Flight instructor Emma Elizabeth explains how she landed a Citation CJ3 job with about 550 hours, what it pays and how the schedule works.
What the video covers
Written in our own words. It only describes what the video shows and says.Emma Elizabeth, a flight instructor in Northern California, says she has accepted a jet job in Southern California with about 550 total hours. She had not expected an opportunity like this so early in her career. She has to make the move within about two weeks.
How the offer arrived
About two months before the video, the owners of a charter company contacted her through social media and asked whether she would consider relocating. A phone call followed. She sent her resume and documents, then heard nothing for two months despite following up by email. About a week before filming, the chief pilot called to say the company was looking for someone closer to 800 hours. A few days later a voicemail and an email arrived: a co-pilot on their jet had left unexpectedly and they needed someone in November. The official offer came soon after and she accepted it. Her takeaway is that pilots should not wait until they feel more experienced before making connections.
The aircraft and the role
Emma says the company operates a Citation CJ3 and transports organs for transplant. She does not name the operator. The job is described as a pilot pathway program. She will start in the right seat without acting as co-pilot until she has the required training and qualifications, with the possibility of flying as a true second in command after one to two months of on the job training. Her start date is mid-November. She is keeping further details about duties and qualifications to herself for now.
Pay, schedule and flight hours
According to Emma, the position pays $1,200 a month on a schedule of one week on and one week off, with the week on including on call duty around the clock. She calls this quite a pay cut compared with her current income from instructing plus side jobs such as cleaning houses and yard work, which help her cover expenses and pay down her training debt. She says she has been told to expect about 10 hours a month on the CJ3, which does not sound like much to her from a time building perspective. She sees the job as a stepping stone to a captain upgrade with this company or to the airlines rather than a fix for her finances. She asks viewers in the Los Angeles area or Southern California about flight schools that may be hiring or other legitimate ways to build hours. She also welcomes advice from anyone with Part 135 experience.
