Pros
Excellent multiengine time builder: You’ll log a ton of multi time very quickly, which is the main appeal of this job. Home-based operation: You can live anywhere in the U.S. they’ll cover your airline ticket to and from rotation, even if you live as far as Alaska. Paid during your 12 days off: The company continues paying during your off rotation, which is a huge perk compared to most contract-style jobs. See the entire country: You’ll experience nearly every region of the U.S., from small rural towns to major cities, which makes for great flying stories and photos. Single-pilot operations: You gain real decision-making experience as PIC, which sharpens your judgment and autonomy as a pilot. Great pilot group: The other pilots are genuinely chill and down to earth. Handover days often turn into dinner and a beer easily one of the best parts of the job. Plenty of cross-country time: The nature of the work adds up a lot of XC hours. Exposure to FBO operations: You’ll interact directly with line crews which gives you a well rounded understanding of general aviation logistics. Networking opportunities: You’ll meet jet pilots, charter crews, and other professionals across the country. Duty-day pay structure: You’re paid by the duty day instead of Hobbs time, meaning even long airline travel days (up to 16 hours) are compensated. Camera support: There’s an in-house camera support line. If there’s an issue, you can plug into ground power and let the tech team remote in to fix it no troubleshooting solo. Large project areas: Most survey blocks cover vast regions, which can be great for consistent flying if the weather cooperates. Flexible flying motivation: They encourage productivity. If you’re motivated, you can build solid hours (the average is 40-50 per rotation, but sometimes 10-20) Unique aircraft setup: Flying an Aztec with a massive camera pod hanging underneath definitely turns heads. It’s a conversation starter everywhere you go.
Cons
Night flights prohibited IFR flights prohibited Aircraft not IFR certified Day VFR only $15.20 per hour No job security. They lay off pilots every summer due to it being a slow season. They also lay off pilots based on your survey metrics. It's messed up because you can't see your metrics to know if you're performing good or bad. You may be crushing it but still end up getting fired, based of the data they collect on you. Some people get fired because they aren't flying enough based off the numbers, but if you dig deeper and see why it's because they constantly got stuck on maintenance aircraft or the north east in the winter. All they see is the numbers though. When things slow pilots go. While this position provides an abundance of multiengine time, it comes at a significant cost to your instrument proficiency. If your goal is to move on to a Part 135 or 121 carrier, understand that this job will not prepare you for that type of flying. You’ll need to stay current and proficient on your own time and dime. The operation is strictly day VFR, which means you won’t be gaining the IFR experience that airlines and charter operators value. In that sense, this position can hinder your long-term progression more than it helps. Twin-piston time looks nice on paper, but if it’s all day VFR, you’re essentially doing the same level of flying as banner tow or skydive operations just with one more engine. Company Culture: Management emphasizes that they are a technology company, not an aviation company. As a result, many pilot concerns, operational feedback, and safety suggestions are dismissed or deprioritized. Safety and Aircraft Condition: Aircraft lack nose gear doors, often have poor or completely inoperative heaters, and are poorly sealed creating dangerously cold cockpit conditions during high-altitude survey flights (10,000–15,000 ft). With no insulation and no functional heater, the cockpit temperature often matches the outside air temperature. Flying 4–5 hour missions in sub-freezing or negative temperatures is not only miserable but unsafe. There was even an incident where a pilot was hospitalized for hypothermia, yet the underlying issues remain unaddressed. Maintenance is minimal. Common problems include leaking gear struts, inaccurate fuel gauges, heading instruments that all disagree (heading indicator, magnetic compass, and GPS all display different headings), and other non-91.205 items that are simply deferred as “fly-on.” Scheduling and Management: Rotations are 30 days on / 12 days off, which can be mentally and physically exhausting. The work environment is heavily micromanaged. The chief pilot faces constant pressure from upper management, which trickles down to the line pilots and creates an unnecessarily stressful environment. Pilots are required to answer daily morning and afternoon calls explaining their plans for the day even when there’s zero chance of flying due to weather. It becomes repetitive and frustrating, especially when management demands updates for situations clearly beyond pilot control. To put it simply, it’s like your mom calling to remind you to do the dishes when you’re literally standing at the sink about to wash them. Or like your dad yelling from the couch to mow the lawn in the middle of a thunderstorm then acting surprised when you say it’s raining and asking, “Well, when are you going to do it?” Obviously, when the weather allows just like the week before. That’s exactly how these calls feel. You’re also expected to sit at the FBO for up to 8 hours a day even when the weather clearly prevents flying. Management has been known to make surprise visits or demand random photos of specific items in the aircraft as “proof” that you’re at the airport. It’s frustrating, especially when your hotel is 10 minutes away and you could easily be called in if conditions unexpectedly improve. Administrative Burden: On top of the calls, pilots must repeat the same information multiple times through Microsoft Teams, daily pilot logs, and other internal forms often to the exact same people. It’s an excessive amount of redundant communication for a team that largely works from home and still struggles to stay organized. Supervision and Oversight: The Vice President has been known to show up unannounced at bases to monitor and document pilots’ behavior, creating a stressful and distrustful work environment. Pilots are expected to staff aircraft even when they’re down for maintenance for weeks at a time. Some have spent entire rotations grounded with zero flight time. Hotel accommodations are typically budget options with little regard for pilot comfort during long rotations. This job will give you valuable multiengine time, but it comes with serious drawbacks loss of instrument proficiency, questionable maintenance practices, extreme cockpit conditions, and a micromanaged work culture. For those pursuing 135 or 121 careers, this experience may not translate well and could even set you back. Proceed with realistic expectations and prioritize your safety and long-term goals.
