Gig economy is all the rage and contract flying is seen as the next big thing. While it sounds great on paper, it’s not for everyone. It’s important to take a step back and make sure it’s the right decision for you and your family.

For some Contract Pilot Jobs , contract pilots offer a way to gracefully scale their flight department up or down as they ebb and flow without the inefficiencies of a full-time salaried workforce. The client only pays the contract pilot when they are needed, which saves money for both parties. It also saves the company the cost of annual training and benefits. It’s no wonder that more and more companies are using contract pilots to help manage their flight schedule.

Freelance Flyers: Contract Pilot Job Market

While demand for certain pilot qualifications and ratings can vary, it’s important to understand your marketability before making the leap into contracting. For example, you may have a lot of time in a Diamond Jet but that type rating will not automatically translate into contract work for the same reason that having thousands of hours in a Gulfstream can.

It is also essential that you are current and qualified to fly as a contract pilot. If you’ve gone a few years without doing some recurrent training, most corporate operators and insurance vendors will not consider hiring you. The good news is that recurrent school costs are typically much lower than the cost of getting a new type rating and you can often use the training at multiple clients.