a question or comment? Email Executive Travel at editor@executivetravelmag.com.