[imagesource: Laura Schmutzer]

Laura Schmutzer was in the Air Force and worked as a commercial pilot before moving to private jets.

She has opened up about her comings and goings flying in private aviation, revealing that there are indeed some pitfalls along with major perks.

A lot of folks bound to the ground might believe that flying privately is full of luxury and extravagance but Laura has set the record straight.

Laura has a lot of experience in the sky, per BusinessInsider, having served in the Air Force for seven years before taking a break to raise her two daughters. She then returned to flying in 2019 with ExpressJet, a regional airline, but that airline shut down during the pandemic, so the seasoned aviator moved to Jet It, a private aviation company based in Greensboro, North Carolina.

Image: Laura Schmutzer

One of the more surprising aspects of the job is that as a pilot, she also has her very own concierge:

While the passengers get a dedicated team to ensure their flight is as luxurious as possible, Jet It also provides a concierge service for the pilots. They arrange things like hotels, transportation, and even food.

“The crew concierge has more time on their hands while the pilots are flying, so they can take care of these things,” said Schmutzer. “They even know my regular Panera order so it can be ready when I land.”

So far it sounds idyllic.

She does fly between two and five times daily, though, mostly on continental US routes during her eight-day rotation – so she needs those extra hands.

She said she can even end up working for up to 14 hours a day, adding that visiting three or more destinations in one day isn’t uncommon, with five being an especially long day:

That’s because private jets are so efficient, particularly the Honda Jet, which can do little hops across the Caribbean. “In one instance, I flew from the Bahamas to Florida, then to Texas for fuel before ending the day in Colorado,” she said.

However, Jet It makes sure the pilots are well rested at all times, always giving them at least 10 hours of rest, working eight days on with six off.

The aviation company also ensure they have an easy time getting to their job for the day, paying for pilots to take a commercial flight from wherever they live to the destination of the first flight of the eight-day rotation, according to Schmutzer.

Laura also says she makes sure to get out of the cockpit as much as possible to check out local hiking and swimming spots:

“If there is a beach nearby, I’ll run there or find a local yoga class,” she said. “I’ll even Google local hiking trails near the airport to maintain an active lifestyle.”

If she’s really lucky, she even gets to squeeze in something spontaneous, like snorkelling on a whim while stopped in Key West.

She also said that not all her clients are VIPs or celebs, with a few being small-business owners with multiple car dealerships or rental properties. She said these entrepreneurs like to take advantage of Jet It’s day-use model allowing them to visit multiple properties that would not be easily accessible via commercial airlines.

Apparently, she flies clients to rural parts of the US all the time, which she reckons isn’t that glam:

“Sometimes people want to go hunting out in the middle of nowhere in Wyoming or attend a football game in Gainesville, Florida, or Starkville, Mississippi,” said Schmutzer. “I’ve even landed at tiny airports with no towers or facilities like Black Hills River, South Dakota. So it’s not always glamorous locations.”

The airports might have bedraggled airstrips but flying from the mountains to the sea sounds pretty lush to me.

A job is a job, but I am not convinced that this one is less luxurious and extravagant than we all thought.

[source:businessinsider]